[1] It is Japan's largest research institute in the academic disciplines of humanities and social sciences.

Permanent galleries for all large regions of the world display only part of the full collection.

[2] The museum hosts two special exhibitions yearly in spring and autumn, with each lasting three months.

The museum has a staff of approximately 70 researchers, and actively supports visits by scholars around Japan and abroad.

[5] The museum offers PhD courses in association with Japan's Inter-University of Advanced Graduate Studies (Sōkendai), an inter-institutional organization that provides administration for students placed in public research institutes and laboratories all over Japan.