Japanese 497A: Readings in Modern Japanese I
Online Tools
- CiNii BooksThis is a library catalog, which is a very handy way to find out how to pronounce an author's name.
- J-GlobalLarge database of scholars, citations, and information about research in progress in Japan.
- Jinmeiroku 人名録This is an individual's contribution. Names of people appearing in the news. It does have a search function.
Recommended Print Dictionaries
日本現代文学大事典Call Number: UM East Asian Reference ; PL726.55 .N477 1994ISBN: 4625400635
コンサイス日本人名事典Call Number: UM East Asian Reference ; CT1832 .K66 1994ISBN: 4385158053
Japanese Names: A Comprehensive Index by Characters and ReadingsCall Number: UM East Asian Reference ; PL683 .O5ISBN: 0834800608Use with caution. This dictionary is very helpful for figuring out how a name might be pronounced, but then you will need to check the actual pronunciation for that particular person in a different source.
Jinmei yomikata jitenCall Number: UM East Asian Reference PL683 .J35 v.1-2ISBN: 4816902481This set of reference books will give you example readings for particular names (both surnames and personal names). You can use the indexes to look up the kanji (pronunciation, radicals). Don't assume that it is the correct pronunciation for a particular person though - it is just a rough guide.
Using Online Sources
Wikipedia is actually a really good place to get preliminary information about Japanese authors. Wikipedia articles always include readings for names.
人名漢字
- MEDO人名漢字List of kanji approved for use as names, and the readings for each one.
