National Diet Library

The NDL Gallery features electronic exhibitions of the NDL's unique collections with easy-to-understand explanations. Under the general title "Memories of Japan", an increasing number of exhibitions of Japanese history and culture will become available to the public.

Memories of Japan

This exhibition introduces about 200 materials of documents, newspaper articles, etc. related to Japanese immigration to Brazil from our collections.
The exhibition has been available since March 2009.

• 100 anos de imigração japonesa no Brasil (Portuguese)

Memories of Japan

This exhibition aims to provide electronically on the website the materials of the special exhibitions held in 2008 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the National Diet Library. This exhibition introduces 77 rare materials categorized into three themes: "Carrying on the Classics," "Intellectual Exchange," and "Varieties of ‘ehon’ books." It has been available since November 2008.

• Rare books of the National Diet Library - The 60th anniversary -

Memories of Japan

This exhibition introduces photographs of famous buildings and sights from the end of the 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century, selected from the photo books in our collection.
The Tokyo version has been available since August 2007, and the Kansai version has been available since March 2008.

• The Meiji and Taisho Eras in Photographs -From photographs in publications held by the National Diet Library-

Memories of Japan

This exhibition presents representative documents related to modern Japanese political history.

The exhibition has been available since July 2006.

• Modern Japan in archives - 100-year history from the opening of the country to the San Francisco Peace Treaty -

Memories of Japan

This exhibition presents materials related to the natural history of the Edo era.

The contents have been available since December 2005, based on the special exhibition held in FY2005 with additional materials provided in digital form under the title "Eyes to Nature."(In Japanese)

• Fauna and Flora in Illustrations -Natural History of the Edo era-

This exhibition presents incunabula, books that were printed using metal type up to the year 1500. 13 incunabula and 55 incunabula leaves are shown.

• Incunabula -Dawn of Western Printing-

Memories of Japan

This exhibition presents portrait photographs of approximately 350 statesmen, government officials, military officers, businessmen, scholars, cultural figures and others who had an impact on building modern Japanese society.

• Portraits of Modern Japanese Historical Figures

Memories of Japan

This exhibition follows the trail of book collectors in Japan through ex-libris ownership stamps in books.

• Japanese Ex-libris Stamps

Memories of Japan

This exhibition shows the important documents with commentaries concerning the formulation of Constitution of Japan.
The exhibition was revised and completed in May 2004.

• Birth of the Constitution of Japan

Memories of Japan

This page offers an accessible introduction to the history of the Japanese calendar with digital images of the Daisho-reki calendar, which was popular in the Edo period.

• The Japanese Calendar

Memories of Japan

The contents of an exhibition held in 1998 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the NDL have been reproduced in digital form. Exhibition materials can be searched and observed by various methods including indexes, maps and chronological tables. Thanks to digitization, displays of large images such as Inouzu and other special materials are being attempted in novel formats at special exhibitions.(Japanese only)

• Rare Books of the National Diet Library 

Memories of Japan

This electronic exhibition consists of three parts: "Scenic Mementos of Japan, " "Vienna International Exposition, " and "Modern Japanese Political History Materials." Japanese history, culture, international exchanges, etc. are introduced here multilaterally by digital technology. This exhibition is held in cooperation with the "Bibliotheca Universalis" project, in which national libraries in the world are participating.

• Nippon in the world

These small electronic exhibitions introduce books on various themes, topical or of interest, from the NDL collections. The pamphlets of regular exhibitions that finished in 2008 are also available. The exhibitions have been available since May 2009.

• Small Electronic Exhibitions "Kaleidoscope of Books" (Japanese only)

The ILCL edits and introduces valuable picture books published inside and outside Japan in digital images to trace the development of the "picture book" genre from its birth to the present.

• The Picture Book Gallery