Japan’s Largest Rare Books Auction Returns: Public Exhibition to Be Held on November 13–14 The 2026 Tokyo Koten-kai Rare Books Exhibition and Auction

The Tokyo Koten-kai, an organization affiliated with the Tokyo Used Book Dealers Cooperative Association, will hold the “2026 Tokyo Koten-kai Rare Books Exhibition and Auction.” Prior to the auction, approximately 1,800 items will be open to the public for viewing at the Tokyo Antiquarian Book Hall for two days, Friday, November 13, and Saturday, November 14, 2026.

URL: https://www.koten-kai.jp

2026 Tokyo Koten-kai Rare Books Exhibition and Auction Poster

In this auction, antiquarian booksellers from across Japan will offer a wide range of rare and valuable materials, including ancient manuscripts and early printed books, Edo-period manuscripts and printed works, calligraphy by renowned figures, historical documents, antique maps, ukiyo-e prints, picture scrolls, karuta cards, hanging scrolls and folding screens, as well as books, calligraphy, and paintings from China and Korea. Approximately 1,800 rare and valuable items will be on public display.

This year’s offerings include historically and culturally significant materials such as the “Inokuma Manuscript of the Kojiki,” a medieval handwritten copy; a vermilion-seal letter from Toyotomi Hideyoshi addressed to the painter Kano Sanraku; and a letter written by Ryunosuke Akutagawa.

One of the distinctive features of this exhibition is that visitors can actually handle and examine materials that are often displayed behind glass cases in museums and other institutions. Those interested in purchasing an item may also request to place a bid through an antiquarian bookseller.

Admission to the public exhibition is free. The auction itself will be held on Sunday, November 15, and Monday, November 16, 2026. Bidding is conducted through member bookstores of the nationwide used book dealers’ associations, and members of the general public cannot bid directly.

■ Notable Items on Display This Year

“The Inokuma Manuscript of the Kojiki” (3 volumes)　Old manuscript, compiled by Ō no Yasumaro, Urabe lineage, formerly in the Onraido Collection

The Kojiki, compiled during the Nara period, is renowned as Japan’s oldest surviving historical text. Few copies have survived to the present day. The oldest extant copy is the Shinpukuji Manuscript (a National Treasure), transcribed in 1371 during the Muromachi period.

Existing manuscripts are broadly classified into two lineages: the Ise lineage and the Urabe lineage. This exceptionally valuable manuscript is believed to date from the Nanboku-chō period and belong to the Urabe lineage. All three volumes have survived together, and the manuscript has long attracted attention.

“Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s Red-Seal Letter” 1 letter, June 3, Tenshō 14, addressed to Kano Sanraku

A vermilion-seal letter from Toyotomi Hideyoshi addressed to the painter Kano Sanraku (Kimura Heizo). It grants permission to mine konjo (a blue pigment), which was highly prized as a domestically produced pigment at the time, from Tada Mountain in Settsu Province and present it to Hideyoshi.

This document records the granting of mining rights to Sanraku and is an important historical source that offers insight into how, under Hideyoshi’s patronage, Sanraku rose to prominence in the art world.

“One Hundred Famous Views of Edo” by Hiroshige　Published by Uoe, 118 prints in one album

“One Hundred Famous Views of Edo” is a representative ukiyo-e series created by Utagawa Hiroshige in his later years. First published in 1856 (Ansei 3), the series depicts the seasonal landscapes and famous sites of Edo through innovative compositions and vivid colors, making it a culmination of Hiroshige’s artistic career.

The series had a significant influence on European art in the latter half of the 19th century, inspiring artists such as Van Gogh, Monet, and Gauguin. Van Gogh, in particular, created oil-painting copies of two prints from the series: “Ōhashi: Atake no Yūdachi” and “Kameido: Umeyashiki.”

This is a rare opportunity to acquire this masterpiece, which played a role in the development of Japonisme, as a collection of 118 prints preserved together in a single album.

“Letter from Ryunosuke Akutagawa” (1 letter)　Dated September 5, Taisho 2 (1913), addressed to Zōroku Fujioka　Included in Akutagawa’s collected works

This letter was written to Akutagawa’s close friend Zōroku Fujioka (a philosopher) while Akutagawa was a student at the First Higher School. He discusses his reading of works such as Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment, as well as works by Ibsen and Villiers de l’Isle-Adam. In the latter half of the letter, he describes the autumn scenery along the Tama River with keen observation and includes twelve of his own poems titled “Autumn Songs.”

This valuable letter from Akutagawa’s youth brings together his keen critical insight into literature and a delicate aesthetic sensibility that foreshadows his later literary works.

Scene from last year’s venue (before opening)

The Tokyo Koten-kai’s official website features a catalog of all items offered at the auction. A printed catalog containing detailed descriptions of the items is also available for purchase. It can be ordered in advance or purchased at the reception desk during the public exhibition.

Official Website: https://www.koten-kai.jp

Printed Catalog Order Form: https://www.koten-kai.jp/catalog/order/

*Orders submitted through the printed catalog order form will be accepted until noon on Friday, November 6, 2026.

■ 2026 Tokyo Koten-kai Rare Books Exhibition and Auction: Public Exhibition Overview

Date and Time:Friday, November 13, 2026, 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

　　　　　　　  Saturday, November 14, 2026, 10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Venue: Tokyo Kosho Kaikan (3-22 Kanda Ogawamachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo)

Items on Display: Approximately 1,800 items

Organizers: Tokyo Used Book Dealers Cooperative Association, Tokyo Koten-kai

Admission: Free

Official Website: https://www.koten-kai.jp

※The auction will be held on Sunday, November 15, and Monday, November 16, 2026. In accordance with the regulations of the used book dealers’ associations, bidding will be conducted through a proxy bidding system by member dealers from across Japan. Members of the general public cannot bid directly.

※Winning bid prices will not be disclosed.

■ About Tokyo Koten-kai

Tokyo Koten-kai is operated by 26 antiquarian booksellers specializing primarily in rare books and historical materials, within the Tokyo Used Book Dealers Cooperative Association, which has approximately 530 member bookstores. The association celebrated its 110th anniversary in 2021 and holds a weekly antiquarian book market every Tuesday, where Japanese and Chinese rare books and other materials collected from across Japan are traded.

Regular market sessions are open only to members of used book dealers’ associations nationwide. However, the annual “Tokyo Koten-kai Rare Books Exhibition and Auction” includes a public exhibition where members of the general public can view the items offered for auction.