The National Diet Library (NDL) is the national library of Japan, established in 1948 for the purpose of assisting members of the National Diet of Japan (the national legislature of Japan) in researching matters of public policy. The NDL consists of two main facilities in Tokyo and Kyoto, and several other branch libraries throughout Japan.

As Japan’s national library, the NDL serves as the legal deposit library and collects copies of all publications published in Japan. It serves as a research library for the National Diet members, their staff, and the general public.

The NDL’s roles include:

• Supporting the National Diet,
• Acquiring, cataloguing, preserving materials and information,
• Providing access to information services,
• Cooperation with affiliated institutions.

The Ministry is responsible for the development of related laws and regulations, compilation of library-related proposals, and implementation of various surveys and studies, including the promotion of children’s reading activities.

The Agency has a responsibility for copyright law.

As Japan’s only general academic research institution seeking to create future value in the new discipline of informatics, the National Institute of Informatics (NII) seeks to advance integrated research and development activities in information-related fields, including networking, software, and content. These activities range from theoretical and methodological work through applications. As an inter-university research institute, NII promotes the creation of a state-of-the-art academic-information infrastructure (the Cyber Science Infrastructure, or CSI) that is essential to research and education within the broader academic community, with a focus on partnerships and other joint efforts with universities and research institutions throughout Japan, as well as industries and civilian organizations.

Last amended in 2019, the law mainly covers the operation of public libraries in Japan.

Last amended in 2022, the law covers the operation of the National Diet Library of Japan.

The legal deposit system in Japan was established in 1948, that the publishers shall furnish the domestic publications to the National Diet Library (NDL). Up to this time, the main objects of the legal deposit system have been non-electronic publications (i.e., books, serials, maps, and so on). Now, by the amendment of the NDL Law, off-line electronic publications will be the objects of the legal deposit system. And the number of copies of government publications shall furnish to the NDL will be also revised.

The stated goal of legal deposit is to ‘contribute to the accumulation and utility of cultural goods’.

The legal deposit system mandates that copies of all new publications published in Japan must be sent to the National Diet Library (NDL) in accordance with the National Diet Library Law, within 30 days of publication.

The applicable “publications” include books, pamphlets, serial publications, musical scores, maps, and phonographic records and so on. There is also eLegal deposit in place, with an indication that the NDL needs to pay for ePublications.

A prescribed number of copies of the publications of any government agency must be sent immediately to the NDL for its official use and for its use in international exchange. The same applies to the publications of local governments.

As set out in the copyright law, the NDL can give access to such materials to registered members, as well as others on demand.

Last amended in 2021. The Publishing Ordinance of 1869 was the first in Japan to provide for copyright protection. The Publishing Ordinance gave publishers a “monopoly” on books, but its content was more focused on controlling publication. In 1899, along with joining the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works (Berne Convention), the Copyright Law was established. The current copyright law was enacted in 1970 by completely revising the old copyright law.

Japanese copyright law includes possibilities for library copying to support research and study, preservation, and supply of works to other libraries that cannot easily be obtained commercially. There are also possibilities to give electronic access to materials on request, with users then able to use these works in any way necessary to carry out research or study, although there are rules here around compensation, extent of materials shared, and requirements for safeguards. The National Diet Library has broader possibilities to give digital access to works which are fragile or otherwise at risk.

There are specific provisions about the National Diet Library (NDL) and rare and out-of-print works, and orphan works. In the first case, there are provisions allowing for the sharing of digitised copies of such works to other libraries, as well as to registered users of the NDL. Rightsholders can come forwards to opt their works out of such activities.

On orphan works, there are possibilities to give wider access to these, but this requires a ‘considerable’ effort on the part of the library to identify and locate rightsholders and the payment of a licence fee.

There are provisions allowing for the creation and sharing of accessible format works for people with print and aural disabilities, although only when there is no appropriate copy already commercially available.

Finally, there is the possibility for the National Diet Library to harvest web content, alongside eLegal Deposit, and provide access to this for registered users, or those who request it.

Outside of library-specific provisions, there are also rules around personal copying, text-and-data mining (in the context of a provision enabling uses of works that don’t have the purpose of enjoying the work), quotation, use in producing textbooks, school copying, educational broadcasting.

In the academic year 2022, there were 193 universities offering librarian training courses consisting of more than 13 subjects. This includes 152 universities offering four-year programme and 41 junior colleges. During summer time between July and September, 5 universities offer short courses for librarians’ training.

According to the 2005 LIPER project, Library and Information Science Education Curriculum in Universities consist of eight core areas – Library and Information Science Fundamentals, Information Users, Information Resources Organization, Information Media, Information Services, Information Systems, Business Management, and Digital Information. Education in these core areas is available at the undergraduate level, and then further studying in individual information fields and information professional fields are available at the graduate level.

JLA issues Library Yearbook annually. It consists of two chapters: “Library Overview”, which provides an overview of trends in the library world by prefecture, type of library, and problem, and “Library Statistics and Materials,” which includes library-related statistics and materials and bibliographies.

Library Magazine is the journal of the Japan Library Association, first published in 1907, published monthly, and contains various topics around library world.

JLA Issues Libraries Today and publish articles that contribute to the development of libraries based on the practical issues faced by libraries and information institutions.

On 30 April 1950, the “Library Law” was promulgated. Based on the spirit of social education, the purpose of the “Library Law” is to establish necessary matters concerning the establishment and operation of public libraries, to promote their sound development, and thereby to contribute to the development of education and culture of the people. This law clarified the function of public libraries as a service, made them free of charge in principle, and ushered in an era of truly modern public libraries in Japan. In 1971, “Library Memorial Day” was decided at the National Library Convention, and since the following year 1972, the Japan Library Association has been implementing it.

Japan Library Association (JLA) holds the “All-Japan Library Conference” for all librarians since 1906. In October 2022, JLA held the 108th conference in Gunma Prefecture.