Web Exhibitions

This exhibition uses maps, timelines, and feature articles to present the itinerary and activities of the Iwakura Mission. (Published November 2018)

This exhibition allows you to explore Japan’s relations with Western and Asian countries during the Meiji period through the evolution of central government ministries and administrative agencies, as well as the development of infrastructure such as transportation, communications, and industry. (Published June 2019)

Through this exhibition, you can search official documents that shed light on the formation and development of the Imperial Japanese Army. The collection includes records related to government agencies charged with military affairs; military organizations in colonial Manchuria, Korea, and Taiwan; how it was structured on war footing; and on how the military was structured in its designated districts throughout the country. (Published June 2021)

This exhibition presents in combination woodblock prints related to the First Sino-Japanese War held by the British Library and documents related to the conflict available through the Japan Center for Asian Historical Records. (Published May 2014)

This exhibition uses materials held by the National Archives of Japan, the Diplomatic Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the National Institute for Defense Studies to trace the period from the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese War to the peace treaty that concluded it. (Published February 2004)

This exhibition presents materials related to the Russo-Japanese War, focusing primarily on those telegrams and battle records that have been newly made available through JACAR since the 2004 “Special Exhibition on the Russo-Japanese War.” (Published March 2010) (Japanese only)

Using publicly available materials such as official documents and Japanese-language newspapers published overseas, this exhibition presents the various images of universal suffrage that were being explored around 1924. (Published March 2024) (Japanese only)

This exhibition introduces the weekly photo magazine Shashin Shūhō (Weekly Photographic Journal), published by the Cabinet Intelligence Department (later the Cabinet Intelligence Bureau), from a variety of aspects. (Published March 2007)

This exhibition presents materials related to Japan-U.S. war negotiations with a focus on official documents, while providing explanations of the historical context, events, and relevant terminology. (Published December 2005)

This exhibition introduces a variety of materials from the Japan Center for Asian Historical Records related to the Battle of Peleliu, including telegrams reporting on the war situation, maps used by military units, and reports on postwar efforts to recover remains. (Published November 2025) (Japanese only)

Through official documents, this exhibition explores how people’s lives changed from the time of the First Sino-Japanese War to postwar reconstruction due to changes in administrative organizations, laws and government ordinances, and the like. (Published December 2016)

This exhibition presents materials from JACAR’s database organized by theme that cover the outbreak of the Pacific War, life during wartime, the war situation during the conflict’s final stages, and the termination of the war. (Published July 2008)

Through this exhibition, you can search various official documents from the time the Pacific War ended related to the institutions and organizations involved in the demobilization of those Imperial Japanese Army and Navy personnel who had been deployed to various countries and regions, and in the repatriation of those civilians who likewise were located abroad. (Released August 2015)

This exhibition presents a wide range of historical official documents related to Japan’s surrender (the war’s termination), demobilization, and repatriation that are included in the JACAR database. (Published August 2025) (Japanese only)

This exhibition spotlights the organizational changes in the government institutions of overseas territories, personnel transfers between the territories and Japan, and the career histories of colonial bureaucrats. (Published January 2018)

This exhibition presents a selection of materials related to earthquakes from the Meiji period through the first half of the Shōwa period. These include such items as the initial reports of earthquakes, reports on tsunami damage, relief efforts for victims, and reconstruction plans. (Published June 2011) (Japanese only)

This exhibition presents color images of the original copies of treaty texts and instruments of ratification (held by the Diplomatic Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) as well as signed master copies of treaty-related documents (held by the National Archives of Japan). (Published February 2008) (Japanese only)

This exhibition presents a variety of the events and episodes that Japanese people experienced over the course of modern history. These include the development of the country’s political and legal systems, exchanges with foreign countries, wars, and disasters. (Published January 2013) (Japanese only)

Through publicly available materials, this exhibition explores the varied roots and anecdotes connected to some aspects of daily life and culture that we now take for granted such as Western-style clothing, swimming at the beach, and overseas travel. (Published April 2012) (Japanese only)