Helpful Information
Library Resources
Language Resources
Contact
Steve Witt
Head
International & Area Studies Library
Associate Professor
University Library
Director
Center for Global Studies, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Office
311 Main Library
Email
swwitt@illinois.edu
Japanese Literature
Database of Research Thesis in Japanese Literature 日本文学研究論文の総合目録データベース
This is a comprehensive catalog of Japanese literature research papers (Meiji, Taisho, Showa, Heisei). Information on research papers on Japanese literature, linguistics, and Japanese language education, etc., contained in journal bulletins published in Japan held at the National Literature Research Museum.Database of Japanese Literature in Translation
This database covers Japanese literary works translated into other languages, mostly after the second world war. Searches can be made either in Japanese characters or Roman letters.The National Institute of Japanese Literature
Nihon Bungaku Internet Guide 日本文学インターネットガイド
This website compiles many databases that are useful for Japanese literature studies and can also be used to search Japanese literature in each era from the early to modern era as well as studying Chinese literature, an adjacent field.Japanese Text Initiative
The University of Virginia Library Electronic Text Center and the University of Pittsburgh East Asian Library are pleased to sponsor the Japanese Text Initiative, a collaborative effort to make texts of classical Japanese literature available on the World Wide Web.One Hundred Poets Digital Collection
The digital collection consists at present of 74 books and 20 different card sets relating to the poetry anthology Hyakunin Isshu 百人一首 (One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each, hereafter HNIS), edited by the famous poet and scholar, Fujiwara no Teika (1162-1241) in the 1230s. It is unquestionably the most famous poetry anthology in the Japanese tradition.Aozorabunko 青空文庫
This website archives all the books that are now in the public domain. If you’re looking for Japanese books that are free, this is the page you go to.
Historical Texts
Kotenseki Etsuran Portal Database 古典籍閲覧ポータルデータベース
This is an Early Japanese Book Database, Art Research Center (ARC), Ritsumeikan University which allows you to browse both rare books and early Japanese books of not only the collections managed by the ARC but also other collections.Tosa Nikki Soken 土佐日記創見
What’s described here is the reference guide of Tosa Nikki Soken that was established in 1823 and published in 1832. Available only in Japanese.Ise Monogatari no Sekai 伊勢物語の世界
A variety of early modern books on Ise monogatari, accompanied by honkoku in a popup window. Note that you need to scroll through the honkoku as you turn pages, rather than receiving a new honkoku for each page.Japanese Historical Text Initiative (JHTI)
JHTI is a digitized, searchable database of important Japanese historical documents and their English translators, made by the University of California at Berkley. Available both in Japanese and English.
Visual Materials
KuniDeco Wall
This webpage contains thousands of images of historical Japanese documents, literature, paintings, and etc, which can be used for visual research.Kindai Shoshi – Kindai Gazo Database 近代書誌・近代画像データベース
This is an open-access database that provides bibliographic information obtained by the literature research conducted after the Meiji Era, conducted by the National Literature Research Museum with researchers throughout the country.Nihon Kotten Digital Gazo Database 日本古典籍デジタル画像データベース
The Digital Image Database for Classic Japanese Books is an institution that holds a large number of books of classical books and the National Literature Research Library (NLRL), which has a rich track record in creating and publishing digital books. With the cooperation of NLRL, it is now possible to search and browse digital images of classical books on the Kunibunken web site.Denshi-ban katei Bunko 電子版 霞亭文庫
“Electronic version of Kaitei Bunko” is an image data of the texts of novels and drama books included in Kaitei Bunko held by the University of Tokyo Library. With this release, more than 50,000 image information has become widely available both in Japan and overseas.Hachiman Digital Handscrolls
This webpage provides many digitized handscrolls in the format of the movable image-and text, using an innovative open-source system called HyperImage. If you’re looking for good, old, aged handscrolls, you can access them digitally here.Hangi Etruran System 版木閲覧システム
This database allows searching and browsing of boards used for commercial publishing from the Edo period to the Taisho period, centering on materials held and managed by the Nara University Museum and Nara University Library. The scope of database use is limited to non-commercial use for research and education.
Thesis and Dissertations
IRDB
IRDB searches across all participating institutional repositories in Japan and provides full text of many materials. This includes dissertations and theses, and research and conference papers.CiNii Dissertations
This is a dissertation search engine from the NII, that include abstracts and tables of contents, as well as links to full text when available