Japanese Language Dictionaries
Here is a short list of basic dictionaries for Japanese language:
Chiezō 知恵蔵: A handy source to look up contemporary terminology. The latest issue is offered in Asahi Kikuzo II Visual.
Dai Kan-Wa jiten 大漢和辞典 / 諸橋轍次著: The most comprehensive dictionary of Chinese characters from Japan (ca. 50,000 characters with ca. 500,000 word entries). 語彙索引 in Japanese alphabetical order is also available.
Denshi kuzushiji jiten 電子くずし字字典: One of the databases offered by 東京大学史料編纂所.『電子くずし字字典データベース』『木簡画像データベース・木簡字典』連携検索 is also available.
Gendai yōgo no kiso chisiki 現代用語の基礎知識: A handy source to look up contemporary terminology. The latest issue is offered in JapanKnowledge.
Itaiji kaidoku jiten 異体字解読字典 / [監修山田勝美 ; 編者「難字大鑑」編集委員会]: A dictionary for variant characters.
Kadokawa kogo daijiten 角川古語大辞典 / 中村幸彥, 岡見正雄, 阪倉篤義編: Lists a variety of words used in pre-modern periods including Buddhist terms, place names, personal names, etc.
Kokuji no jiten 国字の字典 / 飛田良文監修 ; 菅原義三編: Includes over 1,500 Chinese characters created in Japan--the characters not used in China.
Kuzushiji yōrei jiten くずし字用例辞典 / 児玉幸多編: Offers many examples of cursive writings.
New Nelson Japanese-English character dictionary / by John H. Haig: A completely revised, new Nelson dictionary (The modern reader's Japanese-English character dictionary / Andrew Nathaniel Nelson).
Nihon hōgen daijiten 日本方言大辞典 / 編集 尚学図書: Lists words in dialects in Japanese alphabetical order. For finding dialects from standard words, use 標準語引き日本方言辞典.
Nihon kokugo daijiten (dai 2-han) 日本国語大辞典 (第2版): The most comprehensive dictionary of Japanese language (ca. 500,000 entries). Provides meanings, usages in old literary or historical works, variations of words in dialects, etc. A more updated online version of the dictionary is available via JapanKnowledge.
Onkunbiki komonjo daijisō 音訓引古文書大字叢 / 監修 林英夫: Lists ca. 14,000 words frequently used in historical documents from the Edo period, in Japanese alphabetical order.
Reading Tutor リーディング チュウ太: A collection of links for learning Japanese language.
Rikai: Program for learning Japanese, which also provides readings and definitions of Chinese characters in English; created by Todd David Rudick utilizing the resources made available by Jim Breen and his EDICT Project.
Weblio: Supports translation from Japanese to other languages.
Useful Websites
Here is a list of selected useful websites for research on Chinese subjects:
Ajia jōhō kikan dairekutorī: Chūgoku アジア情報機関ダイレクトリー: 中国: A directory of Japanese academic institutions and libraries that have resources related to China, provided by National Diet Library, including:
Japan Center for Asian Historical Records, National Archives of Japan = 国立公文書館アジア歴史資料センター: Digital archive of modern records held by the National Archives of Japan, Diplomatic Record Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Library of the National Institute for Defense Studies at the National Defense Agency
Risāchi Nabi: Ajia shokoku no jōhō o sagasu リサーチ・ナビ : アジア諸国の情報を探す: Provided by National Diet Library
Zenkoku Kanseki dētabēsu 全國漢籍データベース: A union catalog of Chinese rare books held by Japanese libraries, provided by the Center for Informatics in East Asian Studies, Institute for Research in Humanities, Kyoto University