Japan

Two Women (preparatory drawing), Katsushika Hokusai (1760–1849) – Collection. Japanese prints. Works by Hokusai – BnF, Department of Prints and Photography, RESERVE DE-10-BOITE ECU

 

The BnF preserves major Japanese collections, ranging from master printmakers to leading figures in contemporary photography. The Library can count on a network of French and Japanese partners to promote these collections to researchers and the general public. Among other things, this cooperation enables the digitisation of collections, the organisation of exhibitions and the mobility of researchers.

The Projects

 

  • The BnF has a long history of collaboration with its counterpart, the National Diet Library, and this relationship was formalised in an initial agreement in 2013. Recently, this cooperation has enabled the BnF to welcome a librarian from the National Diet Library for a one-year assignment (April 2025 to 2026) during which she is identifying Japanese woodblock prints in the Department of Prints and Photography. 

 

  • In 2014, the BnF launched France-Japan, a virtual exhibition presenting items that illustrate the close ties and mutual influences between the two countries. This project is the result of an agreement between the BnF and the National Diet Library, marking the 90th anniversary of cultural relations between France and Japan.

 

  • The BnF benefits from the patronage of Dai Nippon Printing Co. (DNP), a Japanese company which, through its funding and skills sponsorship, enabled the 3D digitisation of a collection of 55 globes dating from the 11th to the 19th centuries in 2015. DNP renewed its support for the BnF in 2019 by contributing financially to the 3D digitisation of items from the museum’s Coins, Medals and Antiques Department and two historic spaces (the Louis XV salon and the Mazarin gallery).

 

  • Numerous collaborations have also been established with Japanese institutions for several exhibitions, including ‘Dialogue of the Muses: The Paris Opera House and the Arts,’ which was presented from 5 November 2022 to 5 February 2023 at the Artizon Museum. This exhibition featured many pieces from the BnF’s collections.

 

  • The BnF also cooperates with the Japan Academy. In 2025, a partnership was established to create a catalogue of Japanese coins held at the BnF. This project aims to promote these collections through research and digitisation.