Research Resources

The Art Platform Japan (APJ) research portal is a platform that gathers a broad range of information on Japanese modern and contemporary art and museum collections throughout Japan and provides this to interested parties within and outside Japan.

A Japanese-English bilingual glossary created to improve the translation accuracy of specialized terms related to modern and contemporary Japanese art and promote international understanding. This APJ Glossary was compiled from terms used in the Art Platform Japan "Dictionary of Artists in Japan" (DAJ), with each entry including romanization (Transliteration), English translation, and Japanese name. Some terms include brief explanations.

This is a website that allows users to comprehensively search the collections and information resources of the National Museums of Art (The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo; National Crafts Museum; National Film Archive of Japan; The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto; The National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo; The National Museum of Art, Osaka; The National Art Center, Tokyo). It enables users to search across multiple databases, including databases of works of art, film archives, library catalogues, research results, and the "art commons" (a database of information on exhibitions in Japan).

This is a catalogue database of works in the collections of five National Museums of Art (The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo; National Crafts Museum; The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto; The National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo; and The National Museum of Art, Osaka). The database includes basic information such as artist names, work titles, years of production, techniques, materials and supports, signatures and dates, years of acquisition, and names of museums possessing the works. Historical information such as provenance, exhibition history, and references are also included for some artworks.

This is a list of information resources jointly created by the National Center for Art Research and individual National Museums of Art.

The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo

• Collection - The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo
• The National Museum of Modern Art,Tokyo – Repository

National Crafts Museum

• Collection - National Crafts Museum
• Works and Artists - National Crafts Museum
• Archives - National Crafts Museum (Japanese only)

The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto

• Search | Collection Database | The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto

National Film Archive of Japan

• NFAJ Film Collection Search (Japanese only)
• Japanese Film Heritage: NFAJ Non-film Collection Portal (Japanese only)
• Japanese Animated Film Classics
• The Meiji Period on Film (Japanese only)
• Films of the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 (Japanese only)
• Film IS a Document: NFAJ Historic Film Portal (Japanese only)
• Movie meets Kabuki (Japanese only)
• Movie meets Shinpa, Shingeki and Shinkokugeki (Japanese only)

The National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo

• Search the Collection
• The National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo - Publications Repository
• The Collection of Hayashi Tadamasa related letters and reference materials

The National Museum of Art, Osaka

• Collection Search

The National Art Center, Tokyo

• The National Art Center, Tokyo – Repository
• Art Commons: Exhibitions Search in Japan｜THE NATIONAL ART CENTER, TOKYO
• Nihon no Bijutsu Tenrankai Kiroku: 1945–2005 [Art Exhibitions in Japan: 1945–2005] (Japanese only)
• Archival materials relating to the activities of the NACT: publications and records
• Archival materials that have entered the NACT collection through donations and purchases

This is a directory of art libraries that serve as research hubs for modern and contemporary Japanese art and works located in the country. To use any of the listed libraries, please check their usage guidelines, hours, and other relevant information.

This database of Japanese manga, animation, games, and media art contains information about works in each of these fields, collections in which works are held, and related events.