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.
1970   Sakura City, Chiba Prefecture was designated as the museum construction site.
1978 April The preparatory office for the National Museum of Japanese History (provisional name) was set up.
1981 April

The National Museum of Japanese History was established as an inter-national university research institute.

1983 March

The National Museum of Japanese History was opened, with the opening of Gallery 1 and Gallery 2 to the public.

November Gallery 3 was opened to the public.
1993 March

A part of Gallery 5 was opened to the public.

1995 March All other parts of Gallery 5 were opened to the public.
September The Botanical Garden of Everyday Life was opened to the public.
1999 April Department of Japanese History, School of Cultural and Social Studies, the Graduate University for Advanced Studies was established.
2004 April

In accordance with the National University Corporation Law (Law No.112 July 16, 2003), the museum was redesignated as the National Museum of Japanese History, National Institutes for the Humanities, Inter-University Research Institute Corporation.

2008 March Gallery 3 (Early Modern History) was renewed and was opened to the public.
2010 March Gallery 6 (Contemporary History) was opened to the public.
2013 March

Gallery 4 (Folklore) was renewed and was opened to the public. The day was the 30th Anniversary of the opening of the museum.

2014 March General Research Building was completed.
2016 May International Exchange Building was completed.
2019 March Gallery 1 was renewed and opened to the public (19th), as the “second opening of Rekihaku.” A commemorative ceremony was held.

List of Directors-General

First : INOUE Mitsusada (April 14, 1981 to February 27, 1983)
Second : TSUCHIDA Naoshige (April 20, 1983 to January 24, 1993)
Third : ISHII Susumu (March 1, 1993 to August 31, 1997)
Fourth : SAHARA Makoto (September 1, 1997 to August 31, 2001)
Fifth : MIYACHI Masato (September 1, 2001 to August 31, 2005)
Sixth : HIRAKAWA Minami (April 1, 2006 to March 31, 2014)
Seventh : KURUSHIMA Hiroshi (April 1, 2014 to March 31, 2020)
Eighth : NISHITANI Masaru (April 1, 2020 to present)