Research Help
Databases & Indexes
Reference and newspaper databases
- JapanKnowledge Lib (in Japanese) ジャパンナレッジThis database includes the 日本大百科全書 (ニッポニカ) Nipponica encyclopedia as well as biographical dictionaries. Use this database to gain background information on a person or event. Think about what might make an interesting topic based on this information and also list keywords that you find related to that topic.
- Asahi Kikuzo II 朝日新聞の「聞蔵 II ビジュアル」Asahi Newspaper's Kikuzo II database includes Who's who database 人物データベース containing over 35,000 entries. Also includes articles from 週刊朝日 and AERA.
- Yomiuri Yomidasu Rekishikan 読売新聞の「ヨミダス歴史館」Full-text access to Yomiuri shinbun 読売新聞 (1874-present). Also includes Contemporary who's who database 現代人名録, containing 26,000 entries.
- FactivaOffers full-text access to 35,000+ global news and information sources from 200 countries in 26 languages. Includes recent issues of Mainichi shinbun 毎日新聞, Sankei shinbun 産経新聞, Yomiuri shinbun 読売新聞, and other Japanese language news sources.
Watch a 5-minute video on how to find Japanese newspapers in Factiva.
Article indexes
- CiNii ResearchA general, multidisciplinary index for Japanese periodicals and scholarly publications dating back to 1957. Some full-text provided. Includes the National Diet Library's periodical index (雑誌記事索引).
- J-StageA platform for open access scholarly publications in Japan. Offered by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST). Full text.
- Web OYA-bunko (Japanese)Web OYA-bunko indexes serial publications held by Ōya Sōichi Bunko, a periodical library in Tokyo with a comprehensive collection of approximately 12,000 popular journals. Coverage: 1988-present. Some coverage of pre-1988 articles available. Not full-text.
- Bibliography of Asian Studies This link opens in a new windowThe most comprehensive Western-language bibliographical database for research on Asia.
Tips on Google searching
When searching Google, limit your search to academic domains.
- site:ac.jp will limit the search results to those published within Japanese academic institution sites
- site:ac.jp file:pdf will further limits to publications available in PDF
Example search strategy: 宮崎駿 想像 site:ac.jp ► See the results here.
Helpful Websites
- Kindai Nihonjin no shōzō 近代日本人の肖像Provides over 350 portraits of individuals who helped construct today's Japan, includes short biographical text on each person.
- 国立国会図書館リサーチナビOffers tips, instructions, and resources in conducting a library research in may different subject areas.