1. As a museum specializing in all aspects of photography, the museum’s activities include collecting, displaying, preserving, studying, and popularizing photography.
2. The museum acts as a center for supporting creativity in exploring the expressive possibilities of photography and recognizing artists with potential.
3. To popularize the art and culture of photography, the museum is an open facility offering everyone the opportunity to appreciate and study outstanding photographic works and actively use the museum’s facilities.
4. The museum gathers information on photography and conducts research on photography and on visual imaging more broadly.
5. While functioning as a center for photography in Japan, the museum also serves as a focal point for international exchanges.
6. In addition to workshops and other participatory programs, the museum, as a facility supporting individuals’ creative activities, promotes opportunities for broad-based and international exchanges between photographers and the public.
7. The museum’s Image and Technology Gallery* displays historic materials related to visual culture and moving images and offers hands-on opportunities to experience the leading edge in visual expression; the gallery’s aims are to explore a wide range of expressive possibilities and to study the history of the development of visual media.
   (“Basic plan for Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography,” August 1991)

* The Image and Technology Gallery is now called the B1F Gallery and is used for moving images exhibitions and other exhibitions.