About the Museum
Overview
The Museum of the Imperial Collections, Sannomaru Shozokan first opened its doors in the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace in November 1993. Its founding missions were to conserve works of art formerly owned by the Imperial Family, make them accessible to the public through exhibitions, and create new knowledge about them through research. The initial collection consisted of paintings, calligraphy, decorative arts, historical materials, and other works gifted to the nation by His Majesty the Emperor Emeritus and his mother Empress Kojun in 1989. The collection has continued to grow since then through generous donations from other Imperial Family Members.
The Museum’s name, Sannomaru Shozokan, means “imperial storehouse in the third bailey.” The word sannomaru (lit. “third circle”) refers to former Edo Castle’s third bailey, the site where the Museum now stands. The word shozo is sourced from an archaic term for the head keeper of imperial storehouses, and the suffix -kan means building.
In 2019, construction began on a new facility with expanded storage and exhibition spaces. In 2023, responsibility for the Museum’s management and operation was transferred from the Imperial Household Agency to the National Institutes for Cultural Heritage (NICH). The new facility partially opened in November of that same year, fully opening in November 2026.
The Museum seeks to preserve and pass on the cultural properties inherited from the Imperial Family, while also showcasing the Imperial Household’s cultural legacy, for the benefit of an ever-wider public.
Administrative and Financial Information
Available on NICH’s official website: