Hijiri Miki Kütüphanesi, Christian library in Chiyoda-ku, Japan.
Hijiri Miki Library, officially the Jesuit Hijiri Miki Library, is a private library run by the Society of Jesus on the second floor of Kibe Hall, next to St. Ignatius Church in Chiyoda, Tokyo. It is named after Paul Miki, one of the Twenty-Six Martyrs of Japan.
The collection began in 1949 as a lending room called Seimiki Bunko, founded by Father Peter Krumbach following the dedication ceremony of St. Ignatius Church. This establishment marked the start of a long-standing institution for preserving Christian literature in Japan.
The library takes its name from Paul Miki, one of the Twenty-Six Martyrs crucified in Nagasaki in 1597; the Japanese form of the name, Miki, is used in the official title Jesuit Holy Miki Library. The collection is a lending library of Christian literature, opened as a parish book room and now run by the Society of Jesus.
The library sits inside Kibi Hall next to St. Ignatius Church in Chiyoda-ku, on the second floor. It moved there in December 2007, when the Jesuit order took it back from Sophia University. Access is through the church complex, so ask at the hall about visiting conditions before you go.
The library's name honours Paul Miki, one of the Twenty-Six Martyrs of Japan, rather than a Jesuit founder. It opened on 17 April 1949 as the Seimiki Bunko lending room, set up by assistant priest Peter Krumbach right after St. Ignatius Church was dedicated.
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