Japanese encyclopedias
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{{for|a general history of the encyclopedia|Encyclopedia}}
In [[Japanese language|Japanese]], encyclopedias are known as ''hyakka jiten'' ({{lang|ja|百科事典}}), which literally means "book of a hundred subjects," and can trace their origins to the early [[Heian period]], in the ninth century. Encyclopedic works were published in Japan for well over a thousand years before Japan's first modern encyclopedias were published after Japan's opening to the West, during the [[Meiji Period]] (1868-1912). Several encyclopedias have been published in Japan since World War II, including several children's encyclopedias, and two major titles are currently available: the ''[[Encyclopedia Nipponica]]'', published by [[Shogakukan]], and the ''[[Sekai Dai-Hyakka Jiten]]'', compiled by the [[Heibonsha]] publishing company. A Japanese ''Wikipedia'' is also available.
==The History of Japanese Encyclopedias==
The antecedents of the modern Japanese encyclopedia date from the ancient period and the Middle Ages. Encyclopedic books were imported from China from an early date, but the first proto-encyclopedia produced in Japan was the 1000-scroll ''Hifuryaku'' ({{lang|ja|秘府略}}), compiled in 831 upon the emperor's orders by Shigeno no Sadanushi ({{lang|ja|滋野貞主}}) and others, only fragments of which survive today. The first truly Japanese-style encyclopedia is said to be [[Minamoto no Shitagō|Minamoto no Shitagō's]] 10-scroll work, ''[[Wamyō Ruijushō]]'' , which was written in the ancient Japanese syllabary system of ''[[man'yōgana]]'' and contained entries arranged by category. During the 13th century, an 11-scroll book appeared on the origins of things, ''Chiribukuro'' ({{lang|ja|塵袋}}) (literally, “rubbish bag”), and its innovative question-and-answer format was much imitated throughout the medieval period.
In the 17th century, the ''[[Sancai Tuhui]]'' ({{lang|ja|三才図会}}; ''[[Sansai Zue]]'' in Japanese) (literally, "illustrated book of the 'Three Powers,' i.e., heaven, earth, and man"), a 14-part, 106-scroll illustrated encyclopedia published in [[Ming Dynasty|Ming]] China in 1609, entered Japan. In 1712, emulating the ''Sancai Tuhui'', Terajima Ryōan published the ''[[Wakan Sansai Zue]]'' ({{lang|ja|和漢三才図会}}) ("illustrated book of the three powers in Japan and China"), the first Japanese illustrated encyclopedia. Written in [[classical Chinese]] (the language of scholarship throughout East Asia at the time), the book reflected the outlook of its day with such fantastical entries as {{nihongo|"The Country of the Immortals"|不死国|fushi koku}} and {{nihongo|"The Land of the Long-Legged People"|長脚国|naga-ashi koku}}. Its logical presentation, topical divisions, and discussion of alternative explanations for the same phenomena, however, anticipated the modern encyclopedia.
During Japan's {{nihongo|[[Civilization and Enlightenment Movement]]|文明開化|bunmei kaika}} at the time of the [[Meiji Period]], the westernizer [[Nishi Amane]] ({{lang|ja|西周}}) compiled Japan's first modern encyclopedia, the ''Hyakugaku renwa'' ({{lang|ja|百学連環}}). Beginning in 1873, the [[Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (Japan)|Ministry of Education]] sponsored the translation of Chambers' ''Information for the People'' into Japanese under the name ''Hyakka Zensho'' ({{lang|ja|百科全書}}, the "Comprehensive Encyclopedia"), which was completed in the 1880s. Later, the [[Ministry of Temples and Shrines]] sponsored the compilation by Nishimura Shigeki ({{lang|ja|西村茂樹}}) and others of another encyclopedic work, the ''Koji ruien'' ({{lang|ja|古事類苑}}), which was finally completed in 1914. The publishing house Sanseido published its 10-volume encyclopedia, the ''Nihon Hyakka Daijiten'' ({{lang|ja|日本百科大辞典}}, the "Great Japan Encyclopedia"), between 1908 and 1919, and Heibonsha published a 28-volume work, the ''Dai-Hyakka Jiten'' ({{lang|ja|大百科事典}}, the "Great Encyclopedia"), between 1931 and 1934. The ''Dai-Hyakka Jiten'' was the first publication to use the characters {{lang|ja|事典}} (''jiten'') rather than {{lang|ja|辞典}} (''jiten'') to represent the word "encyclopedia," starting the convention whereby {{lang|ja|事典}} is used to mean "encyclopedia" and {{lang|ja|辞典}} is used to mean "dictionary."
After World War II, Heibonsha responded to Japan's new internationalization by publishing the ''Sekai Dai-Hyakka Jiten'' ({{lang|ja|世界大百科事典}}, the "Great World Encyclopedia") in 32 volumes, between 1955 and 1959. Shogakukan then published the 19-volume ''Encyclopedia Japonica'', Japan's first full-color reference work, between 1967 and 1972. Between 1970 and 1974, Gakushu Kenkyusha published a 21-volume encyclopedia, the ''Gurando Gendai Hyakka Jiten'' ({{lang|ja|グランド現代百科事典}}, the "Great Modern Encyclopedia"). In 1974 and 1975, a 30-volume Japanese version of the ''Encyclopedia Britannica'', the ''Buritanica Kokusai Hyakka Jiten'' ({{lang|ja|ブリタニカ国際百科事典}}, the "Britannica International Encyclopedia"), was also published in Japan. In 1984, Heibonsha returned with a 16-volume compilation, the ''Dai-Hyakka Jiten'' ({{lang|ja|大百科事典}}, the "Great Encyclopedia"), and Shogakukan began publishing a 25-volume encyclopedia, the ''Nihon Dai-Hyakka Zensho'' ({{lang|ja|日本大百科全書}}, literally, the "Japan Comprehensive Encyclopedia," but officially known by the English title, ''Encyclopedia Nipponica'') the same year, finishing in 1989. A second edition was published in 1994. Various children's encyclopedias were also published in the 1950s and 1960s.
==Major Currently Available Japanese Print Encyclopedias==
===Encyclopedia Nipponica===
{{main|Encyclopedia Nipponica}}
{{nihongo|''Encyclopedia Nipponica''|日本大百科全書|Nihon Dai–Hyakka Zensho|literally the "Japan Comprehensive Encyclopedia"}} is an encyclopedia published by Shogakukan in Japan. It is published in 5 formats: traditional book form, CDROM, e-book, Internet, and as an i-Mode service. Both the Internet and i-Mode versions require payment to use.
===Sekai Dai-Hyakka Jiten===
{{main|Heibonsha World Encyclopedia}}
The ''Sekai Dai–Hyakka Jiten'' ({{lang|ja|世界大百科事典}}, literally the “World Comprehensive Encyclopedia”) is an encyclopedia compiled by the Japanese publisher Heibonsha. It is published in three formats: traditional book form, CDROM, and Internet. The online version is known as the {{nihongo|''Network Encyclopedia''|ネットで百科|Netto-de Hyakka}}.
Heibonsha has also compiled a smaller encyclopedia called the {{nihongo|''Mypedia''|マイペディア|Maipedia}}, published in 5 formats: a single-volume book form, CDROM, [[Japanese electronic dictionaries|electronic dictionary]], memory card for PDA’s, and Internet.
==Digital and online encyclopedias==
The advent of personal computers and the Internet has brought encyclopedias into the digital age. In addition to the Japanese version of Wikipedia, [http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%A1%E3%82%A4%E3%83%B3%E3%83%9A%E3%83%BC%E3%82%B8 Japanese ''Wikipedia''], which has about 300,000 articles (as of December 15, 2006), the ''[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]'' and Microsoft's ''[[Encarta]]'' both appear on CDROM in Japanese versions.
==Other Japan Related Encyclopedias==
{{main|Kodansha Encyclopedia of Japan}}
Though not technically a Japanese encyclopedia because it is not written in Japanese, the Kodansha Encyclopedia of Japan is an English-language encyclopedia on Japan, first published by [[Kodansha]] in 1983 and supplemented in 1986. An online version of this encyclopedia also exists at http://www.ency-japan.com.
==Sources==
This article relies on articles from ''Encyclopedia Nipponica'' (1994 ed.) and the Japanese Wikipedia.
[[Category:Japanese encyclopedias| ]]
[[zh:日本百科全書]]