National Diet Library - Wikipedia

National Diet Library - Wikipedia
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Coordinates
35°40′42″N
139°44′39″E
 / 
35.67833°N 139.74417°E
 /
35.67833; 139.74417
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
National library in Japan
National Diet Library (NDL)
国立国会図書館
(Kokuritsu Kokkai Toshokan)
Tokyo Main Library of the National Diet Library
35°40′42″N
139°44′39″E
 / 
35.67833°N 139.74417°E
 /
35.67833; 139.74417
Location
Tokyo
and
Kyoto
, Japan
Type
National Library, Parliamentary Library
Established
1948
(78 years ago)
1948
Architects
Maekawa Associates, Architects & Engineers
Reference to legal mandate
National Diet Library Law
Branches
27
Collection
Items collected
Books, Journals, Newspapers, Electronic archives, Manuscripts, Official publications, Doctoral dissertations, Maps and Sheet music
Size
48,113,609 items (Key statistics of FY 2024)
Criteria for collection
Publications issued in Japan, statutes and parliamentary documents, publications on Japan, reference material, material on science and technology, publications of international organizations and foreign governments, children's literature and related material, Asian works
Legal deposit
Yes
Access and use
Access requirements
18 years old and above for the Tokyo Main Library and the Kansai-kan
Population served
Members of the Diet and the general public.
Other information
Budget
JP¥20,426M (FY2025) (approx. US$130.6M as of 2026)
Director
Keiko Kurata
ja
(2026)
Employees
895 (as of April 2025)
Website
www
.ndl
.go
.jp
/en
Kansai-kan of the National Diet Library
The
National Diet Library
NDL
国立国会図書館
Kokuritsu Kokkai Toshokan
is the
national library
of
Japan
and among the
largest libraries in the world
. It was established in 1948 for the purpose of assisting members of the
National Diet of Japan
国会
Kokkai
in researching matters of public policy. The library is similar in purpose and scope to the United States
Library of Congress
The National Diet Library (NDL) consists of two main facilities in
Tokyo
and
Kyoto
, and several other branch libraries throughout Japan.
History
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verification
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The National Diet Library is the successor of three separate libraries: the library of the
House of Peers
, the library of the
House of Representatives
, both of which were established at the creation of Japan's
Imperial Diet
in 1890; and the
Imperial Library
, which had been established in 1872 under the jurisdiction of the
Ministry of Education
The Diet's power in pre-war Japan was limited, and its need for information was "correspondingly small." The original Diet libraries "never developed either the collections or the services which might have made them vital adjuncts of genuinely responsible legislative activity." Until Japan's defeat, moreover, the executive had controlled all political documents, depriving the people and the Diet of access to vital information. The
U.S. occupation
forces under General
Douglas MacArthur
deemed reform of the Diet library system to be an important part of the democratization of Japan after its defeat in
World War II
In 1946, each house of the Diet formed its own National Diet Library Standing Committee.
Hani Gorō
, a
Marxist
historian who had been imprisoned during the war for thought crimes and had been elected to the
House of Councillors
(the successor to the abolished House of Peers) after the war, spearheaded the reform efforts. Hani envisioned the new body as "both a 'citadel of popular sovereignty,'" and the means of realizing a "peaceful revolution." The Occupation officers responsible for overseeing library reforms reported that, although the Occupation was a catalyst for change, local initiative pre-existed the Occupation, and the successful reforms were due to dedicated Japanese like Hani.
The National Diet Library opened in June 1948 in the present-day
State Guest-House
(former Akasaka Detached Palace) with an initial collection of 100,000 volumes. The first Librarian of the Diet Library was the politician
Tokujirō Kanamori
The philosopher
Masakazu Nakai
served as the first Vice Librarian.
In 1949, the NDL merged with the National Library (previously called the Imperial Library) and became the only national library in Japan. At this time the collection gained an additional million volumes previously housed in the former National Library in
Ueno
In 1961, the NDL opened at its present location
in
Nagatachō
, adjacent to the National Diet. In 1986, the NDL's Annex was completed to accommodate a combined total of 12 million books and periodicals. The
Kansai-kan
(the
Kansai
Library), which opened in October 2002 in the
Kansai Science City
Seika
Town,
Sōraku County
Kyoto Prefecture
), has a collection of 6 million items. In May 2002, the NDL opened a new branch, the
International Library of Children's Literature
, in the former building of the Imperial Library in Ueno. This branch contains some 400,000 items of children's literature from around the world.
Though the NDL's original mandate was to be a research library for the National Diet, the general public is the largest consumer of the library's services. In the fiscal year ending March 2004, for example, the library reported more than 250,000 reference inquiries; in contrast, it recorded only 32,000 requests for research from the National Diet.
In response to the
coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic
, the NDL suspended library services to the public on March 5, 2020.
The NDL reopened to the public on June 11, 2020, with a maximum of 200 visitors per day based on a lottery-style drawing, with prospective visitors being required to register beforehand for a chance to be selected.
On June 22 2023, this restriction was lifted.
Main collection
edit
The National Diet Library
Main building in Tokyo
As Japan's national library, the NDL collects copies of all publications published in Japan. Moreover, because the NDL serves as a
research library
for Diet members, their staff, and the general public, it maintains an extensive collection of materials published in foreign languages on a wide range of topics.
Important special collections
edit
The NDL also has eight major specialized collections: Modern Political and Constitutional History; Materials Concerning the Postwar Occupation of Japan; Laws and Preliminary Records; Science and Technology; Maps; Music; Foreign Books About Japan; and Rare Books.
Modern political and constitutional history
edit
The Modern Political and Constitutional History Collection comprises some 300,000 items related to Japan's political and legal modernization in the 19th century, including the original document archives of important Japanese statesmen from the latter half of the 19th century and the early 20th century like
Itō Hirobumi
Iwakura Tomomi
Sanjō Sanetomi
Mutsu Munemitsu
Terauchi Masatake
, and other influential figures from the
Meiji
(1868–1912) and
Taishō
(1912–1926) periods.
Materials concerning the postwar occupation of Japan
edit
The NDL has an extensive microform collection of some 30 million pages of documents relating to the
Occupation of Japan
after World War II. This collection include the documents prepared by
General Headquarters
(GHQ) and the
Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers
(SCAP), the
Far Eastern Commission
(FEC), and the
United States Strategic Bombing Survey Team
. (The originals of these documents are in the possession of the United States
National Archives
.)
Laws and preliminary records
edit
The Laws and Preliminary Records Collection consists of some 170,000 Japanese and 200,000 foreign-language documents concerning proceedings of the National Diet and the legislatures of some 70 foreign countries, and the official gazettes, statutes, judicial opinions, and international treaties pertaining to some 150 foreign countries.
Science and technology
edit
The NDL maintains a collection of some 530,000 books and booklets and 2 million microform titles relating to the sciences. These materials include, among other things, foreign doctoral dissertations in the sciences, the proceedings and reports of academic societies, catalogues of technical standards, etc.
Maps
edit
The NDL has a collection of approximately 440,000 maps of Japan and other countries, including the topographical, geological, and hydrological maps and charts dating back to the early
Meiji period
(1868–1912) and topographical maps of foreign countries.
Music
edit
The NDL collects all phonographic recordings made in Japan, and presently holds a collection comprising 300,000 vinyl records and 200,000 compact disks.
Foreign books about Japan
edit
Following the tradition established by the Imperial Library, the NDL collects foreign-language materials about Japan, including rare and ancient documents, such as reports of European missionaries visiting Japan in the 16th century.
Rare books and old materials
edit
The Analects of Confucius
in the collection of the National Diet Library has a back flyleaf with Nobukata's autograph provenance notes dated November of the 16th year of the
Tenmon era
(1547) and is clearly printed; therefore this seems to be a rare first edition. A sumptuous cover made of
Nishijin brocade
was put on the book in the
Edo period
The NDL houses the former Imperial Library's collection of Japanese language materials from the
Edo period
(1603–1867) and earlier periods. The major catalogues in this collection include: (1) some 6,000 documents relating to the
Tokugawa shogunate
(1603–1867), such as records of town magistrates, the shogunal Supreme Court, and the
Jisha-bugyō
(Commissioners of Shrines and Temples), as well as documents concerning the succession of
shōguns
; (2) the
Itō Bunko
and
Shirai Bunko
, consisting of 8,000 handwritten and woodblock printed books dating from the Edo and Meiji periods and concerning Japanese medicine; and (3) the
Shinjo Bunko
, consisting of 11,000 examples of pre-modern writings on astronomy and calendars, in addition to ancient Chinese works on the
Qing dynasty
, genealogy, and local history.
National Diet Library buildings
edit
The Kansai-Kan
edit
Main article:
Kansai-kan of the National Diet Library
Kansai-kan (Kansai Library), which opened in Kyoto Prefecture in 2002, is the second facility of the NDL.
The NDL has transferred the following collections to the Kansai-kan: most western periodicals; books and other materials in non-Japanese Asian languages; certain scientific and technological materials (technical reports, papers of foreign academic societies, catalogs of Japanese and foreign technical standards, foreign doctoral dissertations, and conference proceedings in Western languages); scientific research reports compiled under grants from the
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
; Japanese doctoral dissertations; and books on tape.
National Diet Library online resources
edit
The National Diet Library has in recent years compiled a detailed website in both Japanese
10
and English.
11
Its online databases consist of the National Diet Library Online Public Access Catalog (NDL-OPAC), National Diet Library Digital Collections and the Minutes of the Imperial Diet and National Diet.
National Diet Library Online Public Access Catalog (NDL-OPAC)
edit
The NDL provides an Online Public Access Catalog (
OPAC
), by which users can search the NDL's entire collection from anywhere in the world in either English
12
or Japanese.
13
Using OPAC to identify sources and catalog numbers, overseas users may obtain certain materials from the NDL through
interlibrary loan
14
In addition, the NDL provides a fee-based reproduction service for scholars residing overseas.
15
As of June 2017 NDL-OPAC is planned to end at the end of December 2017 and new online services will be launched.
16
National Diet Library Digital Collections
edit
NDL Digital Collections provinces various online materials such as rare books, audio-visual materials and the materials whose copyrights has expired. The contents consisting of Digital Library from the Meiji Era and Rare Books Image Database (to be mentioned later) are now availablable on NDL Digital Collections. NDL Digitalized Contents was renamed to be NDL Digital Collections in 2014.
17
18
Digital Library from the Meiji Era
edit
Main article:
ja:近代デジタルライブラリー
One of the most important features of the NDL's website is the Digital Library of the Meiji Era
近代デジタルライブラリー
Kindai dejitaru raiburarii
; lit. Recent Age Digital Library)
19
The Digital Library is the digital descendant of the
Maruzen Meiji Microfilm
, the product of an ambitious project to microfilm the NDL's entire collection of Meiji era books, a collection of some 60,000 volumes. The digital library contains actual images of these works, which are divided into ten main categories based on
Nippon Decimal Classification
(NDC) : (0) general
総記
sōki
; (1) philosophy
哲学
tetsugaku
; (2) history
歴史
rekishi
; (3) social sciences
社会科学
shakai kagaku
; (4) natural sciences
自然科学
shizen kagaku
; (5) engineering and manufacturing
工学・工業
kōgaku/kōgyō
; (6) industry
産業
sangyō
; (7) arts and athletics
芸術・体育
geijutsu/taiiku
; (8) language
語学
gogaku
; and (9) literature
文学
bungaku
. The images are not coded, so text searches are not possible; however, Japanese-language searches for the title, author, publisher, subject, and table of contents of the works in the database are possible. Meiji period periodicals are not included in this collection. Digital Library from the Meiji Era was merged into NDL Digital Collections in 2015.
18
Rare Books Image Database
edit
The NDL's website also contains the Rare Books Image Database
貴重書画像データベース
kichōsho gazō dētabēsu
a collection of digital images from 37,000 illustrated books published before the Edo Period. Japanese-language searches by title, author, and call-number are possible in this database.
20
Rare Books Image Database was integrated into NDL Digitalized Contents (now NDL Digital Collections) in 2012.
18
Minutes of the Imperial Diet and National Diet
edit
The NDL provides a database of the minutes of both the Imperial Diet and the National Diet, the only one of the NDL's online database that is full-text searchable. All minutes from the National Diet's inception in May 1947 through the present are searchable online.
21
At present, only minutes from the last two (91st and 92nd) sessions of the Imperial Diet (November 1946 through May 1947) are available.
22
Japan Search
edit
Japan Search
ja
is a
web portal
launched on 25 August 2020 and operated by the NDL for integrated searches across multiple databases hosted by the various partner organizations.
23
24
As of March 2023, the service worked with 38
aggregators
and drew on over 28 million items of data from 198
databases
25
Standards
edit
In addition to its library services, the organization is also involved in standard activities in areas related to bibliographical and search and retrieve standards. Areas of work include , National Diet Library Dublin Core Metadata Description (DC-NDL),
26
and National Diet Library Linked Open Data (NDL LOD).
27
See also
edit
Authority control
List of academic databases and search engines
References
edit
"Statistics"
National Diet Library
. 2025.
Archived
from the original on November 16, 2025
. Retrieved
January 6,
2025
"Organization, Staff and Budget"
National Diet Library
. 2025
. Retrieved
January 6,
2025
{{
cite web
}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (
link
"List of Senior Officials of the National Diet Library"
(PDF)
National Diet Library
. January 6, 2026
. Retrieved
January 6,
2026
{{
cite web
}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (
link
"Kokuritsu Kokkai Toshokan Shōshi"
国立国会図書館小史
(in Japanese). "Kokuritsu Kokkai Toshokan" 国立国会図書館 [National Diet Library]. Archived from
the original
on January 16, 2011
. Retrieved
January 13,
2011
This was the ground of the German Embassy since the Meiji period. It was confiscated in 1945 and not given back.
"Urgent Notice of Temporary Closure from March 5 to March 16｜National Diet Library"
www.ndl.go.jp
Archived
from the original on April 27, 2021
. Retrieved
April 27,
2021
"Reopening of National Diet Library Facilities (Update: June 12) ｜National Diet Library"
www.ndl.go.jp
Archived
from the original on June 23, 2021
. Retrieved
April 27,
2021
"Elimination of Entry Restrictions"
. Retrieved
September 21,
2023
"Kansai-kan of the National Diet Library"
National Diet Library
Archived
from the original on August 30, 2005
. Retrieved
September 27,
2005
"国立国会図書館―National Diet Library"
www.ndl.go.jp
Archived
from the original on April 27, 2021
. Retrieved
April 27,
2021
"National Diet Library"
www.ndl.go.jp
Archived
from the original on May 5, 2021
. Retrieved
April 27,
2021
"National Diet Library Online Public Access Catalog"
National Diet Library
. Archived from
the original
on December 11, 2009
. Retrieved
December 11,
2009
"Kokuritsu Kokkaitoshokan Zōsho Kensaku Mōshikomi Shisutemu"
国立国会図書館 蔵書検索・申込システム
[National Diet Library Collection Search/Application System] (in Japanese). Kokuritsu Kokkai Toshokan" 国立国会図書館 [National Diet Library]
. Retrieved
October 2,
2002
{{
cite web
}}
: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (
link
"International Loan Service"
National Diet Library
. Archived from
the original
on November 19, 2005
. Retrieved
September 27,
2005
"International Photoduplication Service"
National Diet Library
. Archived from
the original
on November 14, 2005
. Retrieved
September 27,
2005
"NDL to Implement a New Search System in January 2018"
. National Diet Library. Archived from
the original
on December 13, 2017
. Retrieved
December 13,
2017
"About the National Diet Library Digital Collections"
. National Diet Library.
Archived
from the original on April 28, 2019
. Retrieved
December 13,
2017
"Kokuritsu Kokkaitoshokan Dejitaru Korekushon no Ayumi"
国立国会図書館デジタルコレクションの歩み
[History of the National Diet Library Digital Collection] (in Japanese). Kokuritsu Kokkai Toshokan" 国立国会図書館 [National Diet Library].
Archived
from the original on December 13, 2017
. Retrieved
December 13,
2017
"Collection of the Electronic Library"
National Diet Library
. Archived from
the original
on October 13, 2005
. Retrieved
October 13,
2005
"Kichō-sho Gazō Dētabēsu"
貴重書画像データベース
[Rare book image database] (in Japanese). Kokuritsu Kokkai Toshokan" 国立国会図書館 [National Diet Library]. Archived from
the original
on August 31, 2005
. Retrieved
September 27,
2005
"Kokkai Kaigiroku Kensaku Shisutemu"
国会会議録検索システム
[Parliamentary Minutes Search System] (in Japanese). Kokuritsu Kokkai Toshokan" 国立国会図書館 [National Diet Library].
Archived
from the original on November 22, 2020
. Retrieved
September 27,
2005
"Teikoku Gikai Kaigiroku Kensaku Shisutemu"
帝国議会会議録検索システム
[Imperial Diet Minutes Search System] (in Japanese). Kokuritsu Kokkai Toshokan" 国立国会図書館 [National Diet Library].
Archived
from the original on April 2, 2007
. Retrieved
September 27,
2005
"2020-8-25 The Launch of Japan Search"
. National Diet Library
. Retrieved
November 20,
2023
"JAPAN SEARCH"
University of Tokyo Library System
. Retrieved
November 20,
2023
"Report on Japan Search Activities in FY2022"
. Japan Search
. Retrieved
November 20,
2023
"National Diet Library Dublin Core Metadata Description (DC-NDL)"
National Diet Library
Archived
from the original on July 15, 2021
. Retrieved
April 1,
2022
"(National Diet Library) Linked Open Data (LOD)"
National Diet Library
Archived
from the original on July 15, 2021
. Retrieved
April 1,
2022
Sources
edit
This article is based on information obtained from the National Diet Library website. The section on the formation of the NDL under the U.S. Occupation forces relies heavily on Leslie Pincus, "Revolution in the Archives of Memory: The Founding of the National Diet Library in Occupied Japan" in Francis X. Blouin and William G. Rosenberg, eds.,
Archives, Documentation, and Institutions of Social Memory: Essays from the Sawyer Seminar
(Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2006).
Kim, Chin (1969). "A New National Library: The National Diet Library of Japan".
The Journal of Library History.
University of Texas Press. 4 (3): 225–238.
External links
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