Special Collections

Since its establishment, CSEAS library has been an main repository for the following four special collections.

Charas Collection

This collection was donated by Charas Pikul, former officer of Thai government, and the number is around 9,000 items. This also contains the so called Nagsue Ngan Sop books (around 4,000). Nagsue Ngan Sop books have been published on the occasions of cremation when the important figures passed away. The books contain unique information such as personal record of deceased, reprint of his/her past publication, and local geography. Our collection of Nagsue Ngan Sop is the largest in foreign outside Thailand.

Reference: Sivaraks, Marasri. Catalog of Thai cremation volumes in the Charas collection, the Center for Southeast Asian Studies Library, Kyoto University. Kyoto : Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University ,1989. Call No:IB||Th72||1989)

(Due to the bibliographic data imput,Some of the charas Collection Thai language materials are not available for circulation. )

Special collections can be searched in KULINE.

Please refer to:  The Charas Collection Cremation Books as Sources for Thai History (CSEAS NEWSLETTER, No. 78, 2020)

Foronda Collection

The collection was donated by the late Marcelino Foronda, Filipino historian, and the number of items is around 7,000 items. This includes important documents for Philippine history, literature, and ethnography (especially in Ilokos region). The collection also holds books for Catholic prayers and underground publications as well as banned books during the Marcos regime.

Reference: A Filipiniana Bibliography, 1743-1982: A Classified Listing of Philippine Materials in the Marcelino A. and Cresencia R. Private Collection. Foronda. Manila: Philippine National Historical Society, 1981. (Call No:IB||Ph66||1743-1982)

Please refer to:  Materials on Christianity and Spanish Documents in the Foronda Collection (CSEAS NEWSLETTER, No. 77, 2019)

Please refer to:  [Prayer book in Ilocano] (Foronda Collection of Kyoto University Rare Materials Digital Archive)

Ocampo Collection

The collection was donated by Ambeth Ocampo, Filipino historian and writer, and the number is around 1,000 items. This includes items published from the second half of the 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century in the Philippines. The types are varied from books for Catholic prayers to the government reports including the Congress records.

Ishii Yoneo Collection

This collection was donated by Ishii Yoneo, professor emeritus of Kyoto University, who had worked for CSEAS from 1965 to 1990. The number of collection is around 10,000 which consist from historical legal records in Thailand, and other items written in Southeast Asian languages. The collection also holds the several number of rare original items such as written by Bastian, Cabaton and Hallet.

Islamic Collection for Indonesian Studies

The number of collection is around 2,000. This contains books on Islamic studies and their updates by collecting publications from a dozen number of main publishers. The collection is varied from translations of Islam classics, Islamic political ideologies, and introductory books for general public.