Research Guides: Classical Japanese Texts, Literature, and Literary Language: Kuzushiji and Kanbun

Kanbun Dictionaries

角川大字源 [Kadokawa Chinese character dictionary] by Ozaki Yūjirō
Publication Date: 1993
Via ILL request. Includes 12,300 characters and 100,000 compounds. Each entry includes notes, kokun, and other readings.

Kuzushi Dictionaries

くずし解読字典:検索自在 [Easy to use dictionary of deciphering cursive characters] by Wakao, Shunpei' Hattori, Daichō
Publication Date: 1976
Via ILL request. Ordered by radical, this dictionary provides readings for 24,000 characters.

Kuzushi Digital Humanities Projects

This box features new and developing digital humanities projects using AI to decipher and interpret kuzushiji. Sites are available in Japanese and English.

IIIF Curation Viewer
Complying with the International Image Interoperability Framework, IIIF Curation Viewer provides installation, plugin, and annotation features. Site is in Japanese.
KuLa App
Direct link to KuLa app for download.
Kuzushiji-MNIST
Kuzushiji-MNIST is a kuzushi dataset. It also includes papers and associated websites/datasets.
miwo: App for AI Kuzushiji Recognition
This websites provides information for installing the app and as well as instruction videos, information, and a prototype video. Site is in English.
みんなで翻刻, Minna de honkoku　[Everyone's Transcription]
Minna de honkoku is a calligraphy reading project using AI technology. This includes AI auto-recognition, collaboration with a broader community, and Japanese text editing. Site is in Japanese.
変体仮名あぷり[The Hentaigana App]
Another app to read kuzushiji, it was developed in a collaboration with Waseda University and UCLA.
ＡＩ手書きくずし字検索 [AI handwritten kuzushiji search]
This app differs from the other AI-recognition apps as it provides function to handwrite characters for translation.
Site is in Japanese.

Kanbun Bibliographies

Bibliography of Kanbun
Provided by Nisho Gakusha University, this open access database contains texts reading in classical Chinese. In addition to these materials, it also includes other scholarly sources, such as journal articles. Site is in English

Websites

These web pages provide fundamental information about kuzushiji and digital humanities.

The Kuzushiji Project: Developing a Mobile Learning Application for Reading Early Modern Japanese Texts
This article featured on the Digital Humanities Quarterly website discusses recent developments in kuzusjiji recognition software. The articles details how these apps work, usage information, and other features.
Naruhodo
This "Introduction to Kuzushiji 崩し字" pages provides basic information about premodern calligraphy and serves as a good introductory reference.

Classical Japanese Texts, Literature, and Literary Language: Kuzushiji and Kanbun

Kuzushiji, Kanbun, and Hentaigana

Kanbun Dictionaries

Kuzushi Dictionaries

Kuzushi Digital Humanities Projects

Kanbun Bibliographies

Websites