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Sorimachi Shigeo was a 20th century scholar of book history, and book dealer.

Sorimachi Shigeo was a 20th century scholar of book history, and book dealer.

Originally from [[Niigata prefecture]], he attended [[University of Tokyo|Tokyo Imperial University]]. He first began working for Isseidô Bookstore in the Kanda district of [[Tokyo]] in 1927. Five years later, he established his own operation, Kôbunshô (弘文荘), selling books by catalog (without a storefront).

Originally from [[Niigata prefecture]], he attended [[University of Tokyo|Tokyo Imperial University]]. He first began working for Isseidô Bookstore in the Kanda district of [[Tokyo]] in 1927. Five years later, he established his own operation, Kôbunsô (弘文荘), selling books by catalog (without a storefront).

Through his efforts in the book world, he helped uncover a number of manuscripts and other old books which had not been known to be extant, including a copy of [[Matsuo Basho|Matsuo Bashô's]] ''Kai ôi'', and a copy of the Tameie version of ''[[Tosa nikki]]''. A [[1671]] handscroll painting in the University of Hawaii's [[Sakamaki Shunzo|Sakamaki]]-[[Frank Hawley|Hawley]] Collection, the oldest known scroll depicting the street procession of a [[Ryukyuan embassy to Edo]], also bears his seal.<ref>Yokoyama Manabu, ''Ryûkyûkoku shisetsu tôjô gyôretsu emaki wo yomu'', in Kurushima Hiroshi (ed.), ''Egakareta gyôretsu'' (University of Tokyo Press, 2015), 172.</ref>

Through his efforts in the book world, he helped uncover a number of manuscripts and other old books which had not been known to be extant, including a copy of [[Matsuo Basho|Matsuo Bashô's]] ''Kai ôi'', and a copy of the Tameie version of ''[[Tosa nikki]]''. A [[1671]] handscroll painting in the University of Hawaii's [[Sakamaki Shunzo|Sakamaki]]-[[Frank Hawley|Hawley]] Collection, the oldest known scroll depicting the street procession of a [[Ryukyuan embassy to Edo]], also bears his seal.<ref>Yokoyama Manabu, ''Ryûkyûkoku shisetsu tôjô gyôretsu emaki wo yomu'', in Kurushima Hiroshi (ed.), ''Egakareta gyôretsu'' (University of Tokyo Press, 2015), 172.</ref>

Sorimachi also wrote a number of works on book history, including ''Nihon no kotenseki'' ("Old Books of Japan") and ''Ichi koshoshi no omoide'' ("Memories of One Old Bookshop").

Sorimachi also wrote a number of works on book history, including ''Nihon no kotenseki'' ("Old Books of Japan") and ''Ichi koshoshi no omoide'' ("Memories of One Old Bookshop"), as well as a catalog of Japanese items in the Spencer Collection of the New York Public Library.<ref>Sorimachi Shigeo, ''Catalogue of Japanese Illustrated Books and Manuscripts in the Spencer Collection of the New York Public Library'', 1968, revised edition, Tokyo: Kobunso, 1978.</ref>

Sorimachi died in 1991 at the age of 90.

Sorimachi died in 1991 at the age of 90.