Yushodo 70th Anniversary
Dear Friends
On November 20th,  we held our 70th anniversary dinner party in the Diamond Room of the Grand Palace Hotel in Tokyo. Approximately 500 guests, including our overseas guests, attended that evening. The following is my opening address given on the occasion.
"I am deeply moved to see so many of you this evening gathered together for this occasion.
In 1932 my father opened an antiquarian bookshop in Jimbocho, Tokyo, and following a break due to WWII, in 1960 we moved our quarters to Yotsuya and began in the book importing business. This year marks our seventieth anniversary, and in Japan seventy years of age is traditionally called “rare since olden times” ( ko-ki).  We owe it solely to you that we have been able to continue single-mindedly until worthy of such a title, and here express our deepest appreciation for your longstanding and continual support.
On behalf of the company, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you present this evening; librarians, scholars, bibliophiles, collectors, publishers, booksellers, antiquarian booksellers, bankers, printers, our personal friends, shareholders, all of whom have warmly supported us over the years. I would also like to express my deep gratitude for all of the kind messages that many of you have written for us on this occasion, which you will later see in the commemorative pamphlet, and also for the many congratulatory telegrams sent to us today.
Our book importing business first began by establishing close and trustworthy relationships with many publishers and antiquarian booksellers overseas. These precious relationships continue to be the root and core of our business today.  On the screen are the names of our many special guests from overseas who have taken the trouble to join with us here this evening. Book selling is a trade where face-to-face relationships between individuals are vital, and we hope to continue in strengthening and deepening our ties with each of you.
Usually a speech of this kind includes a phrase like “we wish to continue in expanding our business towards the future ...”, but instead today I would like to say to our younger generation that “Yushodo must focus on becoming not a large firm, but a small firm with a strong and unique presence in the international market.” I am sure all of you know that it is much more difficult to improve in one’s specialist areas than to simply expand one’s size. I here beg your continual advice and support for our next generation.
For our celebration this evening, we have planned many events that match our founding concept, “old and rare”. In the Cherry Room on this same floor there will be two rare book events: an appraisal event held jointly with Christie’s, and an International Antiquarian Book fair with rare items exhibited by many booksellers from overseas. After my speech we will stage a talk between two Japanese bibliophiles on the “Joy of Collecting Antiquarian Books”, and a performance of eighteenth-century music on period instruments will follow. We will also be showing on the screen the works chosen for the Third Gesner Awards. For the Third Gesner Awards we have received 135 submissions, and combined with the First and Second Awards, a total of nearly 400 works have been submitted. We express our feelings of respect and gratitude for those authors and compilers who have submitted the fruits of their untiring efforts. We also express our thanks to the judges, Messrs. Jun'ichiro Kida, Toshiyuki Takamiya and Nozomu Hayashi, and to the Japan Library Association for their support for the Awards.
Thank you."
As the year gradually comes to a close, I send to all of you my very best wishes for a pleasant holiday season and a bright New Year.
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