Greetings from the Museum

Director-General
Inter-University Research Institute Corporation
National Institutes for the Humanities
National Museum of Japanese History

The National Museum of Japanese History (“NMJH”,popularly known as “Rekihaku”) is one of the five inter-university research institutes, established under the National Institutes for the Humanities. In addition to promoting interdisciplinary research through the study of literary history, archeology, folklore studies, the natural sciences and other related disciplines, Rekihaku aims to promote scientific and innovative research on Japan's history and culture based on a contemporary standpoint and the perspective of world history.

Rekihaku's greatest feature is the fact that it is an establishment / organization that provides a variety of functions such as collecting, organizing, preserving, researching, and arranging the provision(through exhibition, publication, and database availability) of historical materials, artifacts and information. Rekihaku recently proposed a new research style called “museum-style research integration”that takes advantage of its existence as a museum. Museum-style research integration is the organic linking of the three elements of materials, research, and exhibits, as well as the ability to promote research maximizing Rekihaku's existence as a museum by “sharing and making available”these elements to as many people as possible in Japan and overseas.

Today, more than twenty years after the opening of the Rekihaku, the permanent exhibits do not reflect the results of recent research, keep pace with internationalization or meet intellectual demands . In order to meet the needs of reseachers based on the latest reserch findings as well as the demands of a rapidly changing morden society, we opened the renovated Gallery 3 covering the Edo period on March 18,2008 , and the new Gallery 6 covering the Contemporary History on March 16,2010 after thorough consideration with researchers in Japan and abroad besed on the basic plan for the renewal of permanent exhibits.

As an inter-university reseach institute, Rekihaku believes that another of its important roles is to foster the leaders of the next generation of Japanese history researchers by sharing with researchers from Japan and abroad all of the museum's functions, from the collection of materials, artifacts, and information to the exhibition of materials and artifacts, and engaging in joint research with them.

We are grateful for your continued support and cooperation.

May 2010

HIRAKAWA, Minami