Floor Guide
- Hazardous materials and pets are not allowed in the museum.
- Smoking is not permitted in the museum.
- Eating and drinking are not allowed in the museum except in designated areas.
- For the protection of copyrights and materials, and to avoid disturbing other visitors, unauthorized photography in the museum with cameras, cell phones, etc. is strictly prohibited.(Excluding a part of “7th Floor: Air-raid shelter experience” and “Life in the Showa era - Experience area of the Showa 30s (1955 to 1964).”
- Please refrain from using cell phones in the museum.
- For those using the 4th floor, no food or beverages are allowed. Please leave bags larger than B5 size (257mm x 182mm) in the lockers.
- Please do not touch the exhibits.
- Please be quiet in the museum.
Permanent Exhibition Rooms(6th and 7th floors)
In the Permanent Exhibition Rooms on the 6th and 7th floors, actual materials that convey the hardships of the people’s lives from around 1935 to 1964 are on display. We currently houses approximately 64,000 actual materials, of which about 500 are on display in the Permanent Exhibition Rooms.
Please download the exhibition guide smartphone app “Pocket Curator” to listen to the exhibition commentary on your smartphone.
- High school students and older must pay an admission fee. Please click here for the admission fee to the Permanent Exhibition Rooms.
- Please do not touch the exhibits.
- For the protection of copyrights and materials, and to avoid disturbing other visitors, unauthorized photography in the museum with cameras, cell phones, etc. is strictly prohibited. (Excluding the “Air-raid shelter experience” in the Permanent Exhibition Rooms and part of the “Life in the Showa era - Experience area of the Showa 30s (1955 to 1964).”
7th floor layout - Life of the people during the war
| Number | title |
|---|---|
| ① | Parting with family |
| ② | Devotion to family |
| ③ | Household circa 1935 |
| ④ | Life under wartime government Control (Booth 2) |
| ⑤ | Schoolchildren and students during the war (Booth 3) |
| ⑥ | Homefront preparations and air-raids (Booth 4) |
| ⑦ | Air raid preparedness |
| ⑧ | August 15, 1945 |
6th floor layout - Life of the people during the war
| Number | title |
|---|---|
| ⑨ | Departing from the ruins (Booth 5) |
| ⑩ | Bereaved family (Booth 6) |
| ⑪ | The children's postwar years (Booth 7) |
| ⑫ | Toward recovery (Booth 8) |
| ⑬ | The changing face of the world: 1935-1965 |
| ⑭ | Memorial Journey |
| ⑮ | Life in the Showa era - Experience area of the Showa 30s (1955 to 1964) |
Audio Visual Room (5th floor)
In the video and audio room, visitors can easily call up and view a variety of materials from 14 touch-panel search screens, including documentary photographs and videos of people's lives during and after World War II, and SP record sound recordings.
Bone-conduction headphones are available for those who have difficulty hearing voices and other sounds.
Click here to search for video and audio materials.
14 search terminals (and 3 dedicated terminals)
- We do not provide services for individuals to rent materials or screen output (e.g., photocopying of photographs).
- Cell phone use is not permitted in the Audio Visual Room as it may disturb other visitors.
- Eating and drinking are not allowed in the Audio Visual Room.
- For copyright protection, photographing or recording of materials with cameras, cell phones, etc. is strictly prohibited.
5th floor layout
Library (4th floor)
In the library, visitors can freely search and browse books, magazines, and other materials focusing on the lives of people during and after World War II. Information on materials in the collection, including a table of contents, is entered into the database, allowing quick searches for diverse purposes.
We have the following materials in our collection.
- Records of life experiences during and after the war
- Records of war damage in various regions
- Prefectural and municipal histories
- History of companies
- War records, histories of military units, writings and biographies of persons involved in the war, etc.
- Photo collections (regional photo collections, photo collections on themes such as folklore, daily life, etc.)
- Various magazines published during and after the war
In addition, basic reference books such as encyclopedias, reduced-size newspaper editions and maps are available.
Click here to search the library’s collection
32 seats in the reading area
- Materials are not available for rent outside the library.
- Some materials are out on the shelves and some are in the stacks (most books are in the stacks.)
- Materials on the bookshelves (open-shelf books) may be used freely.
- For materials in the stacks (closed-shelf books), please use the search terminal in the library to search for the materials you want , print out the “Request Form” and submit it at the counter along with your user card.
- A user card is required to use closed-shelf materials. Please fill out the “Application Form for Use” and submit it at the counter. Please bring your user card with you the next time you wish to use materials on closed shelves. Please note that a maximum of 10 books and journals may be requested at one time, and requests must be received by 5:00 p.m.
- Only the materials in the Library may be photocopied to the extent permitted by copyright law (10 yen per sheet for black-and-white and two-color copies (B5 to A3), 50 yen per sheet for color copies (B5 to A3)). However, materials with a “Do Not Photocopy” sticker attached to them may not be photocopied.
- Cell phone use is not permitted in the Audio Visual Room as it may disturb other visitors.
- Eating and drinking are not allowed in the Library.
- Please leave your baggage in the coin lockers in front of the entrance.
- For copyright protection, photographing of materials with cameras, cell phones, etc. is strictly prohibited.
4th floor layout
General Information Desk, Publicly Available Materials Corner, News Theater Program List (1st floor)
1st floor layout
Visitors to the Permanent Exhibition Rooms (6th and 7th floors) may purchase admission tickets here. For fees, please see the Visitor Information and Transportation Access page.
Some of the video, photographic, and library materials are available for public viewing at any time in the lobby on the 1st floor.
Rare news films documenting the lives of people during and after the war are shown daily.
[The program changes every Saturday.]
| Screening hours | 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. every day except holidays |
|---|---|
| Place | 1st floor screening corner (admission free) |
In the lobby on the 1st floor, doll artist Akemi Abe’s works reproducing life in those days are on display.