Encyclopedias and Dictionaries
Here is a short list of general encyclopedias and dictionaries useful in historical research on Japan:
- Concise dictionary of modern Japanese history / compiled by Janet Hunter.
- JapanKnowledgeProvides 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, Encyclopedia of Japan, etc.) and 東洋文庫
- Kodansha Encyclopedia of Japan OnlineJapanese art, culture, and history covering from Paleolithic to the present. UCLA contract allows two concurrent users.
- Kokushi daijiten 國史大辭典 / 国史大辞典編集委員会編Print and online (via JapanKnowledge)
Location: EAL Ref. ; Call Number: DS833 .K64 - Nihon kinseishi kenkyū jiten 日本近世史研究事典 / 村上直...[et al.]編Location: EAL Ref. ; Call Number: DS871 .N535 1989
- Nihon shi kenkyūsha jiten 日本史硏究者辞典 / 日本歴史学会編Location: EAL Ref. ; Call Number: DS834.8 .N56 1999
- Zusetsu Edo kōkogaku kenkyū jiten 図說江戶考古学硏究事典 / 江戶遺跡硏究会編Location: EAL Ref. ; Call Number: DS815 .Z86 2001
Specialized Historical Dictionaries
Here is a short list of specialized historical dictionaries:
- Edo Bakufu hatamoto jinmei jiten 江戶幕府旗本人名事典 / 石井良助監修, 小川恭一編著Location: EAL Ref. ; Call Number: HT653.J3 O35 1989
- Edo bakuhan daimyōke jiten 江戶幕藩大名家事典 / 小川恭一編著Location: EAL Ref. ; Call Number: DS871 .O34 1992
- Edo hanpon kaidoku daijiten 江戶版本解読大字典 / 監修 根岸茂夫Location: EAL Ref. ; Call Number: Z186.J3 .E36 2000
- Edogaku jiten 江戶學亊典 / 編集委員 西山松之助 ... [et al.]Location: EAL Ref. ; Call Number: DS822.2 .E39 1984
- Edogo jiten 江戶語辞典 / 大久保忠国, 木下和子編Location: EAL Ref. ; Call Number: PL525.5 .O38 1991
- Hanshi daijiten 藩史大事典 / [編者 木村礎, 藤野保, 村上直]Location: EAL Ref. ; Call Number: DS871.5 .H36 1988
- Kansei chōshū shokafu 寬政重修諸家譜 / [林述斎 ... et al. 編纂]Location: EAL Ref. ; Call Number: CS1304 .K16 1964
- Komonjo yōji yōgo daijiten 古文書用字用語大事典 / 池田正一郎Location: EAL Ref. ; Call Number: CD40 .I26 1995
- Kuzushiji yōrei jiten くずし字用例辞典 / 児玉幸多編Location: EAL Ref. ; Call Number: PL528 .K69
- Meiji Ishin jinmei jiten 明治維新人名辞典 / 日本歴史学会編Location: EAL Ref. ; Call Number: DS881.5.A1 M43
- Nihon rekijitsu sōran 日本曆日総覽Multiple call numbers.
- Nihon rekishi chimei taikei 日本歴史地名大系 / [編集平凡社地方資料センター]Location: EAL Ref. ; Call Number: DS805 .N5367
- Sanbyakuhan hanshu jinmei jiten 三百藩藩主人名事典 / [編者藩主人名事典編纂委員会]Location: EAL Ref. ; Call Number: DS871.75 .S26 1986
- Sanbyakuhan kashin jinmei jiten 三百藩家臣人名事典 / 家臣人名事典編纂委員会編Location: EAL Ref. ; Call Number: DS871.75 .S27 1987
- Seishi kakei daijiten 姓氏家系大辭典 / 太田亮 ; 監修 上田萬年, 三上參次Location: EAL Ref. ; Call Number: CS3000 .O86 1963
- Yūshoku kojitsu daijiten 有職故実大辞典 / 鈴木敬三編Location: EAL Ref. ; Call Number: GT1560 .Y86 1995
Images/Historical Photographs
- Historical Photo Archive for the Period between the 1930s and 1945 (歴史写真アーカイブ) via Asahi Kikuzo II VisualProvides access to 10,000 pieces of historical photos of the period between the 1930s and 1945 held by Asahi Shinbunsha
- Images of Okinawa after World War IIProvides over 250 images digitized from the Kupfer Slide Collection (University of Hawaii at Manoa Library) donated in July 2010 and the US Civil Administration of the Ryukyu Islands (USCAR) photos, which were part of Dr. Douglas Haring's personal materials
- Japan Air Raids.org 日本空襲デジタルアーカイブThis bilingual historical archive dedicated to the international dissemination of information about the World War II air raids against Japan was created by Cary Karacas and Bret Fisk
- Japanese Old Photographs in Bakumatsu-Meiji PeriodProvides ca. 7,000 images pf Japan from the photograph collection of the Nagasaki University Library
- Kiroku Eiga Hozon Sentā 記録映画保存センターMore than 10,000 historical documentary films have been preserved and a database is provided
- Mainichi Photo Bank 毎日フォトバンクThe digital photographic archive provided by Mainishi Shinbunsha offers access to ca. 330,000 images since 1850s
Overviews
- Iwanami kōza Nihon tsūshi 岩波講座日本通史 / 編集委員 朝尾直弘...[et al.]Location: EAL ; Call Number: DS835 .I895 1993
- Japanese War Crimes / The National Archivesthe reference book Researching Japanese War Crimes Records: Introductory Essays and an electronic records finding aid for locating and using files related to the war in the Pacific; created by the Nazi War Crimes and Japanese Imperial Government Records Interagency Working Group
- Nihon no kinsei 日本の近世Cataloged separately; search individual titles.
- Nihon no rekishi : shūkan asahi hyakka 日本の歴史 : 週刊朝日百科 / [責任編集 小尾信弥, 河合雅雄]Location: EAL ; Call Number: DS806 .N426 1986
- Nihon no rekishi 日本の歴史 (Kōdansha)Cataloged separately; search individual titles.
- Nihon rekishi taikei 日本歴史大系 / 井上光貞 ... [et al.] 編Location: EAL ; Call Number: DS835 .N55456 1984
- Shin taikei Nihon shi 新体系日本史Cataloged separately; search individual titles.
Bibliographies
- An introductory bibliography for Japanese studiesPrint Only
availability - Chihōshi Kenkyū Zasshi Dētabēsu 地方史研究雑誌データベースA list of journals on Japanese local history research and their contact information, provided by Iwata Shoten
- Edo Bakufu kankōbutsu 江戶幕府刊行物 / 福井保著Location: EAL Ref. ; Call Number: Z3305 .F84 1985
- Japanese history & culture from ancient to modern times : seven basic bibliographies / John W. DowerLocation: SRLF ; Call Number: Z3306 .D69 1986
- Japanese War Crimes / The National Archivesthe reference book Researching Japanese War Crimes Records: Introductory Essays and an electronic records finding aid for locating and using files related to the war in the Pacific; created by the Nazi War Crimes and Japanese Imperial Government Records Interagency Working Group
- Kyushu Daigaku Kiroku Shiryokan Kyushu Bunkashi Shiryo Bumon Shozo Shiryo Mokuroku Detabesu 九州大学記録資料館九州文化史資料部門所蔵史料目録データベースProvides access to local historical records of western Japan, mainly Kyushu, preserved and provided by Kyushu University Manuscript Library Historical Records Section.
- Nihon kin-gendai shiryō kaisetsu 日本近現代史料解說 / 佐治芳雄編Location: EAL Ref. ; Call Number: Z3308.A4 S27 1983
- Nihon kin-gendaishi bunken kaidai 日本近現代史文献解題 / 佐治芳雄編Location: EAL Ref. ; Call Number: Z3306 .S24
- Shiseki kaidai jiten 史籍解題事典 / 竹內理三, 滝沢武雄編Location: EAL Ref. ; Call Number: Z3306 .T34
- Toyogaku Bunken Ruimoku Kensaku 東洋学文献類目検索Searches research and academic paper on East Asian studies, especially Chinese study. Database has three versons; version 5.2α for 1934-1980, version 6.10 for 1981-2000, and version 7.0 for 2001-present. Provided by Kyoto University Center for Informatics in East Asian Studies.
Historical Analysis in Western Langagues
To locate full-text article in print or online format (including those in JSTOR and other journal archive we have access to) or type in the citation into Citation Linker, click on UC-eLinks icon unless noted otherwise.
- Historical Abstracts This link opens in a new window
This link opens in a new window
Index and abstracts for articles on the history of the world from 1450 to the present (excluding the United States and Canada, which are covered in America: History and Life) published since 1955.
- Bibliography of Asian Studies (BAS) This link opens in a new window
- This link opens in a new window
This index covers scholarly sources in all subject areas on countries in Asia. The search option may not be very useful. You may need to use Browse the BAS by Country-Subject to locate the exact subject headings to find the sources you need. In place of UC-eLinks, you need to click on the "Find it @ Library Icon" to get access to UC-eLinks. - FRANCIS This link opens in a new window
- This link opens in a new window
An index to European journal articles in the humanities and social sciences. Multiple languages, 1972 to 2015. FRANCIS is no longer being updated. - Periodicals Archive Online (PAO) This link opens in a new window
- This link opens in a new window
Full text access to international, scholarly literature in the arts, humanities and social sciences journals from the first issue to 2005 or ceased date that indexed are in the Periodicals Index Online. This is a static collection, and there may be some missing issues/gaps for specific titles.
- JSTOR This link opens in a new window
- This link opens in a new window
Full text of core scholarly journals from their beginning to approximately five years ago. Disciplines include botany, business, ecology, general science, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, statistics. Browsable by discipline and full-text searchable across all disciplines. UCLA has access to selected JSTOR e-books.
Texts and Translations
- Gunsho ruijū 群書類從Sequel editions 續群書類從, 續々群書類從, etc., and annotation volumes 群書解題, 新校群書類従解題集 also available.
Location: EAL ; Call Number: AC145 .G85 1928 - Index TranslationumA database of translations maintained by UNESCO
- Japan Center for Asian Historical Records, National Archives of Japan (JACAR) = 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
- Japanese Historical Texts InitiativeCovers texts from ancient chronicles, ancient gazetteers, ancient religio-civil codes, medieval stories, medieval and early-modern interpretive histories, etc. Provided by UC Berkeley.
- Kindai Ajia no Naka no Nihon 近現代アジアの中の日本A union catalog of Japanese publications published in Asia under the Japanese colonial authorities before 1945; the database which also includes some digital images is provided by the Institute of Developing Economies, Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO).
- Kindai Dejitaru Raiburarī 近代デジタルライブラリーFull-text works published during the Meiji period and owned by the National Diet Library
- National Archives of Japan Digital Archive 国立公文書館デジタルアーカイブDigital Archive provides access to the descriptions and digitized images of the historical records preserved by the National Archives of Japan
- Nihon Kotenseki Sōgō Mokuroku 日本古典籍総合目録A union catalog of Japanese old and rare books originally produced before 1868; includes 『国書総目録』 and 『古典籍総合目録』 and more.
- Nihon sengoshi shiryō 日本戦後史資料 / 塩田庄兵衛, 長谷川正安, 藤原彰編A compilation of major historical documents from 五箇条の誓文 (April 6, 1868) to 原爆被爆者援護法(抄) (Dec. 16, 1994)
Location: EAL ; Call Number: DS889.15 .N485 1995 - Nihon shisō taikei 日本思想大系Cataloged separately; search individual titles.
- Premodern Japanese Texts and TranslationsBibliography of translations and reviews of the literary works up to about 1600; includes works written in kanbun and Chinese
- Shinshaku kanbun taikei 新釈漢文大系 / 內田泉之助[et al.]編Location: SRLF ; Call Number: 9100 K13
- Tōkyō Daigaku Shiryō Hensanjo dētābēsu 東京大学史料編纂所データベースDatabases including the index to 大日本史料; full-text of 大日本古文書, 大日本古記錄, and 平安遺文, the Online Glossary of Japanese Historical Terms, etc.
- Tōyō Bunko 東洋文庫Digitized version of the Heibonsha series ''Tōyō bunko'' in PDF format available via JapanKnowledge
- Zōho shiryō taisei 増補史料大成 / 増補史料大成刋行会編Print Only; a sequel ed. was published in 1989 and is available at DS803.S58 1967
Location: EAL ; Call Number: DS803 .S57 1980 - Kokuritsu Rekishi Minzoku Hakubutsukan Dētabēsu 国立歴史民族博物館データベースThe National Museum of Japanese History provides many databases related to their holdings, texts, and other research results in Japanese history