NHK WORLD TV Live application for iPhone

NHK WORLD TV Live application for iPhone
http://itunes.apple.com/app/id350732480

NHK WORLD TV is the international version of NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) broadcasting in English. Using this application, you can watch some programs of NHK WORLD TV on your iPhone and iPod Touch.

"How to watch on mobile"
http://www.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/app/tv/support/

I accessed this service several times. At first the video and audio are too bad, and after around 30 seconds they get good quality.

Museum Cafe - Portal site for museum information

ミュージアムカフェ
http://www.museum-cafe.com/

Museum Cafe is the portal site for museum information in Japan. You can search and browse information of exhibisions held at around 600 museums in Japan. It also includes 17 thousands records of past exhibitions from 2000.
There are many of photos, images and topical articles for begginers. Additionaly, you can post new information of events and exhibitions by yourself.

Useful websites list when you use PC without Japanese IME

海外で日本語IMEが使えないときに便利なサイトまとめ
http://www.ideaxidea.com/archives/2009/10/ime_when_cant_use_it.html
[Japanese]

Accessing these websites, you can input Japanese characters, words and phrases on PC in the world without using IME.
Above all, "Ajax IME" (http://ajaxime.chasen.org/) is most helpful and easy to use.

NDL starts Twitter

The National Diet Library (NDL 国立国会図書館) has started using Twitter to deliver headlines of Current Awareness-R (CA-R)

http://twitter.com/ca_tweet

CA-R (http://current.ndl.go.jp/car) introduces newest topics on libraries and academic information in Japan and the world. If you have an account of Twitter, please try to follow this tweet.

The Greasemonkey script which display CiNii's search results on Google's search result list

Googleの検索結果にCiNiiでの検索結果を表示するスクリプト
http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/51647
(The Greasemonkey script which display CiNii's search results on Google's search result list)

If you are always searching Japanese academic articles freely available on the Internet, or you are using CiNii (http://ci.nii.ac.jp/) and Google almost everyday, this tool is extremely useful.
This is a Greasemonkey script (https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/748) which runs on Firefox. Installing this script on your Firefox and searching by any keyword on Google, the CiNii's search results are also displayed on the Google's search result list. You can save the trouble of double-check. When you search open-access articles published in Japan, you can reach the article files from CiNii's search results to open access servers of universities in Japan. And you can find other article files not in any university's servers by searching on Google.

Databases on Japanese movie

映画データベース allcinema
http://www.allcinema.net/prog/index2.php
(Movie database : all cinema)
(Eiga detabesu : oru sinema)

This is a database on movies(Japanese & overseas) and DVD, which enables you to search actors, staff, release information, website and so on. It shows also ranking information, some related works and related items (books, CD and DVD). Works coming out in near future are also included.

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キネマ旬報映画データベース
http://www.kinejun.jp/
(Kinema Junpo movie database)
(Kinema Junpo eiga detabesu)

This is the largest database on movies released in Japan since 1945. It includes 40 thousands movies (Japanese & overseas) and 200 thousands personal names in movie industry. You can also refer to the contents list of related articles in the journal "Kinema Junpo".

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Yahoo! Japan 映画
http://movies.yahoo.co.jp/
(Yahoo! Japan Movie)
(Yahu Japan Eiga)

The database including 30 thousands movies (Japanese & overseas) enables you to see the information about theaters and DVD. You can also search movies by award name.
Users of this portal site can post reviews and you can read a lot of user's reviews, not only current works but also classical works. It shows how Japanese people review about overseas movies. Online theater service is available only in Japan.

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日本映画情報システム
http://www.japanese-cinema-db.jp/search.php?clr=start
(Japanese movies information system)
(Nihon eiga joho shisutemu)
文化庁
(Agency for Cultural Affairs)
(Bunkacho)

The database of Japanese movies released in Japan.

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所蔵映画フィルム検索システム
http://202.236.109.20/
(Search system for the film collection)
(Shozo eiga firumu kensaku shisutemu)
東京国立近代美術館フィルムセンター
(National Film Center, The National Museum of Modern Art)

The online catalogue of the film collection of National Film Center. This database includes the information of movies released before and during the WW2.

PORTA Renewal / NDL

PORTA (国立国会図書館デジタルアーカイブポータル)
http://porta.ndl.go.jp/
(The National Diet Library Digital Archive Portal)
(Kokuritsu Kokkai Toshokan Dejitaru Akaibu Potaru)

[Japanese]


PORTA (The National Diet Library Digital Archive Portal), which is a portal site providing access to various kinds of digital informaion in Japan. The integrated search system enables you to search a lot of databases and digital archives owned by NDL and various kinds of institutions, libraries and organizations.

Since July 7, 2009, PORTA has been updated and started some renewal servicies.
- The search engine is enhanced.
- Users' bookmarks are open to public.
- New external interfaces are installed.