About this Museum

Museum History

Outline of History

1966	November	At the Prime Minister's Office conference to coordinate activities for the commemorative events celebrating the century since the Imperial Restoration, it was resolved to establish a museum of Japanese history and ethnology as one such activity. This resolution was reported to the cabinet and approved.
1967	August	The Agency for Cultural Affairs provisionally designated Sakura City, Chiba Prefecture as the museum construction site.
1971	February	The Agency for Cultural Affairs inaugurated a basic conception committee (chairman SAKAMOTO Tarou) for National Museum of Japanese History (provisional name) and began working out the basic concepts for the museum.
1978	April	A preparatory office (number of regular staff : eight) for National Museum of Japanese History (provisional name) was set up and INOUE Mitusada , Professor Emeritus of the University of Tokyo , was made Director.
1980	May	The preparatory office expressed a desire to operate the organization of National Museum of Japanese History in the same manner as the National Museum of Ethnology. This is their intention since they believed : " In order to ensure the appropriate operation of the National Museum of Japanese History(provisional name), it is necessary to have a system which promotes investigative studies, the exchange of information, and other activities with systematic cooperation among researchers in related fields predominantly from universities throughout Japan".
1981	April	A portion of the National School Establishment Law was amended(Bill No.23, April 14, 1981)and National Museum of Japanese History was established as an inter-national university research institute. INOUE Mitsusada, Professor Emeritus of the University of Tokyo and Director of the preparatory office, took office as the first Director-General of the museum.
1983	April	TSUCHIDA Naoshige, took office as the second Director-General of museum.
1989	June	A portion of the National School Establishment Law was amended (Bill No.29, June 28, 1989)and National Museum of Japanese History was established, and inter-national university research institute was renamed inter-university research institute.
1993	March	ISHII Susumu, took office as the third Director-General of museum.
1997	September	SAHARA Makoto, General Coordinator, took office as the fourth Director-General of museum.
1999	April	Department of Japanese History, School of Cultural and Social Studies, the Graduate University for Advanced Studies was established.
2001	September	MIYACHI Masato, took office as the fifth Director-General of museum.
2004	April	In accordance with the National University Corporation Law(Law No. 112, July 16, 2003), Rekihaku has been redesignated as the National Museum of Japanese History, National Institutes for the Humanities, Inter-University Research Institute Corporation. Research Programming Center and Historical Archives Center have been established.
2005	September	September 1.2005: Minami HIRAKAWA, Executive Director of the National Institutes for the Humanities, is appointed acting Director-General.
2006	April	April 1.2006: Minami HIRAKAWA, acting Director-General and Executive Director of the National Institutes for the Humanities, is appointed as the sixth Director-General.