The is a branch of the

National Diet Library The is the national library of Japan and among the largest libraries in the world. It was established in 1948 for the purpose of assisting members of the in researching matters of public policy. The library is similar in purpose and scope to ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

, which provides library services specializing in

children's books A child () is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty, or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The term may also refer to an unborn human being. In English-speaking countries, the legal definition of ''chi ...

. 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 is a spacious public park in the Ueno, Tokyo, Ueno district of Taitō, Tokyo, Japan. The park was established in 1873 on lands formerly belonging to the Buddhist temples in Japan, temple of Kan'ei-ji. Amongst the country's first public parks, i ...

, Taito-ku,

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

, 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 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, Tokyo Metropolis. One of the 47 Prefectures of Japan, prefectures of Japan, the government consists of a popularly elected governor and assembly. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, headquarters build ...

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

Nikken Sekkei Nikken Sekkei Ltd. (日建設計) is an architectural, planning and List of architecture firms, engineering firm from Japan, with headquarters in Chiyoda, Tokyo. Today (2019), Nikken Sekkei ranks as the second largest architectural practice in t ...

, dates from 2015.

References

External links

International Library of Children's Literature
{{Authority control 2000 establishments in Japan Libraries established in 2000 Libraries in Tokyo Buildings of the Meiji era Buildings and structures in Taitō Tadao Ando buildings