LibGuides: Japanese Studies Reference Tools: Names & People

Name Dictionaries

Japanese Names: A Comprehensive Index by Characters and Readings
Call Number: EAC: CS3000 .O53 1972
A useful guide for making educated guesses for the readings of Japanese names.
Japanese, Chinese, and Korean surnames and how to read them : 125,947 Japanese, 594 Chinese, and 259 Korean surnames written with Kanji as they appear in Japanese texts.
Call Number: EA Ref: PL683 .H33 1998.
Rekishi jinmei yomikata jiten 歴史人名よみがた辞典
Call Number: EA Ref: DS834 .R44 1989
Historical personages to 1868. Listed by the pronunciation of the first character in the name. Romanization, year of birth/death, and other supplementary information given.
Nihon Jinmei Jiten 日本人名辞典
Call Number: EAC: DS834.8 .H3 1972
Useful for looking up people who are remembered by their given names, studio names or pseudonyms rather than surname. Also for identifying first names such as nanori (名乗), tsusho (通称), gago (雅号), and geimei (芸名). Arranged by Japanese syllabary, with a stroke index. Readings given in prewar kana orthography.
Sakka no pennemu jiten 作家のペンネーム辞典
Call Number: EA Ref: Z1087.J3 S24 1990
Covers 235 authors (novelists, poets, critics) in the literary arts. Provides biographical data, lists of major works and collections and a photograph. Arranged by author's last name.
同姓異読み人名辞典 = A Dictionary of Famous Japanese People with the Same Written Surname
Call Number: EA Ref: CS3000 .D67 1988
Contains 32,000 individuals whose family name has the same characters, but a different reading.
同名異人辞典 = Dictionary of famous Japanese people with the same written names
Call Number: EA Ref: DS834 .D664 1988 　
名前から引く人名辞典 = First Name Dictionary of Japanese Famous People
Call Number: EA Ref: CT1832 .N35 1988
Includes given name, posthumous name, stage name and pseudonym.
古代中世近世 = Ancient, medieval, modern
Call Number: EA Ref: Z1087 .J3 G622 2003
近代現代 = Early modern, contemporary
Call Number: EA Ref: Z1087 .J3 G632 2003

General Biographical Dictionaries - English

Biographical Dictionary Of Japanese Art.
Call Number: Lilly Ref: N7358 .B55 1981
Artists from the Nara period to contemporary Japan are organized by theme.
Biographical Dictionary of Japanese History
Call Number: Perkins Ref: DS834 .B56 1978
521 individuals are listed alphabetically under four historic periods.
Biographical Dictionary of Japanese Literature
Call Number: Library Service Center: PL723 .H585 1976 LSC
Contains 300 Japanese literary authors spanning ancient to modern history.
A Dictionary of Japanese Artists
Call Number: Lilly Ref: N7358 .R6 1976
Includes 3000 artists from various fields, and across all historical periods.

Specialized Biographical Dictionaries

Time Period	Title	Number Covered
650-1200	Nihon kodai jinmei jiten	1809 persons
1156-1467	Kamakura Muromachi jinmei jiten	3,500 samurai
1467-1615	Sengoku jinmei jiten	24,028 samurai
1185-1868	Daibukan	3 vols. - warrior officials
1600-1868	Edo Bakuhan Daimyōke jiten	319 daimyo
1600-1868	Nihon yōgaku jinmei jiten	1,022 scholars of the West in Japan
1853-1877	Bakumatsu ishin jinmei jiten	8,293 persons
1853-1871	Meiji ishin jinmei jiten	4,295 Japanese and foreigners
1551-1897	Umi o koeta Nihon jinmei jiten = Biographical dictionary of Japanese travelers to the Occident	1,700 Japanese travelers
1544-1942	Rainichi Seiyō jinmei jiten = Biographical dictionary of Europeans who lived in Japan	1,303 Westerners in Japan
Yayoi-1990	Chūgoku jinmei jiten. Kodai kara gendai made	9,405 Chinese who travelled to Japan
1829-1954	Kindai Nihon shakai gakusha shōden : shoshiteki kōsatsu	140 scholars
1860-1945	Nihon shakai undō jinmei jiten	1,500 activists
1868-1945	Kindai Nihon shakai undōshi jinbutsu daijiten	15,000 activists
1868-1990	Seijika jinmei jiten = Biographical dictionary of Japanese Statesmen	4,100 statesmen
1868-1989	Shimin shakai undō jinmei jiten = Biographical dictionary of Grass-roots Movements and Social Movements in Japan	4,000 persons
1868-2000	Kin-gendai Nihon josei jinmei jiten	1309 women
20th century	Nihon anakizumu undō jinmei jiten	3000 anarchists

Who's Who

General	Call Number	Holdings/Pub. Date
Jinji kōshinroku 人事興信録	DS885.5.A1 J5	1991 to present; earlier years - Nihon shinshiroku
Shintei gendai Nihon jinmeiroku 新訂現代人名録 4vols.	CT1836 .G419	1987, 1994, 1998, 2002
Shintei gendai Nihon josei jinmeimoku 新訂現代女性人名録	CT3730 .S56	2001
Contemporary Writers of Japan	Call Number	Holdings/Pub. Date
Gendai Nihon Shippitsusha Daijiten 現代日本執筆者大事典 77/82	CT1833 .G463	1984
Shin Gendai Nihon Shippitsusha Daijiten 新現代日本執筆者大事典 83/92	CT1833 .S556	1992
Businessmen	Call Number	Holdings/Pub. Date
Nikkei Kaisha Jinmeiroku 日経会社人名録	HD38.25.J3 N555	1991, 1997
Shōwa senzen zaikai jinmei daijiten, 4 v. 昭和戦前財界人名大事典	HC461.5.A2 S569 1993	1929, 1931, 1934
Government Officials	Call Number	Holdings/Pub. Date
Shokuinroku 職員録	JQ1621 .S5	1968 - present
Kokkai Benran 国会便覧	JQ1651 .K64	1973-75, 1977, 1981, 1992-present
Scholars	Call Number	Holdings/Pub. Date
Directory of Japan Specialists and Japanese Studies Institutions	DS805.15 .D57	1988, 1995, 2006
Zenkoku Daigaku Shokuinroku 全国大学職員録 2 vols.	L961.J3 Z4	1972, 1987, 1989, 1992-present
TV, Film Personalities	Call Number	Holdings/Pub. Date
Eizō media sakka jinmei jiten 映像メデｮア作家人名事典	PN1998.2 E44	1991
Nihon eiga jinmei jiten. Kantoku hen 日本映画人名事典。監督篇	PN1998.2 .N55	1997
Nihon eiga jinmei jiten. Dan'yu hen 日本映画人名事典。男優篇	PN2927 .N54	1996
Nihon eiga jinmei jiten. Joyū hen 日本映画人名事典。女優篇	PN2927 .N55	1995
Nihon geinō jinmei jiten 日本芸能人名事典	PN2927 .N54	1995
Terebi tarento jinmei jiten テレビタレント人名事典	PN2927 .T474	1992, 1999, 2001
Mange, Anime Personalities	Call Number	Holdings/Pub. Date
Mangaka, Anime sakka jinmei jiten 漫画家アニメ作家人名事典	NC1700 .M36	1997
Nippon mangaka meikan : mangaka 500-nin nodeta bukku ニッポン漫画家名鑑: 漫画家５００人のデータブック	NC1706 .N34	1994

Useful Databases

Jim Breen's WWWJDIC Japanese Dictionary Server

Kinsei Kijinden: Sei and Zoku
Digitized full text and prints of kinsei kijinden available through Nichibunken Databases.

NDL-OPAC

Kaken
Database of researchers and research topics.

Web WHO
Provides information in Japanese on living and deceased people in economics, politics, society (190,000 people); researchers, authors, journalists (150,000); the arts, entertainment and sports (100,000). Brief records include reading of name, employment/occupation, and source of data. Detailed records also include birth/death dates, birthplace, field of specialization, educational history, history of employment, prizes, address as well as sources of information on the individual and a list of materials written by the individual.

World Biographical Information System

WorldCat

General Biographical Dictionaries - Japanese

Kokusho jinmei jiten 国書人名辞典
Call Number: EAC: PL723 .K63 1993
Covers the 30,000 authors in Kokusho sōmokuroku; provides information about birth and death dates, lineage, career history, authorship.
Nihon jinmei daijiten 日本人名大事典
Call Number: EA Ref: CT1836 .N48 1979
Covers persons deceased prior to 1953; Gendai (v.7) spans 1938-1978; has cross references; standard tool. Index: Japanese names, surnames, given names and pen names; arranged in Japanese syllabary order and by stroke count; alphabetical index of foreigners. This is the standard tool, but more detailed and/or more accurate information can usually be found in historical and literary dictionaries or other sources.
Nihon josei jinmei jiten 日本女性人名辞典
Call Number: EA Ref: CT3730 .N49 1993
7000 women from ancient to modern times.
Shinchō Nihon jinmei jiten 新潮日本人名辞典
Call Number: EA Ref: CT1832 .S55 1991
Covers roughly 18,000 fictional and legendary characters from ancient times to the present.

Biographical Indexes

Jinbutsu refarensu jiten.
人物レファレンス事典
EA Ref: CT1832 .J56 1983
Indexes 37 biographical sources for 180,000 people from ancient times to the present. Provides readings of names, dates, occupation, birthplace, and dictionaries where more information can be found. Index arranged by first Chinese character of surname, by reading, radical and stroke counts.

Jinbutsu refarensu jiten: Meiji, Taishō, Shōwa senzen hen
人物レファレンス事典, 明治、大正、昭和戦前編
EA Ref: CT1836 .J58 1999
Expands the gendai volumes of the previous title. Covers 47,146 people who were active between 1868 and 1945, and provides references to 72 Biographical sources.