For Japanese Studies
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
- Webinars and Training Programs
- News on International Cooperation
- National Diet Library Newsletter
- X (＠NDLJP_en)
- Kaleidoscope of Books (Digital Exhibitions)
- Presentations at International Conferences
- Contact Us
Remote services (copying service, ILL, reference)
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
Please refer to the English page if you are accessing this site from outside Japan. Service details differ between users in Japan and those overseas. - List of Online Services
The list includes NDL Search, digital images of the NDL collections, information on the Diet, etc.
Digitized Contents Transmission Service for Libraries (For Librarians)
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.
Search Guide
Research Navi provides access to useful material, websites, databases, and information on related institutions by subject or collection.
Japan Search
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 (introduction movie)
- Japan Search My Note function (introduction movie)
Bibliographic Data
- How to Get Bibliographic Data
- Bibliographic Data of Books on Japan in Foreign Languages
- Current Digitization of Official Publications in Japan
Webinars and Training Programs
Webinars: Information Sources for Japanese Studies
These webinars are intended for librarians, researchers, and other people outside of Japan who are engaged in Japanese studies. The purpose of these webinars is to teach viewers basic skills for finding information as well as to enhance their abilities to conduct research in Japanese studies.- Webinar: Information Sources for Japanese Studies (FY2025) (This webinar has ended.)
Recordings of the webinars below are available at the NDL's official YouTube channel.
- A Guide to Studying Japanese Politics and Japanese Political History from Outside Japan
- Research on Modern Japanese Literature Using Full-Text Data
- Useful Resources for Japanese Linguistics Research and How to Use Them Effectively
- Practical Examples in the Research of Modern Japanese History Using Digital Archives
Remote Training Programs
The NDL provides video training programs on library and information science. These programs are available at the NDL's official YouTube channel.
News on International Cooperation
Information on participation by NDL staff members in international conferences, their presentations, and other information are available.
National Diet Library Newsletter
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.
X (@NDLJP_en)
Be sure to watch our newsfeed for the latest information in English on collections and events at the NDL on https://x.com/NDLJP_en.
Kaleidoscope of Books (Digital Exhibitions)
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.
Presentations at International Conferences
Presentations given by NDL employees at the European Association of Japanese Resource Specialists (EAJRS), the Council on East Asian Libraries (CEAL), the North American Coordinating Council on Japanese Library Resources (NCC), and other international conferences on Japanese studies are available.
- "Research on Ningyo joruri (Bunraku puppet theatre) Using Digital Resources" (EAJRS 2025 Presentation file, ITO Risa)
- "National Diet Library Services Providing Access to Digitized Library Materials" (NCC 2025 Presentation file, ISHIZAWA Aya, HIRASAWA Daisuke) (PDF: 1.86MB)
- "National Diet Library Services for Providing Access to Digital Data of Library Materials" (EAJRS 2024 Presentation file, MATSUZAKI Hiroki)
- "Overall Picture of Digitization and Text Conversion at the National Diet Library" (EAJRS 2024 Presentation file, INOUE Sachiko)
- "New Developments in Digital Services at the National Diet Library: OCR Text and Machine Learning" (CEAL 2024 Presentation file, AOIKE Toru) (PDF: 2.39MB)
Please see the Web Archiving Project (WARP) for presentations from before this time.
Please also see News on International Cooperation for reports on EAJRS, CEAL, NCC, etc.
Contact Us
- FAQ
Please check here before posting. - Contact Us (Inquiry Form)