Universal Database

Universal databases, such as the ones listed to the right, are database within which you can discover different kinds of resources. They offer references to a huge amount of materials. Thus, when searching universal databases, you should design your search effectively. For this purpose, consulting a search navigator is useful.

  • Europeana. «Europeana Collections». Accessed Jan. 28, 2020. https://www.europeana.eu/portal/en Europeana Collections offers a search for different types of digital resources. You find also many digitized Japanese maps.
  • «ColBase». Accessed Jan. 20, 2020. https://colbase.nich.go.jp/ You can search collections of 4 national museums in Japan - Tokyo National Museum, Kyoto National Museum, Nara National Museum, and Kyushu National Museum. There are also digitized japanese old maps.  
  • 国立歴史民俗博物館 (National Museum of Japanese History). «khirin». Accessed Jan. 20, 2020. https://khirin-ld.rekihaku.ac.jp/ Khirin (Knowledgebase of Historical Resources in Institutes) is a database in which one can find many materials and documents for historical studies. It includes also digitized documents and maps. 
  • 国立国会図書館 (National Diet Library). «Japan Search Beta». Accessed Jan. 20, 2020. https://jpsearch.go.jp/ Japan Search's concept is based on the Europeana - a digital plattform of the museum collections from all over Europe. Japan Search intends to be such a plattform for digital images from japanese museums and other institutions.  
  • 国立国会図書館 (National Diet Library). «国立国会図書館デジタルコレクション». Accessed May 31, 2019. https://dl.ndl.go.jp/ National Diet Library Japan (NDL) digitizes its collection and publishes it online. There are many materials whose copyright is expired. In this digital collection, the NDL offers an easy use for these materials.   
  • 国立公文書館 (National Archives of Japan). «国立公文書館 デジタルアーカイブ”. Accessed May 31, 2019. https://www.digital.archives.go.jp/ National Archives of Japan offers its digitized collection in this digital archive. There are several maps like «ezu» or «castle map».