Japanese Studies

Reading Japanese Names

Japanese Names: A Comprehensive Index by Characters and Readings
EAC: CS3000 .O53 1972
A useful guide for making educated guesses for the readings of Japanese names.

Japanese, Chinese, and Korean surnames and how to read them : 125,947 Japanese, 594 Chinese, and 259 Korean surnames written with Kanji as they appear in Japanese texts.
2 vols in 3.
EA Ref: PL683 .H33 1998.

Rekishi jinmei yomikata jiten
歴史人名よみがた辞典
EA Ref: DS834 .R44 1989
Historical personages to 1868. Listed by the pronunciation of the first character in the name. Romanization, year of birth/death, and other supplementary information given.

Nihon Jinmei Jiten
日本人名辞典
EAC: DS834.8 .H3 1972
Useful for looking up people who are remembered by their given names, studio names or pseudonyms rather than surname.  Also for identifying first names such as nanori (名乗), tsusho (通称), gago (雅号), and geimei (芸名). Arranged by Japanese syllabary, with a stroke index.  Readings given in prewar kana orthography.

Sakka no pennemu jiten
作家のペンネーム辞典
EA Ref: Z1087.J3 S24 1990
Covers 235 authors (novelists, poets, critics) in the literary arts. Provides biographical data, lists of major works and collections and a photograph. Arranged by author's last name.

同姓異読み人名辞典 = A Dictionary of Famous Japanese People with the Same Written Surname
EA Ref: CS3000 .D67 1988
Contains 32,000 individuals whose family name has the same characters, but a different reading.

同名異人辞典 = Dictionary of famous Japanese people with the same written names
EA Ref: DS834 .D664 1988 　

名前から引く人名辞典 = First Name Dictionary of Japanese Famous People
EA Ref: CT1832 .N35 1988
Includes given name, posthumous name, stage name and pseudonym.

Shintei zōho go, betsumei jiten
新訂増補号別名辞典
Anonyms and pseudonyms, Japanese.

• 古代中世近世 = Ancient, medieval, modern
  EA Ref: Z1087 .J3 G622 2003 
• 近代現代 = Early modern, contemporary
  EA Ref: Z1087 .J3 G632 2003