The definitive database for finding scholarly articles on Japanese literature and related topics is the Modern Language Association International Bibliography (MLAIB) online. It indexes over 66,000 books, articles, and websites annually. Topics include literary theory and criticism, dramatic arts (film, radio, television, theatre), folklore, and the history of printing and publishing. Book reviews are not included. 

OU subscribes to the MLA International Bibliography through EBSCO, so the interface may look familiar to you. However, the database has certain unique features:

• You can search indexes such as genre, literary technique, literature topic, primary subject author, and primary subject work.
• You can build your search using the database's thesaurus. This will allow you to focus your search using MLA's descriptors (controlled vocabulary).
• It is generally better to do your searches in English, even if you want results in Japanese. For example, a search for Subject Japanese literature AND Keyword women produced over 1,100 results, of which 159 were in Japanese.
• Create a free account with EBSCO to save your research into folders, remember your searches, and be notified when new articles matching your search terms are added.

The Modern Language Association has created several tutorial videos to help you to research efficiently and effectively.

JapanKnowledge includes access to three major Japanese encyclopedias, several language dictionaries, and subject dictionaries that cover everything from literature and arts to science to religion. The interface is available in English and Japanese.

JapanKnowledge is best suited for reference purposes. Dictionaries are available in English, Japanese, and several other European and Asian languages.
 

Search Tips:

• Use the filters on the side to narrow results to the most relevant sources.

• You can click individual titles to select just one or click the section heading to select all the titles in the section simultaneously.

• Keywords are more effective than phrases, but when you use a phrase, check the "Phrase search" box to the right of the Search bar.

• View the publisher's online tutorials for more tips to make the most of the database.

What if the library does not have a journal article that you need? We can still get it for you via our interlibrary loan service. It's free! And articles often come electronically within a few days. For more information see the interlibrary loan page.

Please note that the library does not own all the journals and other materials cited in these databases. Where full text is not linked to the citation, use the OU Link to check the catalog or request the material via interlibrary loan.

Click here to access a list of e-journals to which OU subscribes related to Japanese literature, history, politics, culture, etc.

Please note that the library does not own all the journals and other materials cited in these databases. Where full text is not linked to the citation, use the OU Link to check the catalog or request the material via interlibrary loan.

Click here to access a list of e-journals to which OU subscribes related to Japanese literature, history, politics, culture, etc.

For a step-by-step explanation of how to get an article you've found in a database, see this guide.