• Who can use JIS services?
• What questions does JIS answer?
• How can I ask questions?
• Interlibrary Loan/Document Delivery from Japan
• JIS Reference Collection
• Electronic Resources
• Useful Internet Resources

 Who can use JIS services

The services are not limited to the University of Pittsburgh community. They are available to anyone who needs information regarding Japan. However, the priority is given to students, faculty and staff of the University of Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh community at large.

Upon receipt of the request for information, the staff  first looks for the information using the sources available in the University Library System. The staff also conducts searches in several databases as well as other electonic resources. Finally, if the information is not readily available at the University, then a request for information is sent elsewhere. In some cases, we receive the actual text of the requested information. However, some of the information is only available in Japanese. The JIS' service does not include translation services.

For example, we could answer these kinds of questions:

• Where can I find a haiku that depicts the joyfulness of drawing

the picture of flowers ?

• What is the population of Iwate prefecture, according to the last census? 
• What is the statistics on inter-racial marriages in Japan from post-war era until present?
• How and where can I obtain Nikkei editorials of August 15 from 1946 to 1981?

Just come in and ask your question. We are always available during office hours. You can also ask questions by email, telephone, and online request form at our website.

The JIS does not offer translation services, but we can introduce translation services in Pittsburgh community.

Interlibrary Loan/Document Delivery from Japan

The University Library System of the University of Pittsburgh (ULS) participates in the Global Interlibrary Loan Framework (GIF), a mechanism for interlibrary loan and document delivery between Japan and the United States. In addition, the ULS is also able to obtain books and journal articles from the National Diet Library in Japan. Pitt-affiliated users are always welcome to check with us for verifying citation, holding information, and holding libraries in Japan before they put in the ILL requests. The JIS can also help patrons initiate the ILL requests.

The JIS makes extensive use of the Japanese reference collection, such as:

• EHS Law Bulletin Series
• Directories of organizations, corporations, and research institutions, as well as directories of special corporations affiliated with certain Japanese ministries
• Dictionaries including  Ko jien, Gogen jiten, Japanese- English character dictionary, dialect dictionary as well as many subject dictionaries
• Almanacs such as  Kotsu nenkan, Nihon handotai nenkan
• Statistical yearbooks
• Biographic dictionaries
• White papers
• Books of Japanese paintings              

Nikkei Telecom 21

Nikkei Telecom 21 consists of the Nikkei Corporate Profiles, The Nikkei Who's Who, various business and economic information, and the full text database of the four Nikkei Newspapers: The Nihon Keizai Shimbun, The Nikkei Business Daily, The Nikkei Financial Daily and The Nikkei Marketing Journal.

Kikuzo II Bijuar for Libraries

Kikuzo II Bijuaru is a full text database of Asahi Shinbun from 1945 to present.  This database also includes Shukan Asahi (from April 2000 to present), AERA (from May 1988, inaugural issue to present), Chiezo (latest issue) and Asahi Shinbun Jinbutsu (Who’s who) Database.

Kodansha Encyclopedia of Japan

This encyclopedia has articles about the country of Japan divided into these topic areas:

• Japan's Natural Setting
• History of Japanese Society
• Science and Technology
• Culture
• Daily Life 

JapanKnowledge

A portal to Japanese encyclopedias, dictionaries and databases.

Bibliography of Asian Studies (BAS) Online (English)

Provides citations to western-language periodical articles, individually authored monographs, chapters in edited volumes, conference proceedings, anthologies, and Festschriften, etc.

To help you locate Japanese information on the web, we have been collecting useful web sites, evaluating them, and linking them to our web site. Just take a look at it. You may find information necessary for your research. Please click here.