also: こぶんしょ
noun
historical document; old manuscript; archives
General term for old documents, manuscripts, or records of historical value. Can refer to both individual items and collections.
この博物館には貴重な古文書が展示されている。
Valuable historical documents are on display at this museum.
彼は古文書を解読するのが趣味だ。
His hobby is deciphering old manuscripts.
noun
pre-Meiji era document addressed to someone
Technical term in paleography: a document from before the Meiji period (pre-1868) that is addressed to a specific recipient, as opposed to a general record.
See also: 文書 (もんじょ)
古文書学では、特定の相手に宛てた江戸時代の文書を「古文書」と呼ぶ。
In paleography, documents from the Edo period addressed to a specific person are called 'komonjo'.