For those who are interests in Japan in an international context, the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) has a trilingual database on historical sources related to modern Japanese politics and international relations entitled “The World and Japan (世界と日本).”

Created by Akihiko Tanaka, Professor of International Relations, the database can be searched in Japanese, English, or Chinese, and as of January 2021 hosts 9,770 documents, covering from 1900 to 2006.

The landing page has tabbed regional subdivisions such as “World,” “Japan,” U.S-JPN/CHN-JPN,” “China,” etc., while the left-hand frame contains a variety of subsections based on document type (e.g. Diet and Imperial Diet Speeches, G20-related documents) or by time periods, and by regional relationships. Upon clicking one of these topics, relevant materials are presented in chronological order.

Given the great number of documents and the somewhat unwieldy categories in the left frame, it may be most useful to use the search options presented on the landing page, which will certain help narrow documents to a specific chronology or topic.

The search function can also be done in Japanese, English, or Chinese, which makes this database an invaluable tool not only for the professional researcher but for students who may wonder what types of documents related to international politics exist and where to find them. Be sure to bookmark this resource and hold onto it, as it will surely continue to be updated with new and relevant materials.