ResearchGuides: Asian Studies (China, Japan, Korea, South Asia): Japan : Databases and Other Resources

Find a Database (Helka)

Window to Japan Studies Resources

The Japan section in Asian Studies Subject Guide introduces you to noteworthy journals, new electronic and printed books and licensed and open access databases related to Japan Studies.

View from Fukuzenji Temple, Tomonoura, Japan. Photo by Pekka Karhula

Databases Japanese Studies

CiNii CiNii Articles incorporates many other Japanese article databases. CiNii Books search covers the holdings of Japanese university libraries.
Asahi Shinbun Cross-Search Online newspaper database in Japan containing archives for Asahi shinbun (1945-) plus two weekly news magazines: Weekly Asahi and Aera. To login click on “Enter(SSL)”. The number of simultaneous users is limited to 2 persons. Available with support from Japan Foundation. In Japanese.
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Content:
* Full Text Database from 1985 to the present
* Image Database of Post-WWⅡ Showa Period (1945-1989)
* Who’s Who Database
* Historical Photo Archive
* Image Database of Pre-war Showa Period
* Image Database of Meiji and Taisho Era
Yomidas Rekishikan (AsiaPortal) Yomidasu Rekishikan contains Yomiuri Shimbun since 1874. Please note: Only 2 visitors can use the database simultaneously. Please log out after use. Available with support from Japan Foundation. Interface in Japanese and English, content in Japanese and English news
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It also contains a Contemporary Who’s reference tool as well as a Glossary and Reference Handbook for users.
Nikkei Telecom21 (AsiaPortal) The service consists of: News: Real-Time Nikkei newswire service (Japanese and English) Full Text Article Search: Nikkei’s 4 main newspapers and news (Japanese and English) Market & Economic Indicators: Stock Indices, exchange rates, bond pricing and other economic indicators (Japanese) Company Search: Company profiles and financial information (Japanese) Who’s Who Search: Personnel information in business (Japanese).
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Please note: Only 2 visitors can use the database simultaneously. Please log out after use.
Available with support from Japan Foundation.
In Japanese and some English.

Please note:
You are allowed to to temporary download files for personal use, such as for research purposes or to use as teaching aids within the classroom. You are not allowed to:

use Nikkei Content for a commercial purpose;
cite or reproduce Nikkei Content beyond reasonable extent;
edit, summarize, translate or adapt Nikkei Content and release it to any third party;
make a copy of Nikkei Content and distribute such a copy to any third party.
Nikkei user guide can be found here
Japan Newspapers Via PressReader’s collection you can read a number of Asian newspapers and magazines on the day they are published.
Japan Times Archives (AsiaPortal) The Japan Times is an English-language newspaper published by The Japan Times Ltd in Japan since 1897. Please note: Only 3 visitors can use the database simultaneously. Please log out after use. In English Available with support from Japan Foundation
JapanKnowledge Fully searchable and browsable databases including English-Japanese and Japanese-English dictionaries, Encyclopedia Nipponica and Encyclopedia of Japan, articles published in a weekly magazine Ekonomisuto, collection of Tōyō bunko series and other visual and sound databases. Also includes Jitsu – online kanji dictionary/reference tool for the meaning of the Chinese characters, JKBooks and Fuzoku Gaho as well as “Iwanami Shoten, Publishers” (Iwanami Shoten).
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Also has: Gunsho Ruiju series is a major collection of manuscripts from ancient through to the end of the early modern periods.
Avalable with support from Japan Foundation.

In Japanese and English

Please note: Only 4 simultaneous users allowed: always remember to log-out when you finishing using the database!
Resources for East Asian Language and Thought
Kinoden - Japanese E-books (AsiaPortal) E-books form Kinokuniya. Only a few books are purchased for use.
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* This way you find which books are available: click 検索 button once. Then remove the tick from 未所蔵を含める. You will see a list of books alrady purchased (in July 2022 there are 16 books)
* For other books in KinoDen you can ask it to be purchased by clicking 購入をリクエスト
Aozora Bunko [open access] A digital library of several thousands of works of Japanese-language fiction and non-fiction that are either out-of-copyright or that the authors wish to make freely available.The files can be downloaded in PDF format or simply viewed in HTML format.

Statistics and Research Data

Open Access Resources

General

Cultural Japan Cultural Japan collects information related to Japanese culture published in museums, libraries, etc. around the world.
International Research Center for Japanese Studies
International Research Center for Japanese Studies Repository [in Japanese and English] A growing number of Nichibunken's output is freely available in this repository.
Japan Search A search for many digital collections in Japan. See what collections are included in search.

Linguistics and Language Learning

NINJAL国立国語研究所　
NIHONGO eな - Portal for Learning Japanese Japan Foundation Kansai Language Institute’s collection of the very best websites for learning Japanese.

Literary Research

National Institute of Japanese Literature (NIJL) 国文学研究資料館 [in Japanese] NIJL offers many databases like 国文学論文目録データベース (Research theses in Japanese Literature) 日本古典籍総合目録 (Union Catalogue of Early Japanese Books) 大系本文（日本古典文学・噺本）データベース Full text of Nihon koten bungaku taikei (1st ed.) and Hanashibon. Requires registration.

History and Archaeology

Japan Center for Asian Historical Records (JACAR) [in Japanese] JACAR is a digital database testifying to Japan's historical relations in Asia as well as elsewhere. This site provides access to official documents of the Japanese Cabinet, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as the Army and Navy.

Society, Politics and Economy

Japan Disasters Digital Archive The Digital Archive of Japan's 2011 Disasters (JDA) is an online portal to digital materials documenting the cascading series of natural and man-made disasters that began in Japan on March 11, 2011. Designed and maintained by the Reischauer Institute of Japanese Studies at Harvard University, the JDA relies on the support of partner organizations around the world to supply digital contents, including websites, tweets, video, audio, news articles, and much more. The JDA does not store copies of the data; rather it seamlessly links to digital materials archived by partner projects, allowing you to search, view, and sort items across separate archives and collections in one interface.
Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA) [in Japanese and English] Many of JIIA's publication are provided openly accessible. Some publications are restricted to members only. Most of the publications, like the Kokusai Mondai journal are in Japanese, but there are publications in English also.
NiHu Bridge
Starting page of the databases of National Institutes for the Humanities and other major Japanese research institutes

Other Research Guides

Asianet.fi Research & Tools
Effective ways to access Japanese newspapers and magazines in Finland, 2nd edition (Rie Fuse, Asianet.fi))
NCC Subject Guides Portal US academic universities' hub for Japan-related research and study guides sorted by academic discipline.
分野別日本学関連　データベースリスト (Japanese studies related Database categorized list) Links to free databases useful for Japanese Studies. Compiled by voluntary people from European Association of Japanese Resource Specialists and some Japanese Universities. English version coming in 2019.