Nichigai Associates, Inc.

Nichigai Associates, Inc. (日外アソシエーツ株式会社) is a Japanese publisher and information-services company headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo. Founded in 1965 as Nichigai Documents Trading (日外ドキュメンツ貿易), the company initially imported technical materials and performed technical-information searches. It later shifted its focus to the humanities and social sciences within Japan and changed its name to Nichigai Associates. Kinokuniya Company Ltd. is its major shareholder and sole distributor, and the company is a member of the Shuppan Azusakai, the Japan Electronic Publishing Association, and the Japan Book Publishers Association. The company produces dictionaries, encyclopedias, yearbooks, and documentary collections, and delivers them as printed books, CD-ROMs, and internet-based search services. Its library-oriented reference works include dictionaries, encyclopedias, bibliographies, catalogs, and indexes, beginning with the National Diet Library-supervised cumulative index edition of the Magazine Article Index / Humanities and Social Sciences Edition. It began creating economic and industrial article databases in 1979, launched the online service NICHIGAI ASSIST in 1986, and introduced the internet-based NICHIGAI/WEB in 1997. In recent years it has proposed ASP services that embed its databases into library OPAC systems via dedicated Web APIs, and it also sells accumulated data such as personal-name reading dictionary files. Its flagship digital services include magazineplus, a database of magazines and articles published in Japan that supplements the National Diet Library's Magazine Article Index with academic annual reports, research bulletins, and general magazines not covered by that index; bookplus, a book-content database containing bibliographic information together with tables of contents, summaries, synopses, author profiles, and cover images; and whoplus, a biographical database covering roughly 280,000 Japanese and foreign individuals as of July 2016. The company also co-builds the "BOOK" Database, a book-content database containing tables of contents and obi (book-band) information, jointly with Tohan, Nippon Shuppan Hanbai, Kinokuniya, and Nichigai Associates. Beyond databases, Nichigai Associates publishes practical and scholarly titles for the library world, such as 'The Blueprint for a Happy Library' (幸せな図書館の設計図) by Takao Asano, and reference works such as the 'Statistical Chart Reference Encyclopedia' and 'A Guide to Masterpieces in Japanese Language Textbooks.' It also produces on-demand publications and DVD video teaching materials, including the 'Library Vision Series.' In 2024 it took over publication of 'Local History Information' (地方史情報) from Iwata Shoin, continuing the Local History Research Journal Table-of-Contents Bulletin and the Local History Bibliography Yearbook. The company remains active in the Japanese library and reference-publishing market.

Nichigai Associates was established in 1965 as Nichigai Documents Trading (日外ドキュメンツ貿易). In its early years it was involved in importing technical materials and in technical-information searching. The company later changed its business focus to domestic Japanese humanities and social sciences and changed its name to Nichigai Associates. It went on to publish and provide bibliographies, biographical dictionaries, and personal-information databases. Starting with the National Diet Library-supervised cumulative index edition of the Magazine Article Index / Humanities and Social Sciences Edition, it continuously published reference works for libraries, including dictionaries, encyclopedias, bibliographies, catalogs, and indexes. In 1979 it began producing economic and industrial article databases. In 1986 it launched the online service NICHIGAI ASSIST, and in 1997 it began providing the internet-based NICHIGAI/WEB. In recent years it has proposed ASP services that embed its databases into library OPAC systems via dedicated Web APIs, and it also sells accumulated data such as personal-name reading dictionary files. In 2016 the company moved its office from Ota Ward to Shinagawa Ward. In 2024 it took over from Iwata Shoin as publisher of 'Local History Information,' continuing the Local History Research Journal Table-of-Contents Bulletin and the Local History Bibliography Yearbook. The company remains active, publishing new titles such as 'The Blueprint for a Happy Library' and reference works for the library community.

• 2024

  Took over publication of 'Local History Information' from Iwata Shoin.

• 2016

  Moved its office from Ota Ward to Shinagawa Ward, Tokyo.

• 1997

  Began providing the internet-based NICHIGAI/WEB service.

• 1986

  Launched the online service NICHIGAI ASSIST.

• 1979

  Began producing economic and industrial article databases.

• 1965

  Founded as Nichigai Documents Trading (日外ドキュメンツ貿易).

A specialist reference publisher and database provider for libraries and researchers, combining print reference works with online databases and data-licensing services.

• NICHIGAI/WEB

  Internet-based database service launched in 1997.

• magazineplus

  Database of magazines and articles published in Japan, supplementing the National Diet Library's Magazine Article Index with academic annual reports, research bulletins, and general magazines.

• bookplus

  Book-content database containing bibliographic information together with tables of contents, summaries, synopses, author profiles, and cover images.

• whoplus

  Biographical database covering approximately 280,000 Japanese and foreign individuals as of July 2016.

• "BOOK" Database

  Book-content database containing tables of contents and obi (book-band) information, jointly built by Tohan, Nippon Shuppan Hanbai, Kinokuniya, and Nichigai Associates.

• NICHIGAI ASSIST

  Online service launched in 1986.

1. 1日外アソシエーツ株式会社nichigai.co.jp
2. 2地方史情報nichigai.co.jp
3. 3Nichigai Associates - Wikidatawikidata.org
4. 4日外アソシエーツ - Wikipediaja.wikipedia.org