Oriental Libraries

At the time that Ashurbanipal was improveing his library,
the Chou dynasty was ruling China.
During the reign of this dynasty, from 1122 B.C.E to 256 B.C.E,
a group of books were produced that came to be known as the Five Classics.

They included a handbook for interpreting the future,
a collection of speeches of early rulers, poetry,
instruction for religious ceremonies and rituals,
and a history of the state of Lu from about 722 B.C.E to 481 B.C.E.
the last book being ascribed to the Chinese philosopher Confucius.
The Five Classics and the numerous commentaries about them influenced Chineses thinking
and formed the basis of both imperial and private libraries for more then two millenniums.

In Japan , Hojo Sanetoki, a member of a ruling samurai family,
founded a library in 1275 at his family home in Kanazawa.
( now part of Yokohama )

He attempted to collect evey existing book in Chinese and Japanese.
Although diminished in content, this collection of books still exists today.