This is a list of libraries (図書館 , toshokan ) in Japan .
Background
Isonokami no Yakatsugu 's Nara period Untei (芸亭 ) is held out to be Japan's first public library, but private libraries, such as Kanazawa Bunko , remained the norm until modern times. The Imperial Library , one of the predecessors to the National Diet Library , was established towards the end of the nineteenth century. In 1948, during the Occupation , the National Diet Library Act (ja ) was passed, creating Japan's sole national library,[1] followed in 1950 by the Library Act (ja ) , the twenty nine articles of which cover both public libraries (公立図書館 ) (Chapter II) and private libraries (私立図書館 ) (Chapter III).[2]
Public libraries
As of 2008, there were 3,106 public libraries in Japan: 1 regional library, 62 prefectural libraries, 2,433 city libraries, and 610 town libraries.[1]
Prefectural libraries
Hokkaidō region
Hokkaido Prefectural Library (北海道立図書館 , Hokkaidō-ritsu Toshokan )
Tōhoku region
Aomori Prefectural Library (青森県立図書館 , Aomori-kenritsu Toshokan )
Iwate Prefectural Library (岩手県立図書館 , Iwate-kenritsu Toshokan )
Miyagi Prefectural Library (宮城県図書館 , Miyagi-ken Toshokan )
Akita Prefectural Library (秋田県立図書館 , Akita-kenritsu Toshokan )
Yamagata Prefectural Library (山形県立図書館 , Yamagata-kenritsu Toshokan )
Fukushima Prefectural Library (福島県立図書館 , Fukushima-kenritsu Toshokan )
Kantō region
Ibaraki Prefectural Library (茨城県立図書館 , Ibaraki-kenritsu Toshokan )
Tochigi Prefectural Library (栃木県立図書館 , Tochigi-kenritsu Toshokan )
Tochigi Prefectural Ashikaga Library (栃木県立足利図書館 , Tochigi-kenritsu Ashikaga Toshokan )
Gunma Prefectural Library (群馬県立図書館 , Gunma-kenritsu Toshokan )
Gunma Prefectural Braille Library (群馬県立点字図書館 , Gunma-kenritsu Tenji Toshokan )
Saitama Prefectural Library (埼玉県立図書館 , Saitama-kenritsu Toshokan )
Chiba Prefectural Library (千葉県立図書館 , Chiba-kenritsu Toshokan )
Chiba Prefectural Central Library (千葉県立中央図書館 , Chiba-kenritsu Chūō Toshokan )
Chiba Prefectural West Library (千葉県立西部図書館 , Chiba-kenritsu Seibu Toshokan )
Chiba Prefectural East Library (千葉県立東部図書館 , Chiba-kenritsu Tōbu Toshokan )
Tokyo Metropolitan Library (東京都立図書館 , Tōkyō-toritsu Toshokan )
Kanagawa Prefectural Library (神奈川県立図書館 , Kanagawa-kenritsu Toshokan )
Kanagawa Prefectural Kawasaki Library (神奈川県立川崎図書館 , Kanagawa-kenritsu Kawasaki Toshokan )
Chūbu region
Niigata Prefectural Library (新潟県立図書館 , Nīgata-kenritsu Toshokan )
Toyama Prefectural Library (富山県立図書館 , Toyama-kenritsu Toshokan )
Ishikawa Prefectural Library (石川県立図書館 , Ishikawa-kenritsu Toshokan )
Fukui Prefectural Library (福井県立図書館 , Fukui-kenritsu Toshokan )
Yamanashi Prefectural Library (山梨県立図書館 , Yamanashi-kenritsu Toshokan )
Nagano Prefectural Library (県立長野図書館 , Kenritsu Nagano Toshokan )
Gifu Prefectural Library (岐阜県図書館 , Gifu-ken Toshokan )
Shizuoka Prefectural Central Library (静岡県立中央図書館 , Shizuoka-kenritsu Chūō Toshokan )
Aichi Prefectural Library (愛知県図書館 , Aichi-ken Toshokan )
Kinki region
Mie Prefectural Library (三重県立図書館 , Mie-kenritsu Toshokan )
Shiga Prefectural Library (滋賀県立図書館 , Shiga-kenritsu Toshokan )
Kyoto Prefectural Library (京都府立図書館 , Kyōto-furitsu Toshokan )
Kyoto Prefectural Library and Archives (京都府立総合資料館 , Kyōto-furitsu Sōgō Shiryōkan )
Osaka Prefectural Library (大阪府立図書館 , Ōsaka-furitsu Toshokan )
Hyogo Prefectural Library (兵庫県立図書館 , Hyōgo-kenritsu Toshokan )
Nara Prefectural Library and Information Center (奈良県立図書情報館 , Nara-kenritsu Tosho Jōhōkan )
Wakayama Prefectural Library (和歌山県立図書館 , Wakayama-kenritsu Toshokan )
Wakayama Prefectural Kinan Library (和歌山県立紀南図書館 , Wakayama-kenritsu Kinan Toshokan )
Chūgoku region
Tottori Prefectural Library (鳥取県立図書館 , Tottori-kenritsu Toshokan )
Shimane Prefectural Library (島根県立図書館 , Shimane-kenritsu Toshokan )
Okayama Prefectural Library (岡山県立図書館 , Okayama-kenritsu Toshokan )
Hiroshima Prefectural Library (広島県立図書館 , Hiroshima-kenritsu Toshokan )
Yamaguchi Prefectural Library (山口県立山口図書館 , Yamaguchi-kenritsu Yamaguchi Toshokan )
Shikoku region
Tokushima Prefectural Library (徳島県立図書館 , Tokushima-kenritsu Toshokan )
Kagawa Prefectural Library (香川県立図書館 , Kagawa-kenritsu Toshokan )
Ehime Prefectural Library (愛媛県立図書館 , Ehime-kenritsu Toshokan )
Kochi Prefectural Library (高知県立図書館 , Kōchi-kenritsu Toshokan )
Kyūsyū region
Fukuoka Prefectural Library (福岡県立図書館 , Fukuoka-kenritsu Toshokan )
Saga Prefectural Library (佐賀県立図書館 , Saga-kenritsu Toshokan )
Nagasaki Prefectural Nagasaki Library (長崎県立長崎図書館 , Nagasaki-kenritsu Nagasaki Toshokan )
Kumamoto Prefectural Library (熊本県立図書館 , Kumamoto-kenritsu Toshokan )
Oita Prefectural Library (大分県立図書館 , Ōita-kenritsu Toshokan )
Miyazaki Prefectural Library (宮崎県立図書館 , Miyazaki-kenritsu Toshokan )
Kagoshima Prefectural Library (鹿児島県立図書館 , Kagoshima-kenritsu Toshokan )
Kagoshima Prefectural Amami Library (鹿児島県立奄美図書館 , Kagoshima-kenritsu Amami Toshokan )
Okinawa Prefectural Library (沖縄県立図書館 , Okinawa-kenritsu Toshokan )
Municipal libraries
Special libraries
1,761 institutions were listed in the 2009 Directory of Special Libraries in Japan .[1]
University libraries
In 2007, there were 758 four-year universities in Japan: 86 national, 77 public, 595 private.[1]
General Library, Kansai University (関西大学総合図書館 , Kansai Daigaku Sōgō Toshokan )
Keio University Media Center (慶應義塾大学メディアセンター , Keiō Gijuku Daigaku Media Center )
Nagoya University Library (名古屋大学附属図書館 , Nagoya Daigaku Fuzoku Toshokan )
Tama Art University Library
Sophia University Library (上智大学図書館, Jōchi Daigaku Toshokan )
Central Library (中央図書館, Chūō Toshokan )
Law School Library (法科大学院図書室, Hōka Daigakuin Toshoshitsu )
Mejiro Seibo Campus Library (目白聖母キャンパス図書館, Mejiro Seibo Kyanpasu Toshokan )
Tenri Central Library (天理大学附属天理図書館 , Tenri Daigaku Fuzoku Tenri Toshokan )
Tokyo Institute of Technology Library (東京工業大学附属図書館 , Tōkyō Kōgyō Daigaku Fuzoku Toshokan )
University of Tokyo Library (東京大学附属図書館 , Tōkyō Daigaku Fuzoku Toshokan )
General Library, The University of Tokyo (東京大学総合図書館 , Tōkyō Daigaku Sōgō Toshokan )
Komaba Library, The University of Tokyo (東京大学駒場図書館 , Tōkyō Daigaku Komaba Toshokan )
Kashiwa Library, The University of Tokyo (東京大学柏図書館 , Tōkyō Daigaku Kashiwa Toshokan )
Medical Library, The University of Tokyo (東京大学医学図書館 , Tōkyō Daigaku Igaku Toshokan )
Libraries for Engineering and Information Science & Technology, The University of Tokyo (東京大学工学・情報理工学図書館 , Tōkyō Daigaku Kōgaku Jōhō Rikōgaku Toshokan )
University Library for Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo (東京大学農学生命科学図書館 , Tōkyō Daigaku Nōgaku Seimeikagaku Toshokan )
The Library of Economics, University of Tokyo (東京大学経済学図書館 , Tōkyō Daigaku Keizaigaku Toshokan )
Pharmaceutical Sciences Library, The University of Tokyo (東京大学薬学図書館 , Tōkyō Daigaku Yakugaku Toshokan )
Waseda University Library (早稲田大学図書館 , Waseda Daigaku Toshokan )