Yale University Library Research Guides: Japan Studies: Major Online Resources at Glance

Top Reference Tools

JapanKnowledge
A large collection of language dictionaries, encyclopedias, biographical dictionaries, and other Japanese reference works, ebooks and journals. Click here for more information on individual sources.

NDL search
Integrated search service of catalogs and digital archives, including the National Diet Library, public, university, and specialized libraries, and academic institutes.

CiNii Books, Articles & Data, Dissertations
Three databases by CiNii be searched with academic information from articles, Books, Journals & Dissertations published in Japan.

Next Digital Libra0ry
Full-text search about 350,000 materials (as of November 2022) in the public domain available in the National Diet Library Digital Collections.

For more comprehensive information on reference tool for Japan Studies, please click here

Other Reference Tools

Encyclopedias

日本大百科全書 (JK) Known as Encyclopedia Nipponica, this digital edition contains about 380,000 entries. Also video clips, over 8,000 visual illustrations as well as audio clips are included.
Koji Ruien 古事類縁 (JK) A traditional, Chinese-style, encyclopedic indexes of objects, events and institutions that appear in pre-modern texts. Volumes classified by subject in 30 sections.
Wiley Online Library Access to many reference, journal articles and online books including "A Companion to Japanese History" (2006), "The Handbook of Japanese Linguistics" (2001) and "A Companion to the Anthropology of Japan" (2008).
Kodansha Encyclopedia of Japan (JK) The Kodansha Encyclopedia of Japan is based on Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia (1993), and contains almost all 11,000 main-text entries of that book.

Language / Character Dictionaries

日本国語大辞典 (JK) One of most authoritative Japanese language dictionaries. It contains about 500,000 entries with 1,000,000 sample sentences listed by gojūon, Japanese alphabetical order.
Kadokawa Ruigo Shin Jiten 角川類語新辞典 (JK) A major Japanese thesauri dictionary provides search functions such as classifications, "fuzzy search," and "associative search. In addition, each heading contains examples for actual usage.
Dai Kan-Wa Jiten 大漢和辞典 (JK) Requires VPN through JapanKnowledge (JK), or log in to general JK. Then, select Dai Kan-Wa. It searches all the characters by searching radicals or strokes. It doesn't search for idioms and variants by copy & paste. Guide: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1J5iiH9uiB8ewDuoY8bDDxzHqQaY61bCe/view
字通 (JK) This Chinese character dictionary contains approx.9,500 Chinese characters. Can search by a character’s reading, radical names, total stroke number, old readings, meaning, authoritative sources, compound words, and parts of characters.
Imidas イミダス (JK) "This almanac explains words and terms used in relation to current events as well as buzzwords from various genres which are essential for understanding our times. The latest terms are categorized into approximately 140 genres ranging from politics, economics, international affairs, society and science, to culture and sports."
Asahi Genda Yogo, Chiezo 朝日現代用語・知恵蔵 (Kikuzo)

Biographies

Nihon Jinmei Daijiten 日本人名大事典 (JK) The most comprehensive dictionary on Japanese names and biography. It also includes bibliographical references and indexes.
Nihon Jinbutsu Bunken Mokuroku 日本人物文献目録 (JK) A biographical bibliography of books and journal articles covering from 1868 to 1966.

History

Cambridge History of Japan Important dictionary set for history of Japan. Available both online (Yale campus subscription) and print version.
Kokushi daijiten 国史大辞典 (JK) This digital database contains more that 58,000 entries. The additional 4,000 entries not in the printed version focus on uncommon nouns and important historical terminology. Can search by keyword, title, author, and articles' bibliographic references. Also in JapanKnowledge.
Nihon Rekishi Chimei Taikei 日本歴史地名大系 (JK) Based on the printed version, this online database provides historical information about the history, lifestyle and culture of approximately 200,000 famous places, including those mentioned in early texts such as Fudoki, Man'yoshu, Kojiki and Nihon Shoki; places famous in modern history; and significant topographical information.
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The information is related to the natural history of the nation. The online version allows for the full-text search and quick cross-referencing of locations whose names have changed over time. An interactive map interface allows users to view certain historical maps from the Meiji Fukkatsu Chizu collection (1884-1887), with a larger selection of historical maps available in PDF format. This database is included in the JapanKnowledge database. Patrons must begin their search of Nihon Rekishi Chimei Taikei, by accessing JapanKnowledge first.
Koji Ruien 古事類縁 (JK) A traditional, Chinese-style, encyclopedic index of objects, events and institutions that appear in pre-modern texts. Volumes are classified by subject in 30 sections.

Religion

Digital dictionary of Buddhism 電子佛教辭典 A compilation of Buddhist technical terminology texts, temples, schools, persons, etc. that are found in East Asian Buddhist canonical sources. Since much of what East Asian Buddhists have written about is the Buddhism of India, Central Asia, and Tibet, the content of this database / dictionary / encyclopedia / translation glossary is pan-Buddhist in character. Dictionaries and other reference sources are in many East Asian languages (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Pali, Sanskrit and Tibetan).

E-J / J-E dictionaries

英辞郎 on the web* Useful and detailed online translation server that also provides a variety of citations and example sentences.
JAANUS: Japanese Architecture and Art Net Users System "This dictionary contains approximately 8000 terms related to traditional Japanese architecture and gardens, painting, sculpture and art-historical iconography from approximately the 1st century A.D. to the end of the Edo period (1868)."
Jim Breen's WWWJDIC Online overall Japanese dictionary server. Can search by a keyword both in English and Japanese.

Find Journal Articles / Book Chapters

For more information about finding journal articles / book chapeters, click here.

Japanese Language

Koseisha Zasshi Kiji Sakuin Shusei Database 皓星社雑誌記事索引集成データベース This combines content previously available in its other databases, such as MagazinePLUS. It indexes journals published in the Meiji, Taishō and early Shōwa periods, as well as minor journals that were published in local prefectures and cities.
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This is one of several major journal index databases available for Japanese journals. It is the only one that provides an index of journal articles published in the Meiji, Taishō, and early Shōwa periods to the present. It also contains important local journals that were published in prefectures and cities that are not in the NDL journal index. Users can search terms in the modern language for words changed historically. In addition, each search clarifies which Japanese university library holds the specific journal and desired article.
Web Oya
NDL Zasshi Kiji Sakuin 雑誌記事索引
CiNii CiNii (Scholarly and Academic Information Navigator, pronounced like "sigh-knee") is a database for information on academic articles published in academic society journals or university research bulletins, and for articles included in the National Diet Library's Japanese Periodicals Index Database.
JAIRO Japanese Institutional Repositories Online. Growing archives of electronic journal articles, theses or dissertations, departmental bulletin papers and research papers are redeposited in this database.
国文学論文目録データベース Comprehensive database for research on Japanese literature published from the 1920s to the present. It includes citations of any works on Japanese literature in books, journal articles, bulletins and annuals.
20世紀メディア情報データベース Index to the Prange Collection. Yale does not subscribe this database.
NDL search 国立国会図書館サーチ Powerful search engine for books, journal articles, digital images as well as dissertations. Their catalog often includes titles and pagination of chapters as 部分タイトル or 詳細情報.

English Language

Also, search other full-text databases such as EBSCO, JSTORE, Project Muse, etc.

Bibliography of Asian Studies BAS contains citation records on all subjects (especially in the humanities and the social sciences) pertaining to East, Southeast, and South Asia published in Western-languages from 1971 to the present. The online BAS has all the data from BAS print editions from 1971 to 1991, which included citations to periodical articles, monographs, book chapters, conference proceedings, etc. But BAS has not added monographs published since 1992, so users need to search WorldCat for recently published monographs. BAS has identified 100+ most important periodicals in Asian Studies and indexed them on a priority basis.
Historical Abstracts The primary resource to find resources on history. Covers scholarly literature published between 1955 and the present. Materials in many languages are indexed.
Monumenta Nipponica MN publishes numerous translations of a variety of sources. Listed alphabetically by author, all issues are accessible online, through the MN website or JStor. Hard copies are located in the SML Stacks with most recent issues in the East Asia Library.

Major electronic resource platform

JKBooks
Ebooks and ejournals in this platform including volumes from 新編日本古典文学全集 (小学館）、新編国歌大観、東洋文庫、新編国史大系、新釈漢文大系、太陽［日本近代文学館］、風俗画報、古事類苑、群書類従（正・続・続々）、鎌倉遺文 and 東洋経済新報／週刊東洋経済デジタルアーカイブ
Maruzen eBook Library
Provides ebooks acquired by Yale including 新日本古典文学大系 (岩波) and 大日本仏教全書
Kinokuniya KinoDen
Provides ebooks purchased by Yale, including the full set of 日本隨筆大成, 国際写真情報, 毎日グラフ.
HathiTrust Digital Library An extensive collection of digitized books and journals. Yale Library is a member of HathiTrust, which provides additional access and download options when using this website. Select 'Advanced Search' to search by format type; select 'Full-Text Only' to retrieve Open Access content.
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Many Japanese books in this database are full texts. The search functions for Japanese titles and texts. Searching for titles in English transliteration is advised.
NDL Digital Library デジタルライブラリー The database provides digital images of books and other resources held by the National Diet Library. Currently, resources from Meiji and Taisho periods are available from remote places.
Aozora Bunko 青空文庫 Digital library for out of copyright books published in Japan.
J-DAC
Online platform for Japanese humanities and social history materials.

Major ebook sets

Shinpen Nihon Koten Bungaku Zenshū 新編日本古典文学全集 (小学館: JK) The online version of SNKBZ from Japan Knowledge. If the link does not directly take to the set, click 本棚 on the top bar of the website.
Shin Nihon Koten Bungaku Taikei 新日本古典文学大系 (岩波書店: Maruzen) The online version of SNKBT through Maruzen ebook Library.
SNKBT Meiji-hen 新日本古典文学大系明治編 (Maruzen) Meiji hen of Shin Nihon koten bungaku taikei through Maruzen ebook library
Kamakura Ibun 鎌倉異聞 (JK) Kamakura Ibun (Collection of Historical Materials of the Kamakura Period)
Koji Ruien 古事類縁 (JK) A traditional, Chinese-style, encyclopedic indexes of objects, events and institutions that appear in pre-modern texts. Volumes classified by subject in 30 sections.
Gunsho ruijū 群書類従 (JK) This set consists of important collections relating to Japanese literary classics and historical records in a variety of areas such as history, literature & language, religion, customs, art, performing art, education, politics, economics, law and geography, etc. The database provides full-text search function of this very authoritative reference sources.
Nihon Zuihitsu Taisei 日本随筆大成 (KinoDen) Available through Kinokuniya ebook platform, KinoDen.
Toyo Bunko 東洋文庫 (JK)
Shinpen Kokka Taikan 新編国歌大観 (JK) Through JapanKnowledge. To select only its content, go to 詳細（個別）検索 on top of the search engine to select 新編国歌大観
Dai Nihon Bukkyo Zensho 大日本仏教全書 (Maruzen) Large collection of rare Japanese books on Buddhism. 150 volumes.
Shinpen Kokushi Taikei 新編国史大系 (JK) A major collection of standard sources for Japanese history from the earliest times to the Meiji Restoration (1868), including official histories, private records, genealogies, laws, and literary works; published in two editions. The first series (32 vols, 1897−1904) was edited by economist and cultural historian Taguchi Ukichi; the second series, a careful revision of the first, entitled Shintei zōho kokushi taikei (66 vols, 1929−64; Revised and Enlarged Compilation of Japanese History), was begun under the general editorship of Kuroita Katsumi, professor of Japanese history at Tōkyō University...The methods used in compiling the Kokushi taikei reflect both the native tradition of textual collation and criticism and the positivist techniques of Western historical scholarship that influenced Japanese historiography after the Meiji Restoration
Shinshaku Kambun Taikei 新釈漢文大系 (JK) Shinshaku Kambun Taikei (An Anthology of New Commentaries on Chinese Classics, 120 volumes* plus one separate volume) has been compiled with complete translations of representative Chinese classics such as the Four Books and Five Classics of Confucianism, “Historical Records,” “Bai Shi Wen Ji,” as well as through the addition of a volume on the “Chinese Poetry of Japan” and the “Dictionary of Commentaries on Chinese Books.” Proofed original text, written commentaries, explanations, glosses, annotations, and a complete index. Authorities in each field have incorporated their latest research into the commentaries. * Volume 36, “Sonshi and Goshi” (“Sunzi and Wuzi”), are not included in the JapanKnowledge edition. -- summary from JP website

Dissertations

Japanese

CiNii Disserations The doctoral dissertation portal includes 600,000 bibliographic information since 1923 and 150,000 full texts from the National Diet Library (1991-2000). It also links to over 190,000 academic institutional repositories.
Doctoral Dissertations 博士論文 (NDL) The database contains approx.150.000 (1991-2000) and 70,000 (2013-) dissertations digitized and held by NDL.
IRDB - Institutional Repositories DB It provides metadata of contents registered in academic institutional repositories in Japan. The contents include research papers, doctorial dissertations, and conference proceedings, etc.
NII Institutional Repositories Program
NDL guide to dissertations in Japan Comprehensive guide to search dissertations published in Japan.

English

ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global Online access to over 2 million dissertations and master's theses, many of which are available in full text. Citations of abstracts are available for dissertations dating from 1861 and full text online from 1997. Searchable by university, department and adviser.

Images, Audio, Film, etc

Images

朝日新聞歴史写真アーカイブ (Kikuzō) About 10,000 historical photographs of Asia from 1930 to 1945.
Asahi Graph アサヒグラフ (Kikuzō: 1923-1945) "Asahi Graph, a pictorial magazine established in 1923. The database provides digital archive of images in color of issues up until 1945."
World Digital Library Digital images of Japanese rare books, manuscripts and others with English description of those collections. Most of them are art objects such as ukiyo-e, nara-ehon, 絵地図, etc.
More on finding images

Films / Moving images

Kanopy Streaming "Touching on all topics, featured producers in Kanopy's collection include Criterion Collection, PBS, HBO, The Video Project, New Day Films, The Great Courses, California Newsreel, Kino Lorber, Media Education Foundation, First Run Features, BBC, and many more. Films can be watched from anywhere, anytime by all staff and students." Offers numbers of videos on variety of topics in Japan.
NHK Archives NHK Archives is the extensive online service that offers approx.10,000 programs and news broadcast by NHK. - NHK東日本大震災アーカイブス - features documentaries, news, maps other visual source on 311. - NHK戦争証言アーカイブス - ongoing digital archive that contains vast collection of audio and visual sources surrounding WWII. - テレビ60年特選コレクション - provides an insightful view of the history of television with representative NHK programs
More on Films / Moving Images

Audio

歴史的音源 The Historical Sound Source contains a variety of digitized audio resources including rakugo and other oral performances and speeches by political figures, from circa.1900 to 1950.

Online Fulltest Journals

Japanese language

Fūzoku Gahō 風俗画報 (JK:1889-1916) One of the first Japanese illustrated magazines from Meiji 22 (1889) to Taishō 5 (1916) depicting manners and customs of Meiji Japan. Including prints and photographs, all articles in the magazine are searchable by titles, authors, dates, place names and keywords. The database can also be used for finding pictorial and encyclopedic information about variety of topics. (Below are some examples of keywords.)
Taiyō 太陽 (JK:1895-1928) Taiyō was a comprehensive journal published by Hakubunkan from Meiji 28 (1895) to Showa 3 (1928). The collection includes a total of 531 issues (175,000 pages), with contributions from approximately 6,500 authors. Fields covered are government, economics, society, general natural science, literature, and manners and customs. Because of its comprehensiveness, the online version of this journal provides some of useful features, including indexing with controlled vocabularies. All the colored illustrations are also included and indexed. The Taiyō database includes special issues特別号 of Taiyō, except some maps and tables in supplements.
Tokyo Keizai 東洋経済新報/週刊東洋経済 (JK:1895-1945)
Taiwan Nichi Nichi Shinpō 臺灣日日新報 (1898-1911) Taiwan Nichi Nichi Shinpō is a newspaper published beginning in 1898, a result of the merger of Taiwan Shinpō and Taiwan Nippō. It consists of both a Japanese (1898.5-1944.3) and a Chinese language version (1905.7-1911.11), and covers legislation and news as well as cultural activities in Taiwan under Japanese occupation.
Taihō geppo 臺法月報 The database contains rare and important colonial Taiwan’s monthly law journal 法院月報 = Fa yuan yue bao = Hōin geppō. The journal later changed its name to臺法月報 =台法月報 = Tai fa yue bao = Taihō geppō.
Bijutsu shinto 美術新報 (JK: 1902-20) An authoritative art magazine from the Meiji and Taisho eras, scholarly articles on modern Japanese art history. Full of plates and illustrations.
Mita Bungaku Online 三田文学 (1910-1945) Japanese literary magazine in 1910 at Keio University. It includes early works by authors such as Mori Ōgai, Ishizaka Yōjirō, Izumi Kyōka, Kitahara Hakushū, Tanizaki Jun'ichirō, Minakami Takitarō, Kojima Masajirō, Akutagawa Ryūnosuke, and Sono Ayako. The online version is for issues from 1910 - 1950.
Bungeishunjū 文藝春秋 (JK:1923-50) This monthly magazine was founded by the author Kikuchi Kan in January 1923 (Taisho 12). The digital version available starts from there and goes up to December 1, 1950 (Showa 25). The monthly issues feature literary works, including recipients of famous literary awards it grants including the Akutagawa Prize and the Naoki Prize.
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Issues also include articles on various topics reflecting the general interests of people in the era. The database provides full-text search functions on 90,000 PDF pages of the original magazine.
Asahi Graph アサヒグラフ (Kikuzō: 1923-1945) "Asahi Graph, a pictorial magazine established in 1923. The database provides digital archive of images in color of issues up until 1945."
Kokusai shashin jōhō 國際寫眞情報 (International Photographic Information1922 -1968) "Kokusai Shashin Joho (International Photographic Information) was a monthly graphical magazine published by Kokusai Joho Sha from August 1922 to June 1968, with a break in publication during and after the war (the magazine was published before the war until March 1945 and resumed publication from the May 1951 issue). The magazine was published in various fields, including international affairs, politics, the imperial family, industry, social issues, education, architecture, art, medicine, religion, travel, entertainment, sports, science, fashion, entertainment, and daily life. It was composed of many photographs and texts from Japan and abroad.”
Seifūzoku kishō zasshi korekushon 性風俗稀少雑誌コレクション (1950s-1970s)
The Mainichi graphic 每日グラフ "Mainichi Graph was a photo news magazine published by Mainichi Shimbun in July 1948. After changing its format and frequency of publication and changing its name to "Amuse," the magazine ceased publication in 2001. It introduced a wide range of genres, from politics and economics to entertainment, music, and sports, and continued to attract attention for its innovative layout and pithy writing, even in an era when the graph magazines competed with each other."
AERA アエラ (Kikuzō:1988-) AERA can be searched and viewed as a part of Kikuzo database. Provide articles (without photos) from May 24, 1988 to present.
Shūkan Asahi 週刊朝日 (Kikuzō: 2000-) News articles portion of journal from April, 2000 to present can be searched in Kikuzo II database.
Shūkan Economisuto 週刊エコノミスト (JK: past 2 years) Useful online database that contains past 2 years of the journal accessible with keyword search.

English language

Online Newspapers

For more information about all the newspaper resources, click here.