Bahwan Library

Bahwan Library

The Mohammed b. Saud Bahwan Library for Middle Eastern Studies is the first dedicated Middle Eastern library to be established at the Komaba campus. Attached to the University of Tokyo Centre for Middle Eastern Studies (UTCMES), the library was funded with a generous donation by Omani businessman, Mr. Mohammed Saud Bahwan. Construction began in 2017, with the library formally opening in May 2018. Initial work was carried out with the aim of creating “a library that is also easy for younger researchers to use.” Due to its accessibility, Komaba campus was a natural choice from this perspective. It is also where many students take their general education course in the first half of their degree programs. A project researcher is assigned to the library, being responsible for selecting books, registering new collections, and staffing the lending desk.

The number of books within the Mohammed b. Saud Bahwan Library had been expanded to over 2500 volumes. These include original texts, translations and research texts in Arabic, Persian, Turkish, and Japanese, as well as in various European languages. In line with Mr. Mohammed Saud Bahwan’s intentions of creating “a library that is open to all,” we aim to continue our work in building a rich environment that can be utilized by people from a diversity of different backgrounds.

Makoto Kurasawa
Project Researcher
The Mohammed b. Saud Bahwan Library for Middle Eastern Studies