Tokyo International Antiquarian Book Fair 2010

Snippets from the Catalogue

From March 11th to 13th, 2010, the Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of Japan (ABAJ) invites dealers and bibliophiles to the Tokyo International Antiquarian Book Fair. More than 30 exhibitors from Japan and overseas show treasures from the history of printing at the Izumi Garden Gallery, among them Bondi Books, Boston Book Company, Dieter Schierenberg, Kikuo Bookshop, Michael Steinbach, Oriens Librairie, Peter Harrington, Rob Rulon-Miller, Sims Reed, Cornstalk Bookshop, Isseido Booksellers, Tuttle Special Collections, and Yushodo.

ABAJ was founded in November 1964 and joined the League in 1965. Since then the Japanese booksellers have deeply influenced ILAB’s history. They have hosted several congresses and meetings, Mitsuo Nitta serves as chair of the ILAB Breslauer Prize Committee and has been awarded an ILAB membership of honour. The Tokyo International Antiquarian Book Fair is one of the most important events of the Asian bibliophile calendar. Snippets from the 2010 catalogue:


Tuttle Special Collections (Tokyo)

First landing of the Americans in Japan:

Elephant folio lithograph from “Illustrations of the Japan Expedition”, one of six lithographs from drawings by Wilhelm Heine, published by Eliphalet M. Brown Jr. and printed by Sarony & Co., New York, 1855. Size: 925 mm x 655 mm. ¥1,350,000

Excessively rare:

Chronicos De La Apostolica Provincia de S. Gregorio … En La Islas Philipinas, China y Japon … Manila. 1738, 1741 and 1744. Three volumes, folio, Aquarius full crushed red morocco, finely gilt spine and boards, gilt dentelles, crimson endpapers, the text finely printed on Philippines paper, all three volumes in fine condition. Volume 3 contains the full-page Japan martyrdom scene engraved by Philippines artists, missing in many collections, and shown above. A brilliant copy of an excessively rare book. ¥8,500,000


Dieter Schierenberg (Amsterdam)

Very rare work on western (Dutch)-Japanese contacts:

Meijlan, G. F. Japan. Voorgesteld in schetsen over de zeden en gebruiken van dat rijk bijzonder over de Ingezetenen der stad Nagasaky. Amsterdam, J. H. Tobiäs & M. Westerman & Zoon, 1830. 8vo. Half title, title page with hand-coloured engraving, [10], 190 pp., two large folding plates. Later contemporary style half calf with marbled boards. Spine with four raised bands, with gilt decorations and lettering. ¥ 1,100,000


Michael Steinbach (Munich)

On the beach:

Fashion. Collection of 69 original designs for beachware and causual. n.d.(ca. 1950). 25,5 : 18 cm. Drawn on brown cardboard. 69 brown ink-drawings water-coloured and partly hightened
in white. ¥ 400.000,-


Peter Harrington (London)

Kaempfer's first English edition:

Kaempfer, Engelbert. The History of Japan, giving an Account of the Ancient and Present State and Government of that Empire. London, For the Translator, 1727. First edition in English, 2 volumes, folio.. ¥2,250,000


Rulon-Miller (Saint Paul, MN)

Da Vinci's most important treatise on art:

Da Vinci, Leonardo. Traitté de la peinture de Leonardo de Vinci. Donné au public et traduit d’Italien en François par R. F. S. D. C. [i.e. Roland Fréart Sieur de Chambray]. Paris: Jacques Langlois, 1651. First edition and perhaps the most important treatise on art to be written during the Renaissance. ¥ 1,135,000


Sims Reed (London)

Dürer's "Small Passion":

Albrecht Dürer. Passio Christi. (Small Woodcut Passion). Nuremberg. [By the artist]. 1511. A large and complete copy - title with woodcut vignette, thirty-six woodcut plates and colophon - of the first edition of Albrecht Dürer's woodcut masterpiece, the Small Passion. Designed by Dürer in the same period as the Large Passion and the Life of the Virgin (c.1508 - 1510), the Small Passion was published by Dürer in the same year, 1511. The Small Passion is Dürer's most extensive series, consisting of 36 woodcuts (as well as the title with a large vignette of Christ), each with Latin verse by Chelidonius and depicts in greater detail than in his other series the final days of the life of Christ. Thirty-four of the original thirty-six woodblocks for the series survive and are held by the British Museum. ¥9,500,000


Cornstalk (Sydney)

Japanese paper:

Japanese patterned papers. New York: Nelson-Whitehead Paper Corporation, [circa 1960]. 104pp. 18x12cms landscape. Bound in traditional Japanese manner; sewn with silk string and is complete with slipcase . Front board has a crease and small spot otherwise a fine copy of an extremely scarce object. A sample book filled with 104 bright and bold patterned papers made in Japan. Andrews Nelson and Whitehead Paper Corporation were once the United States’ largest supplier of Japanese paper. ¥32,000


More information

Browse the book fair catalogue

“I have faith there will always be a demand for good books” – An interview with ABAJ president Takehiko Sakai (Isseido Booksellers) and Tsukasa Maeda (Kikuo Bookshop)

Harry Potter in Japan - A TV reporter visited the 2008 Tokyo International Antiquarian Bookfair, admired Harry Potter and a 1.5 million dollar copy of Copernicus’ De revolutionibus orbium coelestium. Video on JAPAN PROBE

The Sake Diary – “Rulon-Miller Books exhibited at the Tokyo International Antiquarian book fair in March, so I made my sixth trip to Japan and Rob made his twenty-somethingth, probably close to thirtieth, trip ...”