The University of Sheffield
The University Library

Japanese

Below is an outline checklist of the type of sources available in and from the University of Sheffield Library which you can use to locate information for your essay or dissertation. Always make a note of all the details of the references you find, i.e. author, title, publisher, place and date, and edition information. This will save you a great deal of time in the long run.

Japanese Studies Collection

Located in the Western Bank Library Reading Room (open access), or in the EAS Japanese Store on Level 2 (restricted access. Ask at the counter or EAS office for information about access). Note that extras copies of many titles can be found in the Information Commons.

Subject coverage centres on:

  • Language and literature (Meiji restoration onwards)
  • History and society (Meiji restoration onwards)
  • Economy and business (Meiji restoration onwards)
  • Government and politics (Meiji restoration onwards)
  • Religion and philosophy

Bookstock

Approx. 22,000 Japanese language & 15,000 English language items

Dictionaries

Language dictionaries at J Dict. Subject dictionaries at J Ref. NB there are also dictionaries and reference works in the Information Commons in the main sequence.

Reference

Shelved principally at J Ref. NB some basic titles are at WBL Ref in the Main Hall

Periodicals

Approx 200 Japanese language & 100 English language titles. Major English language titles and recent issues of Japanese titles are held at J Per in the Reading Room. Check StarPlus  for locations. To find journal articles use WBL reference sources, which include Zasshi Kiji Sakuin at WBL J REF 016.05 (Z) (see separate user guide EAS/JAP 2 available from the EAS office); and Current contents of academic journals in Japan at J REF 016.05 (C)

Newspapers

Recent parts of the Japan Times and Asahi Shimbun are held at J Per in the Reading Room. Back runs are held in the EASL Store (access restricted. Ask at the counter or EAS office for information about access.) Nikkei newspapers are also available online (ask at the EAS Office for access). The Japan Times, the Asahi Shimbun, and other Asahi newspapers are also available online. See the Newspapers section of:

To find books at Sheffield

It is extremely important to use the StarPlus catalogue to check locations of non-vernacular items, since material covering more than one country in East Asia is likely to be shelved in the ordinary WBL sequences.
To find items in Japanese, search the StarPlus catalogue using Hepburn Romanisation, or use the UK Japanese Union Catalogue, detailed in the table below.
The J prefix on the shelfmark indicates Japanese Studies Collection, both in English and Japanese. These are kept in the Reading Room, or in the EASL Store.

To find books in other libraries

UK Japanese Union Catalogue at Cambridge (Romanised)

Search the UK Japanese Union Catalogue at Cambridge to find books at the University of Sheffield Library and the Universities of London, Oxford, Cambridge, Stirling and the British Library. This accesses the Romanised version of the UK Japanese Union Catalogue, and therefore does not require a Japanese reader. However, it is not always completely up-to-date.

UK Japanese Union Catalogue at Cambridge (Japanese)

For display in Japanese, search the UK Japanese Union Catalogue at Cambridge, which covers holdings at the University of Sheffield Library and the Universities of London, Oxford, Cambridge, Stirling and the British Library.
For display in Japanese, you can alternatively use Telnet. Go to telnet ul.cam.ac.uk Choose option 6, then type J (which does not appear as on option on the screen). Both of these access the same database, which is in Japanese script.

The European Union Catalogue of Japanese Books (Japanese)

This gives the most up-to-date data for the UK and European libraries who are part of the project. NB At present, not all European libraries are participating in this project.

NACSIS Webcat

This is up-to-date data, containing holdings records for Japanese academic institutions, plus overseas participants including those in the UK and elsewhere in Europe. It is searchable in Romanisation and in Kanji and Kana. Records are displayed only in Japanese script.

UK Japanese Union Allegro Catalogue at Oxford

This accesses the same data as the UK Japanese Union Catalogue at Cambridge. This is the fullest and most up-to-date data for the UK publicly available.
You may be able to apply for a copy of a book or an article via the International Document Supply Service.

Journal articles

Abstracting and indexing tools (or databases) can be used to find references to journal articles, and in some cases books, on subjects relating to East Asia. Useful databases are listed from the link below.
When you find a reference to an article which interests you, check whether the Library holds the journal issue concerned by clicking on the Holdings button at the top of the page, or on the Full text button if it is displayed. If it is not available in Sheffield, you may be able to apply for a copy via the Library's InterLibrary Request service.
InterLibrary request application forms can be acquired from the EAS office, and must be countersigned by your tutor. If so approved, the EAS office will issue the necessary authorization sticker. The form with sticker attached should then be taken to the counter in the Western Bank Library. Attach a photocopy of the source of reference wherever possible, particularly if the item is in Chinese, Japanese or Korean language.

Further information

For guidance on finding information on East Asia for bibliographies and indexes; encyclopaedias, subject dictionaries and handbooks; sources of economic and business information; and dissertations and conferences, see the PDF downloads box in the top right hand corner.