Digital Library from the Meiji Era(Kindai Digital Library)

[hisashi]

近代デジタルライブラリー Digital Library from the Meiji Era
http://kindai.ndl.go.jp/?__lang=en
is a digital library provided by National Diet Library. It offers digital copies of books whose property copyright apparently expired, mostly before 1945.

It includes so many books related to military issue. For now they offer only books; no magazine, no publications only for authorized persons.

For example,
http://kindai.ndl.go.jp/search/searchRe ... &__lang=en

海軍制度沿革 is a 18-volume collection of navy administrative/fiscal rules from Meiji Era to (roughly) the beginning of the Pacific War. Say costumes, salaries, promotion, judical affairs, procurement etc. It is quite hard to read because amendments were presented as it was issued; often only the part to be revised is shown.

http://kindai.ndl.go.jp/search/searchRe ... &__lang=en
This search result is for the word '教練の参考' (reference for drill). Many publication by officers of army infantry school and similar army branch were available for officers to improve their daily drill to their men.

http://kindai.ndl.go.jp/search/searchRe ... &__lang=en
This search result is for '操典' (drill manual). A little noisy results. Interestingly, the following item is a translation of (a part of) Soviet infantry drill manual 1938.
http://kindai.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/1462816
Austrian cavalry drill manual 1891(published in Japan)
http://kindai.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/844590
http://kindai.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/844591


http://kindai.ndl.go.jp/search/searchRe ... &__lang=en
These 3-volume books were a series edited by army general staff on the development of tactics during WWI.

[Piegziu]

Thank you Hisashi, arigato gozaimasu is even not enought. I have just add your links to the favorites. It is the great source of knowledge and written in a nice form.

[Leo Niehorster]

Geez, how I wish I could read Japanese. Well, frankly, I don't even speak of understand it.

[Wellgunde]

Wonderful! Itsumo osewa ni narimashita. Is there information on Seinan Senso, Nisshin Senso, and Nichiro Senso?

[hisashi]

Wellgunde, I am not a historian so it's difficult to name the best account on each wars. So I name official war histories published from IJA general staff.

Often it seemed that they had two or three copies and the same books appeared a few times. And for Seinan Senso they used the term 巻, usually 'volume', in the meaning of 'chapter'.

Seinan Senso (Satsuma Rebellion 1877)
http://kindai.ndl.go.jp/search/searchRe ... 8%E7%A8%BF

Nissin Senso (Sino-Japanese War 1894-95)
http://kindai.ndl.go.jp/search/searchRe ... 6%E5%8F%B2

Boxer Rebellion 1900-
http://kindai.ndl.go.jp/search/searchRe ... 6%E5%8F%B2

Russo-Japanese War 1904-05
http://kindai.ndl.go.jp/search/searchRe ... &__lang=en

[hisashi]

Fuhrung und Gefecht der verbundenen Waffen, 1921/1923 by Von Seeckt is a rare item (though reprinted in 1994), and as far as I know it have been never translated into English. But Japanese version existed!
独国連合兵種ノ指揮及戦闘
http://kindai.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/941976/21

Compared with German version (I have a copy of 1994 reprint), 'XIV Gaskampf' was lacking in Japanese version. 'International/outsider' version might exist, hiding politically subtle topic.

[Ken_Q]

Hisashi, thank you for sharing this treasure trove of information