For Japanese Studies

• Japanese page

The National Diet Library (NDL) provides services in support of Japanese studies worldwide. This page provides an introduction to NDL services available to those living outside Japan as well as practical information in English for Japanese studies librarians.

• Remote services (copying service, ILL, reference)
• Digitized Contents Transmission Service for Libraries (For Librarians)
• Search Guide
• Japan Search
• Bibliographic Data
• Training for Japanese Studies Librarians Outside of Japan
• News on International Cooperation
• National Diet Library Newsletter
• X (＠NDLJP_en)
• Kaleidoscope of Books (Digital Exhibitions)
• Reports on Japanese Studies Support Program
• Contact Us

Registered users are able to enjoy a variety of remote user services, including online copying requests, reading services, and reference services through your nearest library. For further information, please visit the following websites. Please remember, registration is required to use remote services.

• Photoduplication Service
• Loan Service (member libraries only)
  Requests can be made from member libraries participating in the NDL interlibrary loan service. Borrowed materials are available for browsing only on the premises at the member library.
• Reference Service
  For those living outside Japan. Residents of Japan should click refer to the following page: Reference Service (Japanese).
• List of Online Services
  The list includes NDL Search, digital images of the NDL collections, information on the Diet, etc.

The Digitized Contents Transmission Service for Libraries (the Service) is provided by the National Diet Library, Japan (NDL) as a means of making digitized versions of out-of-print or otherwise difficult-to-obtain materials available to the general public at libraries that subscribe to the Service.

• Digitized Contents Transmission Service for Libraries (For Librarians)

Research Navi provides access to useful material, websites, databases, and information on related institutions by subject or collection.

• Research Navi

Japan Search links digital archives in the publications, cultural properties, and media arts fields and organizes metadata of varying of contents preserved by Japanese institutions and organizations into a searchable "national, integrated and cross-sectoral portal website".

• Japan Search
• How to Use Japan Search - Basic Search (introduction movie)
• How to Use Japan Search - My Note (introduction movie)

• How to Get Bibliographic Data
• Bibliographic Data of Books on Japan in Foreign Languages
• List of books on Japan published in Asia (2015-2020)
• Current Digitization of Official Publications in Japan

• Remote Training Programs
• Training Program for Librarians and Researchers on Japanese Studies

Information on participation by NDL staff members in international conferences, their presentations, and other information are available.

• News on International Cooperation

A bimonthly newsletter which carries general information and reports on NDL activities. It also includes articles helpful to Japanese studies, such as explanations on library materials and the collections.

• National Diet Library Newsletter

Be sure to watch our newsfeed for the latest information in English on collections and events at the NDL on https://twitter.com/NDLJP_en.

Kaleidoscope of Books digital exhibitions feature articles on a variety of topics and serve as an invitation to visit the world of the National Diet Library (NDL)'s collections.

• Kaleidoscope of Books

• "New Developments in Digital Services at the National Diet Library: OCR Text and Machine Learning" (CEAL 2024 Presentation file, AOIKE Toru) (PDF: 2.39MB)
• "New Digital Exhibitions at the National Diet Library: Utilizing Public Domain Materials" (EAJRS 2023 Presentation file, OGAWA Naru) (PDF: 1.93MB)
• "Vision 2021-2025: The “Digital Shift” at the National Diet Library, Japan" (Tools of the Trade Conference Presentation file, ONUMA Tahee) (PDF: 299KB)
• "New Features of Digital Services at the NDL" (Tools of the Trade Conference Presentation file, ONUMA Tahee) (PDF: 1.83MB)
• "NDL Ngram Viewer and Next Digital Library" (Tools of the Trade Conference Presentation file, ONUMA Tahee) (PDF: 466KB)
• "Promotion and Use of Digital Resources through Japan Search" (EAJRS 2022 Presentation file, OKUMURA Makito) (PDF: 3.03MB)
• "Developing new library services using AI (machine learning): an introduction to the Next Digital Library" (EAJRS 2021 Presentation file, ONUMA Tahee) (PDF: 1.15MB)
• "Digitization of Modern Japanese Political Materials－The characteristics of documentation in personal papers" (EAJRS 2019 Presentation file, OSHIMA Kosaku, SUZUKI Hiromune) (PDF: 3.14MB)
• "Online Resources for Japanese Studies at the National Diet Library" (JSAA 2019 Presentation file, Maiko Honda) (PDF: 2.03MB)
• "Overview of the Amended Copyright Act of Japan and Its Impact on NDL Services" (NCC 2019 Presentation file, Miyuki Tsuda and Mizue Funakoshi) (PDF: 663KB)
• "How to Search for Administrative Information in Japan" (EAJRS 2018 Presentation file, Takashi Ozawa) (PDF: 1.21MB)
• "Collecting and Making Available Materials Related to the Occupation of Japan" (CEAL 2018 Presentation file, Takahiko Narihara) (PDF: 565KB)
• "How to Search for Information on the Humanities in Japan" (EAJRS 2017 Presentation file, Yuko Murao) (PDF: 1.4MB)
• "NDL Search - future development -" (AAS 2017 Presentation file., Yasunao Kobayashi) (PDF: 722KB)
• "How to make good use of the NDL Digital Collections for Japanese Studies" (EAJRS 2016 Presentation file, Kae Morimoto) (PDF: 11.8MB)
  • How to make good use of the NDL Digital Collections for Japanese Studies (YouTube)
• "Search and Digitalization of Maps at the National Diet Library" (CEAL 2016 Presentation file, Katsuhito Furuya) (PDF: 1.95MB)
• "An Overview of ILL/DD Services of the NDL" (CEAL 2016 Presentation file, Satoshi Matsui) (PDF: 619KB)

Please also see News on International Cooperation for reports on EAJRS, CEAL, NCC, etc.

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