Digital Technologies Expo
The Japan Biographical Database (JBDB) is a web-based resource intended to provide biographical information on Japanese historical figures and their personal, social, and political networks. Initially starting with research on Rai Shunsui (1746–1816) in 2012, the PostgreSQL database currently encompasses entries on ca. 5,500 individuals and ca. 7,000 events pertaining to these individuals and their interactions and is steadily growing. The database spans roughly 400 years, from 1524 to 1939, with most of the entries falling into the later Edo period (1600–1868). While some of the attributes are specific to the Edo period, or are at least optimized for it, the database and the web application can handle any time period with ease; in the future, the user interface will be more flexibly adapted to any given context for a new entry. The database architecture itself is built upon the architecture of the Harvard University China Biographical Database with a modified web application to access the database. The tool is intended to be aimed at researchers and students alike, allowing to search all entries by date, kinship, non-kinship relations, social status and profession, and other filters as well as visualize networks of interest in a dedicated visualization component.
Japan Biographical Database: network-studies.org
Bettina Gramlich-Oka
Sophia University, Japan