This is a list of in
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
.
Background
Isonokami no Yakatsugu's
Nara period
The of the history of Japan covers the years from 710 to 794. Empress Genmei established the capital of Heijō-kyō (present-day Nara). Except for a five-year period (740–745), when the capital was briefly moved again, it remained the capita ...
is held out to be Japan's first public library, but private libraries, such as
Kanazawa Bunko
, formally titled the Kanagawa Prefectural Kanazawa-Bunko Museum, is a museum located in Kanazawa Ward, Yokohama, Japan. It features a collection of traditional Japanese and Chinese art objects, many dating from the Kamakura period.
Originally bu ...
, remained the norm until modern times. The
Imperial Library, one of the predecessors to the
National Diet Library
The 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 in researching matters of public policy. The library is similar in purpose and scope to ...
, was established towards the end of the nineteenth century. In 1948, during the
Occupation, the was passed, creating Japan's sole national library,
followed in 1950 by the , the twenty nine articles of which cover both (Chapter II) and (Chapter III).
National library
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Public libraries
As of 2008, there were 3,106
public libraries
''Public Libraries'' is the official publication of the Public Library Association (PLA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA). It is devoted exclusively to public libraries. The print edition is published six times a year and i ...
in Japan, including: 1 regional library, 62
prefectural libraries, 2,433
city
A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...
libraries, and 610
town
A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city.
The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...
libraries.
Prefectural libraries
Hokkaidō region
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Tōhoku region
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Kantō region
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Chūbu region
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Kinki region
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Chūgoku region
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Shikoku region
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Kyūsyū region
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Municipal libraries
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Hakodate City Central Library
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Special libraries
1,761 institutions were listed in the 2009 ''Directory of Special Libraries in Japan''.
* E.H. Norman Library,
Embassy of Canada
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University libraries
In 2007, there were 758 four-year universities in Japan: 86 national, 77 public, 595 private.
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Tama Art University Library
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Sophia University Library (上智大学図書館, ''Jōchi Daigaku Toshokan'')
**Central Library (中央図書館, ''Chūō Toshokan'')
**Law School Library (法科大学院図書室, ''Hōka Daigakuin Toshoshitsu'')
**Mejiro Seibo Campus Library (目白聖母キャンパス図書館, ''Mejiro Seibo Kyanpasu Toshokan'')
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It is also reported that almost all schools in Japan have libraries.
[https://www.jla.or.jp/portals/0/html/libraries-e.html]
References
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
Libraries
A library is a collection of Book, books, and possibly other Document, materials and Media (communication), media, that is accessible for use by its members and members of allied institutions. Libraries provide physical (hard copies) or electron ...
Japan education-related lists
{{DEFAULTSORT:Libraries in Japan