Japanese Studies

Before you begin your research, you might want to check the following points for basics:

• JapanKnowledge: What is the general understanding of the topic of your research? JapanKnowledge provides access to basic Japanese reference sources including encyclopedias and dictionaries (e.g., 日本大百科全書, 日本国語大辞典, 國史大辭典, Encyclopedia of Japan, etc.) as well as 東洋文庫 and 新編日本古典文学全集 series.
• Risāchi nabi リサーチ・ナビ: Are there useful research guides for specific topics or specific types of materials? The National Diet Library of Japan provides many research guides covering a wide range of subjects and special materials.
• Kaken: What research has been done in Japan? Kaken database provides information on research projects funded by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology and Japan Society for the Promotion of Science since 1965 and their research results.
• Directory of Japanese Studies in the United States and Canada: This website displays the information collected from the Survey of Japan Specialists and Japanese Studies Institutions in North America in 2011-2012 sponsored by the Japan Foundation.The survey was conducted through the University of Hawaii under the direction of Professor Patricia Steinhoff of the University of Hawaii and Professor Julian Dierkes of the University of British Columbia.
• J-Global: Who does the research in the academia and what research resources are available in Japan on your topic? J-Global maintained by the Japan Science and Technology Agency provides information on research institutes, researchers, research projects, etc.
• Academic Society Home Village: What academic societies exist in a specific field? The National Institute of Informatics compiles links to homepages of academic societies in Japan.

Here is a short list of useful resources for navigating through web sites and databases--often not searchable with major search engines. The list also includes archives of web sites.

• Dnavi: Covers various databases from Japan, created by the National Diet Library
• Web Archiving Project (WARP): Selected archived Web sites and online journals produced by Japanese government agencies, universities, and other public institutions and organizations, developed by the National Diet Library. Online publications are searchable at Internet Shiryō インターネット資料 page.
• Wayback Machine: The largest Internet archive site in the U.S.; includes some Japanese sites

If you are planning a research trip to Japan, you might want to bring with you a letter of introduction to access to Japanese libraries. Please contact Toshie Marra for more information.

You might also find the following research guides useful for preparion of your research trip to Japan:

• Levi McLaughlin, "All Research is Fieldwork: A Practical Introduction to Studying in Japan as a Foreign Researcher," The Asia-Pacific Journal, 30-1-10, July 26, 2010
• NCC's Online Guide to Research Access in Japanese Museums, Libraries, and Archives (MLAs) 日本研究のためのMLAアクセスガイド
  

To use library databases from off campus you have to set up the proxy server: this changes your browser settings.

• Different browsers [Firefox, Chrome, Safari...] have different instructions- they are all here.
• You can set it up on multiple devices
• You log in with your CalNet ID
• There's an alternative: the VPN