Diplomatic Archives

Entering the room

When entering the Main Building Reading Room, please make sure to have some form of personal identification (driver’s license, student identification card, insurance certificate, etc.). Also, please make sure to set your camera to silent mode when taking photographs (Japanese only).

Reception Desk Hours

The last order for the reception desk to retrieve historical documents should be before 5:00pm, and to apply for copies should be before 4:30pm.

Reading Specified Historical Public Records and Archives and the Delivery of Copies

1．Simple Method

Microfilms, CD-Rs, and other media containing records of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from the prewar period, as well as diplomatic records, can be accessed by a simple method.
Please click here for details, including for making copies.

2．Requests for Use

If the above simple method is not applicable, a request should be submitted for access to the Specified Historical Public Records and Archives Please click here for details.

[Note] For more details on the Reading Room, please refer to Article 1 of the “Detailed Rules for Use of the Diplomatic Archives” (Japanese only).

If you wish to photograph specified historical public records and archives for broadcasting or for publication, check on Article 15 in the “Detailed Rules for Use of the Diplomatic Archives” (Japanese only) , and submit the “Application for Special Photography of Specified Historical Public Records and Archives” (Japanese only)(Word). Also, if you wish to borrow documents for use in an event to be held by a public, academic or any other institution, check on Article 13 of the same rules (Japanese only), and please submit the “Application for Loan and Use of Specified Historical Public Documents” (Japanese only) (Word).