Sankō Library, Private religious library in Shibakōen, Japan
Sankō Library is a private library in Shibakōen focused on Buddhist texts, historical documents, and woodblock prints from the Edo period. The collection contains roughly 256,000 volumes and is housed on the first floor of the Meishokaikan building.
The library was founded by Benkyō Shiio and opened in 1966 after becoming part of the Sankō Research Institute for Buddhist Studies in 1964. This created a center where Buddhist materials and historical sources could be gathered and preserved systematically.
The library holds travel journals written in the Haikai style by Matsuo Basho and maps of Japan created by Inō Tadataka that visitors can study. These items reflect how people once traveled and understood the land around them.
The building is open on weekdays during daytime hours, and visitors should check the specific schedule beforehand. Its location on the first floor of the Meishokaikan building makes it relatively easy to find.
The collection is divided into specialized subcollections including the Takeda Collection, Uchida Collection, Shiio Collection, and Masutani Collection. These separate holdings allow researchers to focus on specific topics and periods gathered by different collectors.
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