This is a list of libraries (図書館, toshokan) in Japan.
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.
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).
[1] 1,761 institutions were listed in the 2009 Directory of Special Libraries in Japan.
[1] In 2007, there were 758 four-year universities in Japan: 86 national, 77 public, 595 private.