The is a branch of the National Diet Library in Japan, which provides library services specializing in

children's books A child ( : children) is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty, or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The legal definition of ''child'' generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younge ...

. It was established in 2000 as Japan's first national library specializing in children's books. It is the center and international hub of children's books-related library services in Japan, including the collection, preservation and provision of children's books and literature related to children's books inside and outside Japan. The facility is located in Ueno Park, Taito-ku,

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...

, and uses the former Imperial Library building built in 1906.

Buildings

The original building, known as the "Brick Building", designed by , , and , dates from 1906; it was enlarged in 1929 and again in the

Heisei The is the period of Japanese history corresponding to the reign of Emperor Emeritus Akihito from 8 January 1989 until his abdication on 30 April 2019. The Heisei era started on 8 January 1989, the day after the death of the Emperor Hirohito, ...

era, with repair and restoration work taking place most recently in 2002 and 2016. It has been placed on the register of by the

Tokyo Metropolitan Government The is the government of the Tokyo Metropolis. One of the 56 prefectures of Japan, the government consists of a popularly elected governor and assembly. The headquarters building is located in the ward of Shinjuku. The metropolitan governme ...

, in accordance with the 2006 Tokyo Landscape Regulations. The new "Arch Building", to designs by Tadao Ando and

Nikken Sekkei Nikken Sekkei (日建設計) is an architectural, planning and engineering firm from Japan, with headquarters in Chiyoda, Tokyo. Today (2019), Nikken Sekkei ranks as the second largest architectural practice in the world. Staff and Offices As o ...

, dates from 2015.

References

External Link

International Library of Children's Literature
{{in lang, ja, en, zh, ko 2000 establishments in Japan Libraries established in 2000 Libraries in Tokyo Buildings of the Meiji period Buildings and structures in Taitō Tadao Ando buildings