70th Anniversary Commemorative Exhibit "A Treasure Box of Books - The 70-year History of the National Diet Library and Its Collections"
- A Treasure Box of Books
- Part 1 70 Years of the National Diet Library
- From the opening of the Shojaku-kan (Library) to the opening of the Imperial Library
From the opening of the Shojaku-kan (Library) to the opening of the Imperial Library
| Year | National Diet Library related items | Major events |
|---|---|---|
| 1872 | The Museum Division, Ministry of Education opens the Shojaku-kan (Library) in Yushima Temple (Photo 1) | |
| 1873 | The Shojaku-kan (Library) is merged with the Bureau of Expositions | |
| 1874 | The Shojaku-kan (Library) is relocated to Asakusa Kuramae and renamed the Asakusa Bunko | Itagaki Taisuke et al. submit Minsen giin setsuritsu kenpakusho (Petition calling for the establishment of a popularly-elected assembly) to the Sain (Advisory Board on Legislation) |
| 1875 | The Shojaku-kan (Library) and Bureau of Expositions are split again, the Shojaku-kan (Library) returns to the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education, is renamed the Tokyo Shojaku-kan (Tokyo Library), and is opened in Yushima Temple | |
| 1877 | Jurisdiction for the library is transferred to Tokyo Prefecture and it is renamed the Tokyo-fu Shojaku-kan (Tokio-fu Library) | Satsuma Rebellion |
| 1880 | The library returns to the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education and is renamed the Tokyo Toshokan (Tokyo Library) (Photo 2) | |
| 1881 | Imperial Mandate establishing the Diet | |
| 1882 | Museum (the present day Tokyo National Museum) and attached zoo established in Ueno Park | |
| 1885 | The library is merged with the Tokyo Education Museum and relocated to the education museum in Ueno | Cabinet system is established |
| 1889 | The library is split off from the Tokyo Education Museum and becomes independent | The Constitution of the Empire of Japan is promulgated |
| 1890 | The Compilation Section, Secretariat of the House of Representatives and the House of Peers are established (the libraries of the House of Peers and the House of Representatives in the former Imperial Diet are founded) | 1st Imperial Diet convened |
| 1891 | Tanaka Inagi writes Tokyo toshokan ni kansuru iken sho, a draft position paper on the Tokyo Library (Photo 3) | |
| 1892 | Nippon Bunko Kyokai (predecessor of the Japan Library Association) established | |
| 1894 | Sino-Japanese War | |
| 1896 | Proposal for the establishment of the Imperial Library approved (at the 9th Imperial Diet) |
(Photo 1) Yushima Temple
(Photo 2) Tokyo Shojaku-kan (Tokyo Library) ex libris
(Photo 3) Tanaka Inagi
(First Director General of the Imperial Library)
Opening of the Imperial Library
| Year | National Diet Library related items | Major events |
|---|---|---|
| 1897 | The Tokyo Toshokan (Tokyo Library) is abolished and the Imperial Library is opened | |
| 1900 | The Library of the House of Representatives is established | |
| 1904 | Russo-Japanese War | |
| 1906 | The Imperial Library Annex is opened (Photo 4) | The 1st All-Japan Library Conference is held |
| 1914 | World War I | |
| 1920 | The League of Nations is founded | |
| 1923 | Great Kanto Earthquake | |
| 1925 | The Universal Manhood Suffrage Law is promulgated | |
| 1930 | 2nd stage of construction on the Imperial Library is completed (Photo 5, 6) | |
| 1932 | May 15 Incident | |
| 1936 | February 26 Incident | |
| 1937 | 2nd Sino-Japanese War | |
| 1939 | World War II | |
| 1941 | Pacific War | |
| 1943 | Materials are evacuated to Nagano Prefecture | |
| 1944 | Materials are evacuated to Nagano Prefecture (May, August) |
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| 1945 | Materials are evacuated to Yamagata Prefecture | Atomic bombing on Hiroshima and Nagasaki End of World War II |
(Photo 4) Imperial Library main reading room
(Photo 5) Imperial Library reading room (after building expansion in 1930)
(Photo 6) Imperial Library exterior (after building expansion in 1930)
Opening of the National Diet Library
| Year | National Diet Library related items | Major events |
|---|---|---|
| 1946 | Approval of resolution on the establishment of the Diet Library | The Constitution of Japan is promulgated |
| 1947 | The Imperial Library is renamed the Kokuritsu Toshokan (National Library) | |
| 1948 | The U.S. Library Mission to Japan (Verner W. Clapp, Charles Harvey Brown) provides advice on the National Diet Library Law (January) (Photo 7, 8) Promulgation of the National Diet Library Law (February) Legal deposit registration commenced (May) National Diet Library is opened (June 5 in the Akasaka Detached Palace) (Photo 9, 10) Publication of Legislative Research Materials (Kokuchoritsu shiryo A and Kokuchoritsu shiryo B) commences The NDL Branch Libraries in Executive and Judicial Agencies established (August) Special Consultant Robert B. Downs of the GHQ submits report on library operation (September) (Photo 11) First publication of Nohon geppo (Legal Deposit Monthly) |
|
| 1949 | First publication of the Japanese Periodicals Index (Humanities) (Science and Technology edition began in 1950) The Kokuritsu Toshokan (National Library) becomes the UENO Library, Branch of the National Diet Library Miyakezaka Branch Office construction is completed Index to laws is published (Name changed to "Index to (the) Japanese Laws & (and) Regulations in Force" in 1951) |
Yukawa Hideki is awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics |
| 1950 | First publication of Biblos (Branch libraries and special libraries communications journal) | |
| 1951 | First publication of The reference (journal of exploratory papers on national policy) | San Francisco Peace Treaty |
| 1953 | Television broadcasting begins | |
| 1955 | First publication of Nohon shuho (Legal Deposit Weekly) | |
| 1956 | Japan joins the United Nations | |
| 1959 | 1st National Diet Library Council on Recompense of Deposited Publications | Marriage of His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince |
| 1960 | Publication of the National Diet Library Catalog commences |
(Photo 7) Charles Harvey Brown
(Photo 8) Verner W. Clapp
(Photo 9) Akasaka Detached Palace entrance
(Photo 10) General Reading Room (Kacho no Ma (Hall of Flowers and Birds)) from the Akasaka Detached Palace era
(Photo 11) Summer 1948: Kanamori Director General of the National Diet Library and Nakai Deputy Director General of the National Diet Library (right side) shaking hands with Special Consultant Robert B. Downs of the GHQ who had travelled to Japan to support the library immediately after its opening
Opening of the Nagatacho Main Building
| Year | National Diet Library related items | Major events |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | First publication of the National Diet Library Monthly Bulletin Completion of the 1st stage of construction for the Main Building (Photo 12) 1st Council on Organization of Materials on Science and Technology |
|
| 1963 | Publication of the National Diet Library Classification commences | Broadcast of the animation Tetsuwan Atom (Astro Boy) commences |
| 1964 | Tokaido Shinkansen opened for service Games of the XVIII Olympiad, Tokyo 1964 |
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| 1966 | The library joins the IFLA (International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions) | |
| 1968 | The National Diet Library Classification is applied to foreign books (applied to Japanese books in 1969) Completion of the 2nd stage of construction for the Main Building (Photo 13) |
300 million yen robbery |
| 1969 | Tokyo University Yasuda Auditorium incident Apollo 11 lands on the moon |
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| 1970 | First publication of the Reference Service and Bibliography (research journal on theme information) | Japan World Exposition, Osaka 1970 |
| 1972 | XI Olympic Winter Games, Sapporo 1972 Okinawa Reversion |
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| 1975 | Commencement of the academic literature recording service (creation, lending, etc. of library materials for the visually impaired) | International Ocean Exposition, Okinawa 1975 |
| 1976 | Restoration of banned books acquired by USA (1st stage) | |
| 1977 | Oh Sadaharu hits his 756th homerun and receives the 1st People's Honor Award | |
| 1978 | The Parliamentarians' League for Books and Libraries is launched US collection of Materials on the Allied Occupation of Japan begins Library 30th anniversary commemoration ceremony is held |
|
| 1979 | First publication of Current Awareness (library information journal) | |
| 1982 | The Research Committee for the Kansai Project of the National Diet Library is established (verdict reached in 1987) | |
| 1984 | Collection of Materials on Japanese emigration acquired by NDL from North, Central and South American countries commences | |
| 1985 | International Exhibition, Tsukuba Japan 1985 | |
| 1986 | The Annex is opened (Photo 14, 15) | |
| 1988 | First Basic Plan for the Establishment of the Kansai-kan of the NDL (provisional name) is decided |
(Photo 12) Completion of the 1st stage of construction for the Main Building (1961)
(Photo 13) 2nd stage of construction for the Main Building underway (1966)
(Photo 14) Commencement of construction ceremony for the Annex (1981)
(Photo 15) Completion of construction for the Annex (1986)
The National Diet Library during the Heisei Era
| Year | National Diet Library related items | Major events |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | International Garden and Greenery Exposition, Osaka, Japan 1990 | |
| 1993 | Use and provision of microfiches for books printed in the Meiji era commences | |
| 1995 | Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake Sarin gas attack in the Tokyo subway |
|
| 1998 | Library 50th anniversary commemoration ceremony is held | XVIII Olympic Winter Games, Nagano 1998 |
| 2000 | 1st stage opening of the International Library of Children's Literature (Photo 16) | |
| 2002 | Full opening of the International Library of Children's Literature (May) Opening of the Kansai-kan of the National Diet Library (October) (Photo 17) |
2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan |
| 2005 | Use and provision of microfiches for books published in the Taisho era commences | EXPO 2005, Aichi, Japan |
| 2008 | Legal deposit system day established (May 25th) | |
| 2011 | Great East Japan Earthquake Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident |
|
| 2015 | Completion of construction of the International Library of Children's Literature Arch Building (Photo 18) |
(Photo 16) International Library of Children's Literature
(Photo 17) Kansai-kan of the National Diet Library
(Photo 18) International Library of Children's Literature Arch Building
Advancement of Digitization and Electronic Library Services
| Year | National Diet Library related items |
|---|---|
| 1970 | Computer Room newly established |
| 1972 | Publication of the General Index to the Debates of the diet via machine compilation (1st computerized processing of kanji) |
| 1980 | Start of operation of the National Diet Library Online Information Retrieval Network System (until 2004) |
| 1981 | Commencement of distribution of JAPAN/MARC (magnetic tape version of the Japanese National Bibliography) |
| 1988 | Commencement of distribution of J-BISC (CD-ROM version of JAPAN/MARC) Start of full-scale entrance/exit checking system |
| 1991 | Commencement of provision of J-BISC on premises |
| 1994 | Commencement of distribution of NDL CD-ROM Line (Japanese Periodicals Index Current Edition) |
| 1996 | National Diet Library website established (Photo 19) |
| 1997 | Commencement of provision of Japanese books online public access catalog (OPAC) (Photo 20) |
| 1998 | Settlement of the National Diet Library Electronic Library Concept Public release of the Rare Books of the National Diet Library (first digital exhibition) |
| 2000 | Release of Rare Books Image Database International Library of Children's Literature website established Commencement of delivery of packaged digital publications |
| 2001 | Commencement of full provision of Full-text Database System for the Minutes of the Diet via the internet |
| 2002 | Commencement of on premises provision of electronic journals Commencement of internet provision of the Japanese National Bibliography Commencement of the provision of NDL-OPAC and Digital Library from the Meiji Era Commencement of provision of the Web Archiving Project (WARP) |
| 2004 | Commencement of provision of the Index Database to Japanese Laws, Regulations and Bills |
| 2005 | Public release of the Collaborative Reference Database |
| 2009 | Large-scale digitization of collection materials implemented Commencement of provision of Research Navi |
| 2010 | WARP expanded to National Diet Library Web Archiving Project (WARP), comprehensive collection of national and other internet materials begins Public release of NDL Search (beta version) (fully released in 2012) |
| 2011 | Commencement of provision of the Historical Recordings Collection (Rekion) |
| 2013 | Public release of the National Diet Library Great East Japan Earthquake Archive (Nickname: HINAGIKU) Commencement of e-legal deposit of private sector online publications |
| 2014 | Commencement of digitized contents transmission service for libraries Commencement of data collection and data transmission service for persons with print disabilities |
| 2016 | Digital Library from the Meiji Era merged with the National Diet Library Digital Collectionｓ |
| 2018 | Commencement of provision of the National Diet Library Online Search and Request Service (NDL Online) |
(Photo 19) The National Diet Library website immediately after its opening (1996)
(Photo 20) Search terminals in the hall of the Main Building (1997)
70th Anniversary Commemorative Exhibit "A Treasure Box of Books - The 70-year History of the National Diet Library and Its Collections" is one of digital exhibitions of the National Diet Library.
The NDL Digital Exhibitions features the NDL’s unique collections with explanations covering various themes such as nishiki-e, landscape photographs and historical materials. Discover your favorites!