Documents of the Shimazu Family, Family archive at Historiographical Institute, University of Tokyo in Bunkyo, Japan.
The Shimazu Family Documents are a collection spanning over 700 years of records, containing diaries, maps, and official papers from this powerful family's administration. The archive is kept in specially secured conditions at the University of Tokyo.
The collection documents the Shimazu family's rule in the Satsuma region over centuries. It received National Treasure status in 2002 after being designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan.
The documents show how the Shimazu family ran their province and dealt with other regions and foreign powers. Through these papers, visitors understand what decisions were made and how the family organized their authority.
The documents can only be viewed with permission from the Historiographical Institute of the University of Tokyo. Visitors should contact the institute in advance to arrange access.
The collection includes a letter from Commodore Perry that documents early contact between Japan and America. The Seong-un Memorandum from 1597 also reveals encounters with foreign powers in earlier times.
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