Tokyo Archives
and Research Tips
BOOK-HUNTING
1. Get a copy of Tokyo Book Map to find new and used bookstores, libraries,
and archives; you should find it near the checkout of any major bookstore.
2. The best source for used books online is Nihon no Furuhonya,
but you may find some gems at Super Genji or
on auction sites like Yahoo Auctions.
3. Shop Kinokuniya
(Shinjuku), Yaesu Book Center (east
side of Tokyo Station), and Junkudo
(Ikebukuro); they often have out-of-print books and back issues of journals.
4. Use NASCIS Webcat, a consolidated
catalog of university library holdings for books and periodicals, similar to
Eureka.
5. Tokyo Metropolitan Library in
Hiroo is a great alternative to the waits at the Diet Libe and has a
comparable collection, books come in five minutes.
6. At the National
Diet Library you can request 3 books at the same time between 9:30 and
10:30 each morning; afterwards, it's only 2 books at a time. Get there early:
less people there, and less time-consuming. Also, the user system is in flux
now as they implement new request procedures: you can save time by taking
request slips and filling them out at home after searching online.
7. Book First
is a good online bookstore.
8. You may find that Amazon UK is cheaper (once shipping to
Tokyo is included) than its US counterpart, but check Amazon Japan, too.
9. The Japan Foundation Library
has a good collection of English and European-language materials including
academic journals.
BIBLIOGRAPHIC
GUIDES
An excellent guide is International House of Japan, ed., A Guide to
Reference Books for Japanese Studies, Revised Edition (Tokyo: The International House of Japan Library, 1997),
now available online. The book divides materials by subject matter, such as
"history," and then subdivides each field (for example, general
works, prehistory, ancient, medieval, Edo, Meiji Restoration and Modern Japan,
World War II and after, local history).
Another guidebook published recently is Theodor Bestor, Patricia Steinhoff,
and Victoria Bestor, eds, Doing Fieldwork
in Japan (Honolulu: UH Press,
2003), an anthology of essays and tips by social scientists.
See online guides by Henry Smith, Kristina Troost,
and Sharon
Domier.
Trouble reading an author's name? Use Waseda's online catalog (WINE) to figure out tricky readings
(the catalog includes kana and romaji for each entry). Be sure to leave a space
between the family and given names. Waseda has a good collection of rare Meiji
materials, so its library search engine is helpful for names that are no longer
in use. Also helpful for double-checking the pronunciation of publishers. For
periodicals, if you know the year and month but need to check volume and number
(or vice-versa), WINE also includes that information for each magazine in the
Waseda collection.
JOURNAL
ARTICLES
This is the most comprehensive collection of periodicals in Tokyo, and it
is particularly well known for weekly magazines and bibliographies. See the Oya Soichi Bunko zasshi kiji sakuin
somokuroku, 13 volumes, which
should be in most research libraries. Copies at Oya Soichi Bunko are very
expensive at 130 yen per copy, so use their bibliographies to find things but
copy them elsewhere if possible.
Nichigai publishes an extensive series of bibliographies of printed books
and journal articles. The amount of material that they compile is staggering:
type Nichigai into the author field of an online catalog to get an idea. Your
home institution may have a subscription to their online services such as
Magazine Plus (good back to 1975) and Book Plus (with its valuable content
summaries). To access services of your home library from off-campus you may
need to set up a "Proxy server" or a "Virtual Private Network
(VPN)." If that's not available, look for paper copies of their materials
(which cover a longer range of time) in your library or consider a personal subscription.
NEWSPAPERS
The prewar Yomiuri is available on CD-ROM (keyword searchable) at the Tokyo
Metropolitan Library.
The Asahi is being released on CD-ROM and may be in your library.
DIET
PROCEEDINGS
Transcripts of postwar Diet proceedings are available and
searchable online.
FOREIGN
POLICY
Professor Tanaka Akihiko of the Institute of Oriental Culture at Tokyo University
has compiled several online databases of official documents relating to foreign
policy, international relations, and diplomatic history. See his The World and
Japan Database Project for descriptions of each in English.
Be sure to see Sadao Asada, Japan and
the World, 1853-1952: A Bibliographic Guide to Japanese Scholarship in Foreign
Relations, (Columbia
University Press, 1989). It devotes one chapter to archival sources, which is
indispensable for students and specialists of Japanese diplomatic/military
history.
MILITARY
HISTORY
The reading room is located in the Showakan Museum at the foot of the slope
leading up to Yasukuni Shrine (Tozai Line, Kudanshita-eki). Excellent
collection of hard-to-find wartime- and early Showa Period-related materials,
most of which were donated by private individuals (hence, many odd materials
not available elsewhere). A great feature of the collection is that it's all
listed on the Showakan's in-house card catalogue system, which searches not
only titles of books but their tables of contents as well. No fees to use the
library. No lending. Only drawback is that copies are 30 yen per page. (Use the
computer to find materials but then make copies somewhere else: the
comprehensive nature of the search engine makes it very helpful for searching
through the contents of books.) Open 10:00-5:30 except Mondays and holidays.
Located near JR Ebisu-eki. Good collection of military-related materials,
although can be difficult to sort through its holdings. The staff there is
helpful. Some materials held at the archive are still classified so you can't
see them, even though they are listed in their card catalogue. Expensive copy
service that takes a good bit of time (there is no photocopier in the archive,
they send material elsewhere to be copied.) Must sign in at front gate of
Boeicho to use the reading room. Open 9:00 to 4:30, closed weekends and
holidays.
TEXTBOOKS
AND EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS
The largest collection in Tokyo is
the Tosho
Bunko, about a ten-minute walk from JR Oji Station. Photocopying
there is virtually impossible, however, particularly with pre-1950 textbooks.
Far easier to use is the
amply-stocked library at the National Institute
for Educational Policy, about a twenty-minute walk from JR Meguro
Station. Photocopying is possible and relatively affordable. As of Febraury
2004 the library was in the midst of a major microfilming project involving a
large part of its pre-1948 textbook collection, so it is wise to call ahead
regarding the availability of sources.
SOCIAL
SCIENCES
Take the bus from Platform 2 at the south exit of Seibu Ikebukuro Line's
Kiyose-eki. A bit out of the way, but they have impressive holdings in social
science materials, especially social work periodicals (many of which aren't
found elsewhere in the Tokyo region). You can sign up for a lending card for
non-university borrowing. The staff there is very helpful. Open 9:30-8:00 most
weekdays.
MEDICINE
Keio
University Medical School Media Center
Located behind Keio University Hospital (JR Shinanomachi-eki, located
between Yotsuya and Yoyogi stations). Good collection of medical journals, both
prewar and postwar. Many of the earlier materials are located offsite, but they
will order them for you (available after 3-4 days). Requires a letter of
introduction to use the collection; Keio or Waseda affiliation will let you
make copies at an in-house rate, but other affiliates have to pay more for
copies. Weekday hours are 9:00-8:00.
THEATRE
AND FILM
The
Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum at Waseda University
Fantastic collection of original plays (just looked at a handwritten script
from 1934), as well as all the main reference materials and a helpful staff.
This is where the professional theatre critics in Tokyo do their research.
Everyone calls it "Enpaku" for short. It's just as strong in film as
it is in theatre, and has a nearly complete set of Kinema Junpo. See Waseda's online catalog to search the
collection. Open to the public 10:00-5:00 daily and until 7:00 p.m. on Tuesdays
and Fridays.
The National Film Center
(Kyobashi)
Complete collection of Kinema Junpo and the other major film serials, as well as
an eclectic set of books and ephemera you won't find other places.
The online catalog is excellent and the staff is kind and helpful. See their online catalog.
Open 10:30-6:00 Tuesday-Friday.
The ubiquitous video store also sells DVDs and videos online. Their Ebisu
branch is rumored to be the biggest one in Tokyo, but the one in Shinjuku
(across from Kinokuniya) will remain the favorite of cinephiles for its huge
collection of old videos.
Get accurate credits for almost any Japanese film, or filmographies by
director, actor, or producer. And no pop-ups!
MANGA
The
Contemporary Manga Library, Naiki Collection
It's an expensive private collection, but when you need to see 1960s Shonen Magajin, this is where to go. Costs 300 yen to enter
and 100 yen per book or magazine you want to look at, and copies are so much I
blocked them from my memory. To see anything printed before 1970 you have to
become a member, which is 6000 yen per year. Located between Waseda and
Edogawabashi and open from 12:00-7:00 on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and
weekends. You're better off in one of the "Manga Kissa" if you don't
need particularly rare materials, or else buy from specialty shops like Mandarake in Nakano or Shibuya, which
often sells complete used sets for around half the cover price.
A great online resource for all things manga is
Mangaseek.
See A Guide to
Books on Japanese Manga,
an annotated bibliography with full-page reviews of 67 books about manga, each
of which appears in both English and Japanese.
RADIO
AND TELEVISION
The collection consists of a selection of digitized radio dramas and
television programs available for listening or viewing on-site. I found a 1959
radio program not available anywhere else. Open from 10:00-5:00 Tuesday-Sunday
and located one block north of Yokohama Stadium near Kannai Station.
This new project has a selection of over 2000 items digitized from NHK
television and radio programming. Save yourself the trek out to Saitama,
though, because the entire collection is also available at the NHK Museum of
Broadcasting near Kamiyacho, with an excellent library of television and
radio materials just down the hall (which are not available at the new
facility).
CHILDREN'S
LITERATURE
The best collection of children's literature in Japan is found at the International Institute for Children's
Literature in Osaka, followed by the International
Library of Children's Literature in Tokyo (which is part of the Diet
library holdings), those collections and three other major archives strong in
the area can be searched simultaneously with their consolidated online
catalog.
STUDY
GROUPS AND CONFERENCES
Subscribe to the listserv H-JAPAN for announcements.
The German Institute for Japanese
Studies runs several study groups and a non-stop program of forums,
workshops, and conferences. Most of their public events are conducted in
English.
The Modern Japan History Workshop meets the first Friday of every month in
the International Center at Waseda University from 6:00-8:00 pm. See H-JAPAN
for announcements.
ELECTRONIC
AND ONLINE DICTIONARIES
The Jim Breen
Dictionary is the best of its kind, it makes vocabulary lists from any
length of digitized text, just copy and paste into the box and click gBegin
Translation.h It is particularly powerful when combined with Optical Character
Recognition (OCR) software which digitizes any text (books, magazines, etc.)
scanned or digitally photographed at high resolution (300 dpi is the typical
recommendation). ReadIris (Mac) and eTypist (PC) are good OCR programs.
@
Most major dictionaries are now available on CD-ROM. Try a piece of
software called Jamming if
you've got or are planning to build a collection. It lets you search all of
them all simultaneously.
DIGITAL
ARCHIVING
Some people are finding it more convenient and cheaper to collect materials
by digital photographing them than by making piles of photocopies. A good
digital camera can replace both a scanner and a copying machine. Some hints:
buy at least 3 mega-pixels and additional memory (256MB is good), and make sure
it has an "optical" zoom for close-ups. One
recommended model is the Canon IXY 400 which costs around 50,000 yen.
Digital voice-recorders are replacing tape recorders. The top of the line
Olympus DM-20 costs 26,000 yen and holds 45 hours of interviews.
Compare prices online with Kakaku.
MUSEUMS
Check out the National Museum of Japanese
History (Rekihaku) near
Narita.
The National Museum of Ethnology in Osaka (Minpaku) has a fantastic collection.
CHEAP
TRAVEL
Seishun 18 Kippu:
Allows all day travel on JR (1 day/1 ticket) on most of their trains except the
Shinkansen. Tickets are sold in packs of 5 just before the winter and spring
break school holidays and there is no age limit. The price works out to about
2,500 yen per ticket.
There are overnight buses running between most major cities, if you can
sleep at a 45-degree angle they are a great deal.
Flights: Check ANA for select specials.
Travel during the month of your birthday for 10,000 yen on JAL. Use miles banked with
international flights for free domestic travel. Check JTB website for discount specials. HIS and IACE
almost always have cheap fares (both domestic and international).
HOUSING
International
House (Roppongi): Reasonable hotel rates for members.
Asia Center (Akasaka): No
membership required, good rates, and internet access in the rooms. Reserve
online.
Weekly Mansion Tokyo or Weekly Mansion Dot Com: The
furnished apartment market has been largely consolidated and often rent for
around 150,000 yen/month, but some include internet. No guarantor required, no
key money, and low deposits. Good choice if you can't commit to a full-year
contract or don't want to spend time buying furniture and appliances.
Japan Today Classifieds:
Formerly Metropolis (which used to be Tokyo Classifieds), this is the main
source for apartment shares, sayonara sales, as well as ads for cheap,
dorm-style guesthouses (Sakura House
and Apple House
are popular) and other foreigner-targeted options.
Japan Reference
includes a guide to housing options.
Special thanks to Lee
Pennington, Emer O'Dwyer, Kerim Yasar,
Eric Dinmore, Allison
Alexy, and Peter Mauch
Compiled by Steve
Clark