The starting point for the holdings in the main library was books given by Jean-Jacques Origas (of INALCO in Paris) and others to CEEJA, which was founded in 2001. Further holdings were added after the closing of the Japanese Cultural Centre and the Seijo Gakuen School, which had existed in Colmar since 1987. At the suggestion of André Klein, CEEJA's first president, the library has since 2010 been gradually expanded through the Japanese studies holdings of Erich Pauer and Regine Mathias and through generous donations from various people and institutions from Japan and Europe. It now holds more than 130,000 volumes. The library's equipment was generously supported by Japanese foundations. In addition to the book holdings, the library also includes a large number of academic journals covering many fields, several special collections and the Edo-bunko, a collection of woodblock prints from the Edo and early Meiji periods.