[DCRM-L] Japanese Cataloging Tips needed

[Hideyuki Morimoto]

>
> 1) How do you transcribe text from materials if apps like Google Translate
> will not pick up the characters? (example: handwritten or stylized scripts)
> Also, kanji can be challenging to transcribe in order to conduct a
> search/translation.
>


Some service sites that suggest a possible print version of Sino-Japanese
cursive writing characters appearing in classical Japanese texts might be
tried, if so desired:

Mojizo

developed by Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties and
Historiographical Institute of the University of Tokyo
manual:  https://mojizo.nabunken.go.jp/doc/legend_en.pdf
search page:  https://mojizo.nabunken.go.jp/


KuroNet

developed by Center for Open Data in the Humanities

search page:  https://mp.ex.nii.ac.jp/kuronet/






> 2) What transliteration style should I use? I noticed that Connexion
> supports Cyrillic and Chinese, but not Japanese. Do you have any
> suggestions for online sites for Japanese transliteration and translation?
> I have been using http://www.romajidesu.com/, but I am not sure it is the
> best.
>
> Examples: (source: http://www.romajidesu.com) The machine translations
> seem very unreliable. Do you have any feedback about the quality of the
> transliteration?
>
>    1. Original: 役者似面
>    Transliteration: Yakusha nimen
>    Translation: Actor-like
>    2. Original: 出世鯉滝白玉 Transliteration: Shusse koi taki shiratama
>    Translation: Shiratama
>    3. Original: 繪本太閤記. 三編
>    Transliteration: E hon taikōki, san hen
>    Translation: Taiko Ryomoto, three volumes
>    4. Original: 三世相ゑにし乃緒車
>    Transliteration: Sanzesō wenishi sha
>    Translation: Third generation Soen Nishino car
>
>
Most, if not all, North American libraries follow romanization provisions
of *ALA-LC RT* for Japanese at:

https://www.loc.gov/catdir/cpso/romanization/japanese.pdf


a revision proposal from a few years ago for which might (or might not) be
approved and implemented some time in the future.  Rōmaji Desu is not an
agency creating *DCGPM* data; and they do not appear to follow the
romanization provisions of *ALA-LC RT* for Japanese, neither do most WC
records loaded from Japan.  Some of those WC records loaded from Japan show
romanization somewhat close to romanization through application of *ALA-LC
RT* for Japanese; some WC records loaded from Japan show quite different
romanization; and some other WC records loaded from Japan do not include
any romanization.




> 3) If you do not have a Japanese language cataloger on staff, do you
> contract out any translation work? Do you have volunteers or part-time
> catalogers? Do you ask colleagues in other departments? (I am a little
> reluctant to do this, as I know how busy everyone is!)
>


Since 1944 (77 years ago), we have had Japanese language catalogers in our
library.  At the same time, at one point in time, our Japanese Studies
Librarian responded to a request from a professor at our university for
letting him study a pre-modern Japanese resource just acquired at that time
that it had not yet been cataloged and that it might be shown to the
professor, if the professor assisted us in its identification.  In
addition, decades ago, when an external grant became available, some
specialist cataloguers of pre-modern Japanese resources were invited from
Japan National Diet Library to our library.  Also, from time to time, when
some classical Japanese literature professors visit us from Japan, we seize
such opportunities to ask them whether they would graciously identify for
us some questionable cases.  Some other North American and European
libraries have also secured external funds to invite some classical
Japanese literature professors from the National Institute of Japanese
Literature.

While none of them from Japan (specialist cataloguers from Japan National
Diet Library, professors from Japan, other professors from the National
Institute of Japanese Literature) has prepared any *DCGPM* record, they
have certainly provided identification and other necessary information,
based on which we have been able to proceed with finalization of
bibliographic and supporting authority records.


I am eager to know how you approach cataloging these materials and if you
> have any favorite online resources, such as online
> translation/transliteration websites.
>


We routinely consult:

National Institute of Japanese Literature's Database of pre-modern Japanese
works:  https://kotenseki.nijl.ac.jp/?ln=en

Union catalogue of early Japanese books:
base1.nijl.ac.jp/infolib/meta_pub/G0001401KTG


JapanKnowledge:  https://japanknowledge.com/library/en/

NDL online:  https://ndlonline.ndl.go.jp/#!/

CiNii books (aka, WC of Japan):  https://ci.nii.ac.jp/ncid/BA33683037?l=en





> Also, interested to know how you find translation help if you know you
> will be cataloging a large batch of Japanese language materials, as it can
> be quite time-consuming and quite a big ask.
>


We do not provide translation of Japanese-language resources.  We simply
catalog them, with no addition of *MARC 21* bibliographic field 242.  While
it is unnecessary addition here, as it is not always recognized, although
knowledge of modern Japanese might be of some use, for cataloging of
pre-modern Japanese resources, reading facility in classical Japanese is
indispensable.


===========================================================
Hideyuki Morimoto
Japanese Cataloger
C.V. Starr East Asian Library
300 Kent Hall, mail code 3901
Columbia University                 Voice:  +1-212-854-1510
1140 Amsterdam Ave.                 Fax:    +1-212-662-6286
New York, NY  10027-7034
U.S.A.                Electronic Mail:  hm2106 at columbia.edu
===========================================================
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