As reported in an overview from two years ago, the National Institute of Japanese Literature reorganized its research organization by integrating its former Research Division consisting of four research departments into a single Research Division system. That system has now been in operation for two years.
Under the new system, the nationwide investigation of materials related to Japanese literature and the collection of such materials through microfilm, our core work, are continuing smoothly as in the past. In addition, further progress is expected, thanks to the approval in 2011 of about thirty million yen, continued from 2010, in special expenditures for the public release of previously photographed microfilm images on the WEB.
We are making efforts to publicly release about half of the collection microfilm during the coming six years in the second stage of incorporation.
Overseas projects and research are going on, including involvement since two years ago in Research on Japan-related Materials Overseas sponsored by the National Institutes for the Humanities, Siebold Collection research at Leiden University in the Netherlands, and Spencer Collection picture book research in the United States through a scientific research grant. In regard to the latter, a symposium sponsored jointly with Columbia University was held in New York last fall, and a report on the symposium is planned to be published this year.
Furthermore, the "Japan-Korea Joint Research on National Library of Korea Collection of Japanese Classics" was selected to receive a scientific research grant starting last fiscal year. Researchers visit Korea two times a year to conduct investigations and workshops.
Since last year, we periodically hold the "Kuzushi-ji Workshop" for librarians and curators from libraries and museums that possess Japanese classics in European countries, as well as for graduate students and others who are studying Japanese classics, through joint the European Association of Japanese Resource Specialists (EAJRS), though this is not a research activity. The first workshop was held at Oxford and lasted three days, starting at the end of June and ending in July. The second workshop was held in Leuven, Belgium, and the third was held in Zurich, Switzerland. We also plan to hold a workshop this year in Italy. If this experiment leads to joint research among people who are in charge of Japan-related materials in Europe, We would be absolutely delighted.
Last fall, we were able to hold a long-awaited special exhibition featuring materials from the Yomei Collection as a result of the "Comprehensive Research on Poetical Competition (Uta-awase) Materials in the Yomei Collection" designated research topic by requesting the full cooperation of Yomei Bunko director, Osamu Nawa. This year, we will first hold the "Edo Sights and Genre Paintings" from the end of March as a collaborative exhibition with the National Institutes for the Humanities. Then, we will hold “The Life and Times of Kamo no Chomei: An 800 Year Commemoration of Hojoki ("The Ten Foot Square Hut")” from the end of May with the support of the Chusei- Bungakukai to commemorate the work.
We expect a large number of visitors, especially for the Hojoki exhibition, since it serves as commemorative exhibition that marks the institute’s 40th anniversary this year.
This year as in the past, we would like to ask for your generous support and encouragement for the National Institute of Japanese Literature.

Yuichiro Imanishi
Director-General
National Institute of Japanese Literature
National Institutes for the Humanities

(Photo cooperation: Ekutebian, Ltd.)

Dec 1966	The Convention of Japanese Scholarship advises the Japanese government to found the “Center for Japanese studies and Japanese Literature”.
Sep 1970	The Science Council of Japan advises the Minister of Education to quickly establish the “Center for Japanese Literature”.
Apr 1971	Funds are appropriated to the Ministry of Education for studying the development of facilities for the National Institute of Japanese Literature (NIJL).
May 1972	The NIJL (Administration Department, Literary Documents Department and Research Information Department) is established. The Ministry of Education Historical Archives (established in 1951) are incorporated into the NIJL.
Jun 1977	The opening ceremony for the NIJL is held.
Jul 1977	A service enabling browsing of the materials is started.
Apr 1979	A department for materials organization and browsing is established.
Apr 1987	An electronic database search service is made available for the NIJL’s catalog of microfilm materials and physical texts.
Apr 1992	An electronic database search service is made available for the NIJL’s catalog of essays.
Nov 2002	A ceremony marking the NIJL’s 30th anniversary is held.
Apr 2003	The Department of Japanese Literature within the Graduate University for Advanced Studies establishes a major in Japanese literary research and becomes a key partner of the NIJL.
Apr 2004	The NIJL is incorporated as a National Institutes for the Humanities’Inter-University Research Institute Corporation; the organization of the NIJL is revised in line with its incorporation.
Mar 2008	The NIJL moves to the Midori-cho area of Tachikawa City.

The institute performs specialized research studies of Japanese literature and related materials that have been collected domestically and overseas. It also creates collections using photographs and originals, organizes and preserves sources and bibliographies that have been obtained, and maintains a base for the study of Japanese literature and related fields.
It also presents these things in various ways to domestic and overseas users, and passes them along to society through means such as exhibits and lecture meetings.
In collaboration with about 180 researchers from universities throughout Japan, institute personnel travel to the sites of collections of Japanese literature and related original materials (such as manuscripts and published editions), and engage in research studies that center on bibliographical matters.
Based on such research studies, original materials approved for photographing are collected through full-volume photography as micro negative film or digital images.
In addition, since 2005, collaborative investigations have been performed, based on agreements entered into with other universities and institutions. The NIJL contributes to society by widely publicizing the results of its research via exhibitions, lectures, symposiums and seminars.

By Tama Intercity Monorail:

Get off at JR Tachikawa Station, make switch to Tama Monorail Tachikawa-Kita Station,
get off at Takamatsu Station, and walk 10 minutes.

By Tachikawa bus:

From JR Tachikawa Station's north entrance, board bus at boarding area 2,
get off at "Tachikawa Gakujutsu Plaza," and walk 1 minutes.
From JR Tachikawa Station's north entrance, board bus at boarding area 1,
get off at "Tachikawa Shiyakusho," and walk 3 minutes.
From JR Tachikawa Station's north entrance, board bus at boarding area 2,
get off at "Saibansho-mae," and walk 5 minutes.

On foot:

From JR Tachikawa Station, walk about 25 minutes.

By car:

From Chuo Expressway's "Kunitachi Fuchu IC," drive about 15 minutes.
*Free parking available