Japan

See also:

Japan and Korea subject guide

SOAS Databases

• CiNii [サイニィ] = NII論文情報ナビゲータ
  The database provides bibliographical citations (including 4 million full-texts) of Japanese scholarly journals published in Japan.
  [ On-campus use ] / [ Off-campus use ]
• Zassaku Plus = 雑誌記事索引集成データベース
  Index database for Japanese magazine and periodicals from the Meiji Era to the Present.
  [ On-campus use ] / [ Off-campus use ]
• Gunsho Ruiju 群書類従
  A collection of Japanese literary classics and historical records dating from the late 9th Century to the beginning of the Edo period. Subjects include art, geography, history, law, literature, music, politics, religions, and sociology.
  [ On-campus use ] / [ Off-campus use ]
  
  

Newsppaer Archives available in SOAS

• Kikuzo II Visual (Asahi Shimbun, 1879 to present)
  Containing the national edition and location editions. Three weekly magazines, Aera, Asahi Gurafu, and Shukan Asahi and an annual new-word dictionary Chiezo, Who’s who Database, and Historical Photo Archive are also available.
  On-campus use / Off-campus use
• Yomidasu Rekishikan (Yomiuri Shimbun, 1874 to present. Recent years full-text searchable)
  Includes the English edition, The Daily Yomiuri.
  On-campus use / Off-campus use
• Maisaku 毎索 (Mainichi Shinbun - The oldest Japanese newspaper covering 1872 to present).
  The Mainichi (English newspaper archives covering June 2008 to present)
  On-campus use / Off-campus use
• The Japan Times Archives
  An archive database of The Japan Times from March 1897 to December 2016.
  On-campus use / Off-campus use

Freely Available Ebook

• Aozora bunko
  Freely available open source books in Japanese. Over 1,000 books can be found on Arts subjects .

General Resources on Japanese Arts

• Digital Archives on Tobunken
  Compiled by Tokyo Research Institute for Cultural Properties provides a range of databases on Japanese Arts.
• English Resource Guide for Japanese Studies and Humanities in Japan
  Compiled by NIHU (National Institutes for the Humanities), this resource guide provides a collection of links to useful English websites and resources pertaining to Japanese Arts and Crafts
• e-Museum
  The site provides images of national treasures and important cultural properties owned by 4 national museums. Descriptions can be provided in multiple languages
• Database of National Important Cultural Properties
  The database of Nationally designated cultural assets, provided by Agency for Cultural Affairs.
• Tokyo Digital Museum
  A collection index site of “Edo-Tokyo Museum”, “Tokyo Photographic Art Museum”, “Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo” and “Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum”
• Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties Database
  A collection of various databases, compiled by Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties. Small number of English databases are included.
• Art Research Center, Ritsumeikan University
  The list of searchable databases of various resources about Japanese Arts and Cultures that are held in Art Research Center at Ritsumeikan University.
• JADS database
  Japan Art Documentation Society’s reference database which has over 1500 reference sources.
• International Research Center for Japanese Studies
  Nichbunken (International Research Center for Japanese Studies) offers various useful databases and publications which open for public.
• Ukiyo-e Search
  A database of Japanese woodblock print images and metadata aggregated from a variety of museums, universities, libraries, auction houses, and dealers around the world.
• Searching for Ukiyo-e Illustration
  National Diet Library introduce various tools to search for ukiyo-e illustrations by artist and other criteria
• JAANUS: Japanese Architecture and Art Net Users System
  An on-line Dictionary of Japanese Architectural and Art Historical Terminology compiled by Dr. Mary N. Parent. It contains approximately 8000 terms related to traditional Japanese architecture and gardens, painting, sculpture and art-historical iconography from approximately the 1st century A.D. to the end of the Edo period (1868).
• The Japanese Garden Database
  A well-designed site, including links, images, tools, books, glossary, organisations and forum related to Japanese garden.
• Viewing Japanese Prints
  Comprehensive exploration of the history and technique of Japanese prints and printmaking, the work of famous printmakers, and images. Excellent FAQs.
• Ukiyoe: the Pictures of the Floating World
  Online exhibition, arranged by artists, categories, artists' signature, guide to the Ukiyoe sites of the internet.

Useful Online Public Access Catalogue

• Art Library Cross Search OPAC
  Art Libraries' Consortium consists of major libraries in museums and galleries in Japan. Users can crosssearch books, periodicals and exhibition catalogues held in 11 major art libraries in Japan.
• NDL Search
  National Diet Library provides an integrated search service of catalogues and digital archives including libraries, archives, museums, academic institutes in Japan in addition to the National Diet Library.
• CiNii Books
  A service that enables searching of information on books that are held in university libraries in Japan.
• Aichi Arts Center Art Library
  OPAC of a comprehensive collection related to the arts, held by Aich Arts Center Art Library
• Tokyo Metropolitan Library OPAC
  Cross-searching of books, articles and images held in the Tokyo Metropolitan Library and several other libraries

Online guide about Japanese galleries and Museums

• National Institutes for Cultural Heritage
  This database allows users to search the collections of the four National Museums of the National Institutes for Cultural Heritage.
• Independent Administrative Institution National Museum Of Art
  It is a link to an independent administrative Institution to operate and manage the 5 national art museums in Japan.
• Cultural Heritage Online
  Managed by the Agency for Cultural Heritage, it is an online portal site to search for national treasures and important cultural properties.
• Museum Café
  The site provide information on museum event exhibitions nationwide.
  
• Internet Museum
  The site provides information of over 7,900 museums in Japan.

Online Information on Japanese Artists

• Japanese Artists at TOBUNKEN Research Collections
  English site to search for information on artists and people in the arts sector.
• Obituaries at TOBUNKEN Research Collections
  The database covers obituaries in the Japanese Art Yearbook which is published by Tokyo Institute of Cultural Properties. (2,817 entries)
• Japanese name information index database
  National Diet Library offers a database to search for personal names and information from Japanese books and magazines.
• Shibunkaku
  The Database provides over 9,700 artist biographies in Japan.
• Japan Kogei Association
  You can search for the main works of human national treasures who hold titles of important intangible cultural assets in the traditional Japanese craft.
• Artis Japan
  The site provides information about 49,789 Artists in Japan, China, Korean, Europe and America.
• Jinmei Jiden
  The web-based biographic dictionary of artists, musician and authors from 17th -20th Century.
• Modern Japanese artists - 現代日本の画家
  An illustrated online biographical dictionary of modern Japanese artists and painters

Information about Exhibitions

• Art Commons
  The National Art Center, Tokyo offers up-to-date information about current exhibition in nationwide.
• Artscape
  Providing exhibition schedules in Japan.
• Tokyo Art Beat
• Art exhibitions database at Tobunken
  The database offers information on Modern and Contemporary art exhibitions held in Japan between 1935 and 2013.
  
• Hakurankai Shiryo Collection
  Searchable database for information on Art Expos that were held from Meiji period to present. The site contains official records, posters, tickets and official goods over 10,000 materials on Art expo held in Japan and abroad

Digital Image Archives

• Tokyo National Museum Image Search
• National Archives of Japan Digital Archives
• Buddhist Art Library at Nara National Museum
• Historical Institute The University of Tokyo
• Tokyo Archive
• Kyoto University Digital Library Rare Materials Exhibition
• National Diet Library Digital Collections
• Tsubouchi Meorial Theatre Museum Digital Archives Collections 3D database

Art Centres in Japan

• Kyoto Seika Unuiversity International Manga Research Center (IMRC)
• Keio University Art Center
• Art Research Center, Ritsumeikan University
• Center for Contemporary Art, CCA Kitakyushu
• Independent Administrative Institution National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo (Tobunken)
• Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (Nabunken)
• International Research Center for Japanese Studies (Nichibunken)

Art Organisations & societies

• List of Artist Group in Japan
• Japan Art Documentation Society (JADS)
• Japan Art History Society
• International Ukiyo-e Society
• The Japanese Society for Aesthetics
• Society for the Study of Japonisme
• Soeite Franco-Japonaise d’Art et d’Archeologie
• Association for the Study of Modern Japanese Art History
• Japan Association for Arts Management
• Japan Society of Image Arts and Sciences (JASIAS)

Academic Libraries in Japan covering arts

• Tokyo University of the Arts. University Library
• Musashino Art University Museum & Library
• Tama Art University Library
• Joshibi University of Art and Design Library
• Tokyo Zokei University Library
• Kanazawa College of Art Library
• Kyoto University of Art and Design Art and Culture Information Center
• Tohoku University of Art and Design Library
• Kobe Design University Library
• Kyoto City University of Arts Library
• Tokyo Polytechinic University Library
• Aichi University of the Arts Library and Art Information Center
• Shizuoka University of Art and Culture Library and Information Center