Shinpen Kokka Taikan

As a basic source for Japanese literature research, this comprehensive digital version of the Encyclopedia of Japanese Waka Poetry, New Edition, is available now.
Originally compiled as an index of old poems, since the Meiji period the Encyclopedia of Japanese Waka Poetry has been the desk companion contributing to the work of countless researchers. While inheriting the same objectives, this completely re-edited and definitive dictionary has undergone a thorough review of the contents, and incorporates the achievements of a great accumulation of new research.
The approximately 450,000 poems from 1,162 anthologies contained in the dictionary include imperial anthologies, personal anthologies, private family anthologies, and anthologies from poetry contests. Moreover, each poetic work adopts the most reliable original text from among the popularized volumes. Top-class researchers were also engaged to prepare the main text of the dictionary in a most rigorous fashion. At the time of its publication, the dictionary was esteemed as the long-awaited arrival of a comprehensive collection of waka literature.

Two advanced search functions have been prepared for the JapanKnowledge edition—a vocabulary search and a next/previous phrase search. The vocabulary search can be conducted by defining various parameters, such as "anthology," "waka poem" or "full text," and it is possible to search for data by narrowing the search down to any of the 1,162 anthologies, or a specific type of anthology, historical period, and so on. It is also possible to display research results sorted by "ascending/descending order of Vol. or No. of Poem," "Year of compilation" or "ascending /descending order of the hiragana reading of the first phrase."
The next/previous phrase search, while freely sorting the phrases before and after the search term, enables the user to view each phrase in order. In addition to the same facets available for narrowing down searches as in the vocabulary search, the position of a phrase can also be designated. This enables a clear understanding of where a certain waka is used or how phrases are connected.
Further, using the “bookshelf” function, it is possible to search from the 1,162 anthologies and their annotations, or narrow down from the list-view of anthologies.

Observing from this new viewpoint and with these novel search types, this must-have Japanese literature research dictionary will open up for you a never-before-seen world of waka poetry.

Editorial committee: Taniyama Shigeru, Tanaka Yutaka, Goto Shigeo, Higuchi Yoshimaro, Hashimoto Fumio, Fujihira Haruo, Shimazu Tadao, Inoue Muneo, Ariyoshi Tamotsu, Katagiri Yoichi, Fukuda Hideichi, Kubota Jun