Independent Administrative Institution National Museum

Rather than a single building with galleries, the Independent Administrative Institution National Museum was a government corporation that brought several of Japan's national museums under one administration. Created in 2001 as part of the national government's administrative reform program, it merged three formerly independent institutions: the Tokyo National Museum, the Kyoto National Museum and the Nara National Museum. Its stated aim was to provide higher quality and better educational services to the public. The Kyushu National Museum joined in 2005.

In 2007 the body was merged with the Independent Administrative Institution National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, which comprised research institutes in Tokyo and Nara. Together they formed the Independent Administrative Institution National Institutes for Cultural Heritage, reflecting their shared purpose of conserving and using cultural properties. Its legacy lies in the four museums it administered, each pursuing its own preservation, conservation and education work.