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Digitization of library materials

The National Diet Library (NDL) has been converting the content of materials into other media to achieve compatibility of use and preservation. A microfilming program was originally used as a method for preserving valuable materials, but since 2009, the NDL has been in general digitizing them for the following purposes.

  1. Preservation of materials
    The NDL has been digitizing materials and providing digitized contents as an alternative for use to prevent original materials from deterioration and damage by frequent use
  2. Digital library service
    Digitization improves convenience in reading materials. The NDL has been providing on the Internet digitized contents which cleared copyright so that people can access them anytime and anywhere on the web without visiting the NDL in person.

Overview of the digitized contents

Material type Explanation
Books Books acquired by the NDL up to 1987
Periodicals Selected periodicals published more than five years ago, e.g., academic journals and deteriorated magazines
Rare Books and Old Materials Rare books, Semi-rare books, Japanese old books up to the Edo Period and Chinese old books up to the Qing Dynasty
Doctoral Dissertations Japanese doctoral dissertations received by the NDL between FY1987 and FY2000
Newspapers Selected newspapers published from the Meiji era or later, e.g., deteriorated newspapers
Official Gazettes Japanese official gazettes from the first issue published on July 2, 1883 to the issue of April 30, 1952
Modern Japanese Political History Materials Letters, documents, diaries, etc. held by Japanese politicians, bureaucrats, soldiers, etc. in modern era
Audio-Visual materials Cassette tapes, sono-sheets (including the attached booklet), laserdiscs (including the attached booklet), part of the broadcast scripts up to 1980 (TV / radio program screenplays / scripts) which were donated to the NDL by the Consortium for the Promotion of Broadcast Script Archives in Japan, part of the manuscript of Japanese composers after the Meiji era and related materials
Maps Maps published in Japan from the Meiji era to 1967
Others
  • Materials on the Allied Occupation of Japan : From the documents on the Allied Occupation of Japan held by the National Archives and Records Administration of the United States, parts of the Records of U.S. Strategic Bombing Survey, the Records of General Headquarters, Far East Command, etc.
  • Materials on Japanese emigration : Parts of the collection of books and periodicals published in North, Central and South American countries, private papers, and government documents related to Japanese emigration
  • The Gordon W. Prange Collection : Parts of the books in the Gordon W. Prange Collection (Japanese publications submitted to the Allied Forces for censorship)
  • Historical Recordings Collection : Sound recordings of music, speeches, etc. on 78rpm records and metal discs used to press commercial releases from around 1900 to 1950
  • Collections from Other Institutions : Science Films, Digitized materials of the University of Tokyo Library System, EXPO Aichi, Naimusho Keihokyoku Censorship Collection, etc.

There are some materials not digitized even if included in the above explanation. For more information please see the National Diet Library Digital Collections.

We have the dedicated homepage in which you could search and listen to the Historical Recordings Collection (Rekion).

For details of the material type, please refer to "About the National Diet Library Digital Collections".

Current situation of digitized contents (as of October 2024)

Material type Number of contents (Note 1)
Available Online Available only at the NDL and its partner libraries or to official registered users in Japan (Note 2) Available only at the NDL Total
Total 630,000 2,050,000 1,500,000 4,180,000
Books 370,000 1,040,000 660,000 2,060,000
Periodicals 20,000 830,000 530,000 1,370,000
Rare Books and Old Materials 80,000 20,000 3,000 100,000
Doctoral Dissertations 10,000 140,000 20,000 180,000
Newspapers - - 170,000 170,000
Official Gazettes 20,000 - - 20,000
Modern Japanese Political History Materials 20,000 - 2,000 20,000
Audio-Visual materials - - 10,000 10,000
Maps - - 3,000 3,000
others 120,000 30,000 100,000 240,000

Notes:

  1. This figure is the round number of items the NDL has been providing.
  2. These materials are available only within the facilities of the NDL and on the site of the partner libraries that subscribe to the Digitized Contents Transmission Service for Libraries (in Japanese) or to official registered users of the NDL who reside in Japan.

(Reference) Other breakdown

Material type Number of contents
Available Online Available only at the NDL and its partner libraries or to official registered users in Japan Available only at the NDL Total
Materials on the Allied Occupation of Japan 110,000 - 20,000 120,000
The Gordon W. Prange Collection 3,000 20,000 30,000 50,000
Historical Recordings Collection 6,000 - 40,000 (Note 1) 50,000
Materials on Japanese emigration - 5,000 10,000 20,000
Collections from Other Institutions 5,000 3,000 1,000 9,000

Note:

  1. These are the records you can listen to in the Historical Recordings Collection (Rekion) partner libraries and NDL.

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