Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties Tobunken (東京文化財研究所)

Overview

The Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (Japanese: 東京文化財研究所; Tōkyō Bunkazai Kenkyū-jo), commonly known as Tobunken, is a Japanese national research institute dedicated to the preservation, investigation, and utilization of cultural properties. It is one of two national research institutes for cultural properties in Japan and is administered under the Independent Administrative Institution National Institutes for Cultural Heritage (NICH).

History and Founding

Tobunken was founded in 1930 as the Art Research Institute, established through an endowment created by Kuroda Seiki, former president of the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts, whose estate was donated for this purpose. In 1952 it was reorganized into the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, with departments of Fine Arts, Performing Arts, Conservation Sciences, and General Affairs formally established. A department of Restoration Techniques was added in 1973, and an archive was set up in 1977. In 2001 the Independent Administrative Institution National Research Institute for Cultural Properties was created, and in 2007 it was merged with the national museum organization to form the National Institutes for Cultural Heritage.

Collections and Holdings

The Tobunken library holds approximately 90,000 books on fine arts, 87,000 fine art periodicals, 13,000 books on performing arts, 7,000 books on preservation and restoration techniques, and 260,000 photographs. The institution maintains multiple open-access databases: an image collection database, a library collection database, and a cultural properties reference database. The Kuroda Memorial Hall, associated with Tobunken at its original site, holds 126 oil paintings, 170 drawings, sketchbooks, and letters by Kuroda Seiki.

Research and Access

Tobunken conducts fundamental, systematic, and applied research on all types of tangible and intangible cultural properties. It serves as Japan's center for international cooperation in cultural heritage conservation, running exchange programs and providing technical assistance globally. The library is open on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday (excluding national holidays) from 10:00 to 17:00. The TOBUNKEN Research Collections database is freely accessible online.