Report on Japan Search Activities in FY2025
This article provides an overview of Japan Search's activities in fiscal 2025 (from April 2025 to March 2026).
Table of Contents
1. Establishment of Digital Archive Policy 2026-2030
The digital archive policy 2026-2030 was published in May 2025. Based on this policy, we will continue to work toward realizing a creative society where digital archives are seamlessly integrated into everyday life.
2. Improvements in Function
Addition of Facet for Materials with Description
In cross search, we have added a new facet that allows users to narrow results to materials that include descriptions. This feature can be used by selecting “Contents” > “Description” on the search results page.
Improvement of Access to Gallery Templates
We have improved access to templates, which can be used for creating My Galleries. When creating a new page, simply click “Create from template” to easily select templates.
Publishment of "User Guide for Educational Use"
We have published the “User Guide for Educational Use” for users who wish to use Japan Search for educational purposes, such as in school classes. The guide briefly introduces ways to use Japan Search in educational use. You can access it from the top page.
In addition, we have renamed some features and labels, including those for image search and filtering materials available for online viewing, and added an FAQ feature related to My Gallery.
3. Cooperation
In fiscal 2025, we established new partnerships with 13 aggregators and 40 databases which were newly connected to Japan Search.
New database in FY2025
As of the end of March 2026, Japan Search collaborates with 67 aggregators and approximately 32 million metadata from 309 databases are accessible from Japan Search. We will continue to expand our cooperation.
4. Conversion to JPS RDF schema
Japan Search converts aggregated metadata to Japan Search’s data schema, the JPS RDF schema, and publishes it as linked open data through an API.
As of the end of March 2026, approximately 29.8 million metadata from 240 databases which data providers agreed to provide through the API have been converted into the JPS RDF schema.
*You can check it by running a count query by data set on the SPARQL endpoint.
5. Gallery
【New Galleries】
In fiscal 2025, 18 galleries we added and 15 galleries created by partner institutions, including National Theatre（Japan Arts Council）, Tokyo Gakugei University Library, Photo Archives of Japan, Fukuoka City Museum, Ryukoku University Library, University of Tokyo Library, Shimane University Library, and Niigata University, Regional Image Archive Reserch Center, are now available.
As of the end of March 2026, 569 galleries are available. We will continue to add more galleries in the near future.
New Galleries created by partner institutions in FY2025
6. Promotion of Utilization of Japan Search and Digital Contents
Using Japan Search
Here are some examples of how to use Japan Search.
The "User Guide" page informs you how to use Japan Search.
Use Cases in FY2025
In the curator course in Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, the university students in Museum Training class have undergone a comprehensive process involved in creating both physical and virtual museum galleries.
"Galleries" are a kind of online exhibition partner instituions of Japan Search can create on Japan Search. We held a workshop for partner institutions considering creating galleries and project account holders.
GIF IT UP 2025
As an integrated portal in Japan, we cooperated in GIF IT UP 2025, a GIF animation creation contest held by Europeana, assisting with PR in Japan and providing open licensed materials to make GIFs. There were 5 entries using contents of Japan Search.
7. Events
Digital Archive Fest 2025 -New Development of Digital Archives-
Curation workshop for Japan Search partner institutions
Other past events are summarized on the "Archive" page.
8. PR
Lectures and Contributions
We hold lectures about Japan Search at events and academic conferences hosted by other organizations.
Past lectures and articles are summarized on the "Archive" page.
SNS
Japan Search has been providing information on new databases, content, events and lectures and tips on how to use Japan Search through official X (@ jpsearch _ go), official Facebook (@jpsearchgo), official YouTube channel (@japansearch2673), and official Instagram (@japansearch_go).
Conclusion
Japan Search has been expanding its cooperation and utilization, thanks to our partners, users and supporters.
In the future, Japan Search will continue to improve its functions, expand its cooperation with local archives, and promote the use of digital archives.
We deeply appreciate your continued support.