Online Courses on the History of the Book
Keio University and the British Library have jointly created two online courses exploring how books foster cross-cultural exchange.
The first, the three-week course Travelling Books: History in Europe and Japan, examines cultural exchange through books that travelled between East and West from the early modern period onwards. Drawing on the rich collections of both institutions and featuring contributions from members of the Bibliographical Society, it compares Kirishitan-ban (Jesuit mission press editions produced in Japan) with European printed books, while also exploring the history of book collecting, readers’ traces in books and travel narratives.
Launching in October 2026, the new course Global Codex: Hidden Stories of Books Across Cultures, created in collaboration with the University of Cambridge, shifts the focus to codex traditions across cultures. Learners are invited to compare a wide range of codices from Japan, Dunhuang (China), Europe, and the Greek and Islamic worlds. The course introduces methods for examining the materiality and structure of the codex through features such as bindings, paper, and annotations, enabling learners to trace cultural connections and diversity across time and place.
・https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/travel-books-history-in-europe-and-japan
・https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/global-codex-hidden-stories-of-books-across-cultures
Satoko Tokunaga, Hon. Secretary for Japan