Film lovers, especially those wowed by Japanese movies, won’t want to miss the country’s sole national institution devoted to cinema. Located in the Kyobashi district just next to Ginza, the NFAJ consists of a gallery and a two-screen cinema. Previously part of the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo (when it was known as the National Film Center or NFC), it became an independent entity, and an official national art museum, in 2018.
Note that the NFAJ is closed for renovations until May 28 2020.
The NFAJ archive is staggering in both size and scope: over 80,000 films representing every conceivable genre. These are drawn upon to form an equally diverse programme of themed screenings, including both Japanese and foreign titles (but note that the former are usually not subtitled).
Kyobashi has long had deep links with the Japanese film industry: cinemas first appeared here in the Meiji era (1868-1912), while in 1930 the neighbourhood became the base of the famed Nikkatsu production company. This made it a fitting choice for the NFC to be established here in 1970. The present building dates to 1995 and was designed by architect Yoshinobu Ashihara. Here Ashihara, also responsible for Tokyo’s Komazawa Gymnasium built for the 1964 Olympics, gave the NFAJ a subtly art deco-flavoured facade that evokes the glamour of the days when films could only be seen inside a cinema, while still being very much of its own pre-millennial time.
This fascinating permanent exhibition on the seventh floor tells the story of Japan’s film industry – including the thriving anime field – through screenplays, posters, stills and more. Its many rare exhibits include an original print of the oldest surviving Japanese animation, Junichi Kouchi’s Namakura Gatana (‘The Dull Sword’) from 1917. There are also frequent temporary exhibitions.
The NFAJ also possesses an extensive collection of written materials relating to both Japanese and international cinema. This treasure trove of over 46,000 publications, including English-language books, is accessible to all visitors at the museum’s fourth-floor library. Reference works and the latest issues of film magazines can be found in the reading room, while books from the closed stacks are available upon request. Though publications cannot be taken outside the library, they may be photocopied.
Film screenings drawing upon an incredibly vast archive, an in-depth permanent exhibition supplemented by frequent special events, and a library containing tens of thousands of tomes: a good proportion of all this is accessible to English-speakers, making the NFAJ one of the very best venues for gaining an informative – and entertaining – schooling on the rich history and vibrant present of Japanese cinema.
