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Research NavigationFind Personal Biographies

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There is a wide range of personal biographies. After determining the region, field, and era of the person you are interested in, try looking up biographies with the tools below. There is not sufficient space here to present all the personal biography tools available, so ask at the reference desk if you cannot find information on the people you are looking for.

Search Using Databases

  • Nihon Jinmei Daijiten (Japan Knowledge Plus)［Kodansha］(Library subscription database)
    The Nihon Jinmei Daijiten is the largest dictionary of Japanese biographies with more than 65,000 biographies covering personalities from the myths of the Kojiki and Nihonshoki, through the Asuka, Nara, Heian, Kamakura, Nanbokucho, Muromachi, Sengoku, Shokuho, and Edo periods to the present day. Biographies are drawn from all fields including politics, law, ideology, religion, economics, industry, science, society, education, literature, art, music, architecture, industrial arts, entertainment, and sports.
  • JK Who's Who (Japan Knowledge Plus) [Shogakukan] (Library subscription database)
    A personal biography data column. Features the most influential people in fields from politics, business, and academia to sports and entertainment and from the past to the present day.
  • Nikkei Who's Who [Nikkei Telecom 21] (Library subscription database)
    In addition to about 190,000 entries on presidents, directors, executives, and division heads from about 5,100 Japanese businesses, both listed corporations and leading unlisted companies, this index carries information on about 20,000 Diet members, prefectural assembly members, and executives from central ministries and agencies, government-related bodies, commissions, economic and industry organizations, and prefectural and municipal bodies.
  • Jinbutsu (Yomidasu Rekishi Kan) [Yomiuri Shimbun] (Library subscription database)
    Contains entries on about 22,000 key present-day people.
  • Biography Resource Center (BRC) [Gale] (Library subscription database)
    A comprehensive biography database covering nearly every field and including key historical figures as well as present-day leaders. This database allows you to search and browse biographies from all Gale Group biography references, including Contemporary Authors, Encyclopedia of World Biography, and Newsmakers. The database also contains full-text articles of biographies taken from about 300 newspapers and magazines.
  • Marquis Who's Who on the Web (Library subscription database)
    Biographies of present-day personalities. This database contains biographies on all people indexed since 1985 (about 1.4 million) in Marquis's 21 field-specific biography dictionaries. The comprehensive entries include names, birth dates, family connections, education and degrees obtained, employment histories, works, awards received, military service records, business achievements, societies joined, interests and tastes, contact addresses, and other data.
  • Oxford Dictionary of National Biography（ODNB） (Library subscription database)
    Lists biographical information on key figures in British history. Includes names and portraits (updated three times a year). The database contains the full-text entries of all 60 volumes of the 2004 printed edition. It also includes the full text of past editions (33 volumes printed between 1884 and 1996).
  • Nihon Jinmei Joho Kensaku Database (Database of Japanese Biographies)[National Diet Library] (public web site)
    This database allows you to select biographical dictionaries of Japanese people (brief personal records) or similar materials from the Japanese books and magazines owned by the National Diet Library. You can search by using keywords related to bibliographical or other content connected to the person of interest. Some materials can be searched by the person's name.
  • Directory Database of Research and Development Activities (ReaD) (public web site）
    A database service designed to promote cooperation among industry, academia and government. ReaD is the web site that collects and provides scientific information on research institutes, researchers, research subjects and research resources in Japan.


Search Using Reference Books

Dictionaries of dictionaries

Use these when you want to find what types of biographical dictionaries exist.

Biography dictionaries

  • Jinbutsu Refarensu Jiten (Reference Dictionary of Japanese Biographies)[Nichigai Associates] (book)
    Unified index of historic Japanese figures listed in leading Japanese biography dictionaries, encyclopedias, and history encyclopedias.
  • Gaikoku Jinbutsu Refarensu Jiten (Reference Dictionary of Non-Japanese Biographies) [Nichigai Associates] (book)
  • Jinmei Jiten Daijiten (Dictionary of Biographical Dictionaries) [Jinmei Joho Kenkyukai] (book)
    This work selects about 20,000 entries from previously published biographical dictionaries and directories and adds bibliographies. Field-specific editions, region-specific editions, and overseas editions are also available.
  • Jinbutsu Bunken Mokuroku (Catalog of Biographical References) [Nichigai Associates] (book)
  • Nihon Choshamei Jinmei Tenkyoroku (Reference to Japanese Author and Personality Dictionaries)[Nichigai Associates] (book)
    New and expanded edition (four volumes). Catalogs biographical references on Japanese people, including biographies, personal reviews, and author references, taken from Japanese-language books, magazines, and digests published domestically. Contains references from university and college digests, journals, industry newspapers, and privately printed books.
  • Nihon Jinbutsu Bunken Mokuroku (Japan Biographical Reference Catalog) [Heibonsha] (book)
    Contains list of books and articles from serial publication on Japanese biography issued from 1868 （early Meiji) until 1966.
  • Kokusho Jinmei Jiten (Dictionary of Classic Japanese Writers) [Iwanami Shoten] (book)
    Selects 30,000 Japanese involved in cultural activities through words from the formation of the nation until 1868. Includes brief descriptions of each. Contains all confirmed biographies of the authors and editors given in the eight-volume Kokusho Somokuroku (Index of Japanese Letters). Factual and clear entries on the birth and death, name, and personal history of each figure based on the most reliable materials and latest research, and listings of all works and major references. A comprehensively compiled biographical dictionary of people of all classes in all fields from antiquity to the end of the Edo era. The final volume includes a useful and detailed index.
  • Meibo Meikan Zenjoho (Complete List of Directories in Japan) [Nichigai Associates] (book)
    Contains a vast range of registries and directories published in Japan over the 60-year period between 1945 and 2004, including major directories and corporate handbooks, field-specific biographical dictionaries, government personnel lists, membership lists of industry groups, and registries with detailed profiles of actors and sports athletes.
  • Meibo Johogen: Nihon no Dairekutori (Japan Directory of Name Information Sources) [JMA Research Institute] (reference book)
    Contains mostly lists of materials with people's names and materials listing personal memberships as well as addresses and business locations of various organizations and businesses.
  • Chosakuken Daicho CD-ROM 2002 Edition (Copyright Register) [Japan Copyright Association] (CD-ROM)
    A useful tool for finding people in the culture industries, such as authors, that have died in the past 50 years. You can find out not only the copyrights of the person of interest but also his or her personal history and contact information.
  • Bungei Nenkan [Shinchosha] (book）
    Surveys analyzing the movement of each cultural field from various views such as literature, movies, theater, cartoon, media, and catalog information on published articles on literacy and general journals, obiturary, literary awards can be referred. It is a useful reference book as well as "Binran" which encloses roster of culturally notable persons, successor of copy right and list of literacy museums across Japan, list of magazines on novel,review, poetry, tanka, haiku.

Biographical dictionaries by country

Try using the following dictionaries if you know the nationality of the person of interest. Search by "Who's who" to find country-specific or field-specific biographical dictionaries, such as Who's who in America (book) and, Canadian who's who (book), Wer ist Wer (book). Or, you will find a wide variety of biography dictionaties by searching with words such as Who's Who or Who was who on WINE.

Other Reference Books

Specialized dictionaries with particular scopes (examples)


Guides on Biographical Information


Research Navigation No.10-E Waseda University Library Nov.15.2010