Course:ASIA521A/2008WT1/Bibliography/Databases (Japanese)

Requires a proxy server (VPN) when accessing from off campus. Hit the ログイン button to reach the database search pages.

JapanKnowledge is a Japanese-language website offering access to digitized dictionaries, encyclopedias, and databases. The following is a brief overview of services that may be of interest to UBC Asian Studies graduate students.

OneLook : This search page is probably the most useful aspect of Japan Knowledge, in that it allows single-click searches covering a large set of dictionary and encyclopedia databases (辞事典の検索). From the same search page, the user may also conduct keyword searches for media articles (記事の検索), websites (URLの検索), and book titles (書籍の検索). Some English-language databases are included––the Encyclopedia of Japan and two English dictionaries––so searches in English may also yield helpful information.

A-Search 詳細検索 provides a slightly more advanced set of search options for the ten major databases used in OneLook searches. 学位・博士論文検索 allows searches of academic papers from six major Japanese universities (this database does not seem to be very extensive). 日本大百科全書＋ＵＲＬセレクト：分野別検索 allows browsing of encyclopedia entries by topic––this is useful for times when one wants to explore related topics rather than conduct a narrow search.

カルチャ− : Of special interest to students in Asian Studies, under the culture tab one finds Heibonsha's 東洋文庫 series as PDF files, and this database appears to be searchable at all levels, from title to keyword to full text (cool!). Another especially useful tool is 誰でも読める日本史年表(古代/中世), which can conduct keyword searches, e.g., one can input the name of an historical person, and see entries that include his or her mention. As a 誰でも読める publications, each page offers the option of turning on or off the ふりがな option, which can save time in arriving at proper readings for historical proper names (often needed for proper Romanization in our English-language papers). Students working on Edo and later periods may find some useful images, maps, and photographs in the other databases.

Additional tabs link to databases in the area of media and business information (記事・企業情報), and "library"/miscellaneous (ライブラリ). OneLook already includes searches in some of the databases featured under these tabs, such as the JK Who's Who in media and business. The 年表 in "library" provides only a very crude historical overview of meta-regions (e.g., North, East, and Southeast Asia lumped together!). Several databases seem unremarkable for research in Asian Studies.

字通 Note that JapanKnowledge acts as the portal to 字通, a very user-friendly character dictionary with many search options.

日国オンライン UBC is the online version of the authoritative, multi-volume日本国語大辞典. An advantage of the electronic version is that one can search for the occurence of a word or term in the full text––searches return all hits in the dictionary, and not just the word's own entry.

Finally, UBC currently does not subscribe to the other associated services: 日本歴史地名大系, and Web版日本近代文学館. Are either of these worth submitting for consideration?

- submitted by GI (PHD Student)