Research Library
The Research Library at the Inter-University Research Institute Corporation, National Institutes for the Humanities, "National Institute for Japanese Language and Linguistics," collects and stores mainly research materials and linguistic resources concerning Japanese language studies and the Japanese language, as well as related fields such as Japanese language education, linguistics, etc.
This is the only library specialized in the Japanese language and linguistics in Japan.
The general public may use the Research Library only if they wish to use the library's collection for research or other purposes.
The main entrance to the institute is locked. Please call the person in charge at the main entrance.
- Open Monday through Friday
Hours: 9:30 to 17:00 - Closed on Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays, the summer vacation (3 days in August), the New Year holidays (December 28 - January 4), and the last Friday of each month.
The library may be temporarily closed as necessity demands. - Library Calendar
- Access
Information for Visitors - Visiting the Library
Search & Find
- NINJAL Research Library OPAC
- List of E-Journals (on-site only)
- List of E-Books (on-site only) [ Google Sheets ]
- Search on other websites
Databases
- Bibliographic Database of Japanese Language Research
- Collection of the Research Library for Study of the Japanese Language History (Japanese only)
- Academic Repository of the National Institute for Japanese Language and Linguistics (Japanese only)
- ProQuest - Linguistics and Language Behavior Abstracts [LLBA] (on-site only)
- Oxford Bibliographies (on-site only)
*Available subject : Linguistics - Oxford Research Encyclopedias (on-site only)
*Available subject : Linguistics - De Gruyter - Treasury of Linguistic Maps Online (on-site only)
- De Gruyter - Enhanced Electronic Grammars Online (on-site only)
*Available titles will have a green box with a check mark. - De Gruyter - Cognitive Linguistics Bibliography (on-site only)
- Japan Knowledge Lib (on-site only)
*This database can be accessed only ten persons at a time. - National Center for Philosophy and Social Sciences Documentation (on-site only)
Holdings Number of Items
(As of April 1, 2025)
- Books: 165,497
(in Japanese 131,534, in foreign languages 33,963) - Journals: 6,003
(in Japanese 5,463, in foreign languages 540) - E-Books: 1,666
(in Japanese 3, in foreign languages 1,663) - E-Journals: 84
(in Japanese 1, in foreign languages 83)
Special Collections
Tojo bunko (dialects), Ota bunko (dialects), Hoshina bunko (language issues), Kenbo bunko (dictionaries), Kanamozikai bunko (characters/notation), Fujimura bunko (phonology), Hayashi bunko (Japanese Linguistics), Koshimizu bunko (pedagogical studies of the Japanese Language), Nakamura bunko (Japanese Linguistics), etc.
Interlibrary Loan Services
We are members of NACSIS-ILL system of the National Institute of Informatics.
* If you are affiliated with a university, you may request a copy or a book through your university library and receive the copy or the book by mail. The procedure is different at each university. For details, contact the library at your university.
