Collection, Preservation & Restoration
Collection, Preservation & Restoration
◎Collection
On the principle of collecting any surviving film made in any country, we are systematically acquiring films, giving priority to ones in danger of loss or deterioration, extraordinarily rare ones and ones required for screening programs or international exchange programs.
We are also exhaustively acquiring non-film materials, such as books, posters and still photos.
Number of films in our collection (as of January 2017)
| JAPANESE films | Fiction films | 12,281 |
| Documentary films | 29,506 | |
| Animation films | 2,370 | |
| Newsreels | 15,931 | |
| Television films | 9,824 | |
| subtotal | 69,912 | |
| FOREIGN films | Fiction films | 4,895 |
| Documentary films | 3,103 | |
| Animation films | 345 | |
| Newsreels | 188 | |
| Television films | 467 | |
| subtotal | 8,998 | |
| total | 78,910 |
Number of non-film materials in our collection（as of March 2016）
| Books (in Japanese language) | 40,300 |
| Books (in foreign languages) | 4,700 |
| Scenarios | 44,000 |
| Posters | 57,000 |
| Still photos | 701,000 |
| Technical devices and equipment | 600 |
◎Preservation & Restoration
Newly collected films (including digital cinema), either donated or bought, are catalogued and preserved after inspection. Deteriorated or damaged films (or the ones in such danger), extremely rare films and flammable films are duplicated for longer conservation. To the films with especially high values as art or historical reference, we apply cutting-edge sophisticated technology in order to closely reproduce their contents. In recent years, films such asa Rashomon, Ginrin (Bicycle in Dream), four of Yasujiro Ozu’s films in color and Nihon nankyoku tanken (The Japanese Expedition to Antarctica) have been restored that way.
Non-film materials such as posters, still photos, scenarios, advertisement materials and technical devices are also inspected, catalogued, restored and preserved under the proper condition of temperature and humidity.
At the Sagamihara Annex of NFC, situated in the former site of U. S. Army Camp Fuchinobe, the collected films and non-film materials are safety conserved under the proper condition of temperature and humidity controlled by the 24-hour air conditioning system. Inspection and documentation of the collected films and materials are also conducted there.
[Sagamihara Annex]
Site Area 14,997㎡
Building Area 2,594㎡
・Archive Ⅰ 1,504㎡
・Archive Ⅱ 1,090㎡
・Archive Ⅲ 137㎡
Building Total Area 9,437㎡
・Archive Ⅰ 4,510㎡
・Archive Ⅱ 4,927㎡
・Archive Ⅲ 139㎡
[Archive Ⅰ]
Completed in 1986, Archive Ⅰ can store up to 220,000 cans of films. Film cans are put in the movable shelves divided so as to contain each can individually. The screening hall in this Archive is used for test screenings for inspection and joint screening projects with Sagamihara City.
Archive Ⅰ
Movable Shelf
Floor Space
・1st Floor 1,477m2
・2nd Floor 296m2
・1st Basement 1,369m2
・2nd Basement 1,369m2
Facility Space
・Film Storage (18 rooms) 2,885m2
・Screening Hall (200 seats) 526m2
・Office & film inspection room 692m2
・other facilities 407m2
Specifications
・Structure: RC, 2 floors above the ground and 2 below
・Building Exterior: Porcelain glazed tiles
・Storage Capacity 220,000 cans
・Design: ASHIHARA Architect & Associates (completed in 1986)
・Design Management: Construction Bureau for Kanto Region, Ministry of Construction; ASHIHARA Architect & Associates
Temperature and Humidity
・Film Storage (1st Basement)
Temperature: 10℃ (±2℃)
Humidity: 40％RH (±5％RH)
・Film Storage (2nd Basement)
Temperature: 5℃ (±2℃)
Humidity: 40％RH (±5％RH)
[Archive Ⅱ]
Archive Ⅱ, completed in 2011, enables another 266,000 cans of films to be stored, and it has special rooms to store film related materials under the proper condition of temperature and humidity. All the film storage rooms in this Archive are designed to prevent vinegar syndrome. Air socks are introduced to prevent convection and traffic lines are improved to facilitate effective operation.
Archive Ⅱ
Interior of Archive Ⅱ
Floor Space
・1st Floor 995m2
・2nd Floor 363m2
・1st Basement 1,792m2
・2nd Basement 1,777m2
Facility Space
・Film Storage (18 rooms) 2,144m2
・Film Documents Storage (2 rooms) 158m2
・Film Equipment Storage 174m2
・Film inspection room 100m2
・Other facilities 2,352m2
Specifications
・Structure: RC, 2 floors above the ground and 2 below
・Building Exterior: Exterior heat insulating brick
・Storage capacity: 266,000 cans
・Design:Yasui Architects & Engineers, Inc. (completed in 2011)
・Design Management: The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo; Yasui Architects & Engineers, Inc.
Temperature and Humidity
・Film Document Storage and Equipment Storage (1st Floor)
Temperature: 21℃ (±2℃)
Humidity: 50％RH (±5％RH)
・Storage (1st Basement)
Temperature: 10℃ (±2℃)
Humidity: 40％RH (±5％RH)
・Storage (2nd Basement)
Temperature: 5℃ (±2℃)
Humidity: 40％RH (±5％RH)
[Archive Ⅲ]
Archive Ⅲ (Important Cultural Property Film Storage) is completed in 2014 to preserve films, as its other name suggests, including the ones designated as Important Cultural Properties, restraining their deterioration. All of the films designated as Important Cultural Properties so far are nitrate films, which are highly flammable and legally designated as a Type 5 Category 1 hazardous material. This Archive is designed for their safe and prolonged preservation.
Archive Ⅲ
Film Storage of Archive Ⅲ
Floor Space
・1st Floor 131m2
・Penthouse 7m2
Facility Space
・Film Storage (3 rooms) 45m2
・Other facilities 93m2
Specifications
・Structure: RC, 1 floor above the ground
・Building Exterior: Exterior heat insulating dry tile
・Storage Capacity: 1,152 cans
・Design: Yasui Architects & Engineers, Inc. (completed in 2014)
・Design Management: The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo; Yasui Architects & Engineers, Inc.
Temperature and Humidity
・Film Storage (1st Floor)
Temperature: 2℃ (±2℃)
Humidity: 35％RH (±5％RH)
・Film Acclimation Room (1st Floor)
Temperature: 5～15℃ (±2℃)
Humidity: 35％RH (±5％RH)
・The Front Room (1st Floor)
Temperature: 26℃ (±2℃)
Humidity: 50％RH (±5％RH)
