Goethe Archive Tokyo

The Goethe Archive Tokyo is a research library in Nishigahara focused on German literature and the works of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. The collection holds over 150,000 books, manuscripts, and documents that make it a major center for literary scholarship.

Businessman Tadashi Kogawa founded the institution in 1949 as Goethe-Gesellschaft Tokio to make German literature accessible to Japanese readers. The archive moved to its current Nishigahara location in 1988, where it has operated as a research center since.

The archive demonstrates through its collections and events how deeply Goethe's works resonate in Japan and what bridge they create between German and Japanese readers. Visitors experience here how a German writer became part of Japanese intellectual culture.

The archive opens to visitors by appointment and provides access to its extensive collections for research purposes. Exhibitions run during two periods per year, making it a good destination for those wanting to learn about the institution's work.

The street facing the archive is named Goethe-Weg and displays plaques with the poet's verses and their Japanese translations. Visitors can experience the connection between Goethe and the local community directly through a public walking space.