Here’s where to download traditional Japanese images and designs for free

If you’ve been looking for unique Japanese graphics, prints, photos or motifs to use in your designs, the National Diet Library’s digital image bank is a great resource for authentic Japanese images from the past. The copyright for most of these materials have expired, so you can download the images and use them however you please – for FREE. 

The NDL digital archive is a treasure trove of art and design materials ranging from ukiyo-e portraits of princesses from the Edo period (1603-1868) to vintage advertisements from the Showa era (1926–1989). The latter was among some of the latest materials that were added to the digital collection earlier this month. 

The possibilities are virtually limitless. You could use the images to design a graphic T-shirt, a dust jacket for your diary, or as a wrap for your coffee tumbler. If you’re looking to stick to a particular theme and want pointers on which patterns to use, the NDL website has an informative series of reports that detail the meanings and context behind many of these pieces (in Japanese only).

Check out the digital collection here.

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