This Collection of sources related to Southeast Asia in general and the Philippines in particular originally formed the library of the Velarde family of Spanish missionaries active in Manila for over three generations.
The Collection contains sources covering a wide range of subjects spanning the 16th through 20th century, including social history, religion, economy, literature and ethnography of the region.
Negotiations to bring the collection to Japan began in 1938, resulting in its acquisition by the South Asia Cultural Research Institute (Meguro Ward, Tokyo) in April 1941.
After the closing of the Institute in December 1945, it was taken into the custody of the family of Shiratori Kurakichi, the first head of the Toyo Bunko Research Department.
Then in 1998, his grandson, Shiratori Yoshiro, donated the 476-volume Collection to the Toyo Bunko.