Accessing Japanese Cultural Resources: Digital Platforms and Hands-On Methods

This workshop will introduce a range of Japan-related resources, guided by two visiting scholars from Japan. It is organized by the University of Helsinki, Doshisha University, the National Museum of Japanese History, the University of Oslo, and the University of Bergen, with support from the Scandinavia–Japan Sasakawa Foundation and JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number 25H01240 and JP24K15673. The workshop is open to everyone and free of charge.

Programme

10:00–10:30 (English)

Lecture: “Japanese Digital Platforms for Historical and Cultural Studies: khirin and Mingu Web”
Speaker: Sakiko Kawabe, Visiting Researcher, National Museum of Japanese History

10:30–11:00 (English)
Lecture: “Discovering Japanese Cultural Heritage Materials via Japan Search: A Hands‑On International Workshop”
Speaker: Masao Oi, Associate Professor, Faculty of Culture and Information Science, Doshisha University

11:00–11:10 Break

11:10–12:00 (English)
Workshop: “Discovering Japanese Cultural Heritage Materials via Japan Search: A Hands‑On International Workshop”

Facilitator: Masao Oi, Associate Professor, Faculty of Culture and Information Science, Doshisha University and Sakiko Kawabe, Visiting Researcher, National Museum of Japanese History

Abstract:

Lecture: “Japanese Digital Platforms for Historical and Cultural Studies: khirin and Mingu Web”, Sakiko Kawabe, Visiting Researcher, National Museum of Japanese History.

This lecture introduces two distinctive digital platforms that support the study of Japanese history and culture: khirin and Mingu Web. It outlines their key functions, the types of materials available, and practical ways to use these resources in Japanese studies.

Khirin (Knowledgebase of Historical Resources in Institutes) is a digital infrastructure for historical and cultural materials developed and maintained by the National Museum of Japanese History. The platform enables users to explore a wide range of materials from across Japan through multiple perspectives. Its features include RDF-based structured cataloguing, an image delivery system using the International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF), and text data presentation based on the Text Encoding Initiative (TEI).

Mingu Web is a participatory platform dedicated to information on mingu (民具)—everyday objects used in daily life—developed and managed by the Academic Repository Network (Re*poN). By fostering communities among museums, researchers, and the public, the platform aims to collect, share, and enrich knowledge about mingu. The accumulated information provides valuable insights into diverse lifestyles and cultural practices in Japan and serves as an important resource for Japanese studies.

Lecture and Workshop: “Discovering Japanese Cultural Heritage Materials via Japan Search: A Hands-On International Workshop”, Masao Oi, Associate Professor, The Faculty of Culture and Information Science, Doshisha University

Japan Search is a cross-domain integrated platform developed by the Government of Japan that serves as a central gateway to Japan’s digital archives. As of January 2026, it enables unified discovery across metadata from 173 partner institutions, 285 databases, and 32,011,992 records, helping users locate a wide range of Japan-related materials—from cultural heritage and museum objects to library collections and archival resources. Beyond keyword searching, Japan Search supports metadata-based sorting and filtering and allows users to curate selected items into personalized “original galleries,” making it useful for both research workflows and public-facing dissemination.

This workshop provides practical training in discovering and organizing Japan-related resources using Japan Search. It is designed for Europe-based scholars in Japanese Studies (faculty, researchers, and graduate/undergraduate students), as well as librarians, curators, and archivists who support research and collection use. Led by an invited expert from Japan with extensive experience using Japan Search, the workshop combines live demonstrations with hands-on exercises, covering effective search strategies, metadata-driven exploration, result organization, and gallery creation for research, teaching, and outreach.

The workshop will be held across multiple European venues—the University of Helsinki (Finland), and the University of Oslo and the University of Bergen (Norway)—to foster cross-border exchange and strengthen Japan–Europe collaboration. By building shared skills and networks around digital discovery, the workshop aims to advance research and professional practice that engages with Japanese materials.