Japanese: Search and Display Hints

Japanese language records in the Library of Congress Online Catalog are cataloged using a romanized script (see ALA-LC Romanization Tables). However, in a subset of these records, some information is also provided in Japanese script (e.g., names, titles, publishers, etc.).

In order to display records and view the non-Roman scripts (like Japanese), please see help on Displaying Non-Roman Characters in the Online Catalog.

CJK Compatibility Database

Use the CJK Compatibility Database to quickly and conveniently replace non-MARC21 characters with MARC21 equivalents, or a missing character symbol.
- Link to the CJK Compatibility database
- More about the CJK Compatibility database

Searching in Japanese

There are two ways to search the records in Japanese:

• enter search words using romanized characters
• enter search words Japanese characters

In order to enter Japanese characters, you will need to use the appropriate Input Method Editors (IME). (view more help on installing and using IMEs) *

No matter which method of searching you use, the resulting records will display the romanized script along with the Japanese character portions of the record (as long as both are present in the record).

Tips for searching Japanese using romanized script:

1. Use the modified Hepburn system** employed in Kenkyusha’s New Japanese-English Dictionary (3rd and later editions) as reference for romanization rules. In addition, please follow these rules for entering the search:
   • Long vowels
     Ignore long vowels in romanization when entering the search term
     - Enter "Osaka" not "Ōsaka" for 大阪
     - Enter "Oe Kanzaburo" not "Ōe Kanzaburo" for 大江健三郎
   • Syllabic nasals
     Use "n" not "m" preceding "b", "m", and "p"
     - Enter "shinbun" not "shimbun" for 新聞
     - Enter "shinmai" not "shimmai" for 新米
     - Enter "ranpu" not "rampu" for ランプ
   • Double consonants
     Make sure you use all double consonants in searches
     - Enter "kokkai" for 国会
     - Enter "jittai" for 実態
   • Before "chi" (チ), "cha" (チャ), "chu" (チュ), "cho" (チョ), use "t"
     - Enter "itchi" for 一致
     - Enter "hatchu" for 発注

   For more details about the Japanese romanization system employed by the Library of Congress, see ALA-LC Romanization Tables at http://www.loc.gov/catdir/cpso/romanization/japanese.pdf.

2. When searching using romanized script, pay special attention to word division rules:
   • Divide binary compounds following the romanization rules:
     - Enter "Nihon shakai" for 日本社会
     - Enter "Meiji Daigaku" for 明治大学
   • Divide trinary and derived compounds following the romanization rules:
     - Enter "Shakaiteki" for 社会的
     - Enter "Kyutaisei" for 旧体制
   • Divide words and particles such as "no" (の), "ga" (が), "wa" (は), "e" (へ) and "to" (　と) following the romanization rules:
     - Enter "Nihon kokka no tanjo to rekishi" for 日本国家の誕生と歴史
     - Enter "Kofuku e no michi" for 幸福への道
   • Divide family and first names.
     - Enter "Kawabata Yasunari" for 川端康成
     - Enter "Mishima Yukio" for 三島由紀夫
     

Tips for searching Japanese using non-Roman characters:

1. Enter search words without any divisions, AND with divisions following the romanization rules (see below for examples). Consequently, searching by romanization may be faster and more efficient.
   • Search binary compounds as a single unit, AND divide the compounds following the romanization rules.
     - Nihon shakai = 日本社会 and 日本_社会
     - Meiji Daigaku = 明治大学 and 明治_大学
   • Search trinary and derived compounds as a single unit, AND divide the compounds following the romanization rules.
     - Shakaiteki = 社会的 and 社会_的
     - Kyutaisei = 旧体制 and 旧_体制
   • Search words and particles such as "no" の, "ga" が, "wa" は, "e" へ and "to" と together, AND divide the words and particles following the romanization rules.
     - Nihon kokka no tanjo to rekishi = 日本国家の誕生と歴史
     and 日本_国家_の_誕生_と_歴史
     - Kofuku e no michi = 幸福への道 and 幸福_へ_の_道
   • Search family and first names together, AND divide family and first names.
     Kawabata Yasunari = 川端康成 and 川端_康成
     Mishima Yukio = 三島由紀夫 and 三島_由紀夫

Notes:

* When using the IME for Japanese, set the Input Mode to"Hiragana" (do not use other modes, such as "Direct Input" (English)).

1) Type phrase by phrase in romanized Japanese. It then appears in Hiragana.

2) By pressing the space bar, Hiragana changes into the first option for characters set by IME.

3) Press the space bar again for more options: more choices for that syllable pronunciation will appear in a window.

4) Once you press the "enter" key, you confirm your choices, and the underline disappears.

** See Japanese Romanization Table of Modified Hepburn System.

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