English Dictionaries and Databases in Japan - Observatoire de ...

Lexicographie et terminologie à l’Observatoire de linguistique Sens-Texte 

June 7, 2010 

English Dictionaries and 

Databases in Japan 

YAMADA Shigeru 

Waseda University 

shyamada@waseda.jp

Outline 

1 Introduction 

2 English Dictionaries in Japan 

3 English Databases in Japan 

4 Summing up and looking forward

2 English Dictionaries in Japan 

2.1 Overview 

2.2 Handheld electronic dictionaries 

2.2.1 Market share 

2.2.2 General features 

2.2.3 Fourteen important functions 

2.2.4 Merits and shortcomings 

2.2.5 Impact on Japan‟s dictionary 

compilation

2.1 Kinds of English dictionaries used: 

927 1 st -year commerce students 

100% 

90% 

80% 

70% 

60% 

50% 

40% 

30% 

20% 

10% 

0% 

1997 

1998 

1999 

2000 

2001 

2002 

2003 

2004 

2005 

2006 

2007 

2008 

None 

Not clear 

Other 

Print 

Both 

Electronic 

(Yamada 2009)

2.2. Handheld electronic dictionary 

2.2.1 Market share 

Casio 50.7% 

Sharp 31.5 

Canon 9.4 

Seiko Instrument Inc. 8.2 

Others 0.3 

Sony pulled out in 2006. 

(BCN Ranking 2007)

2.2.2 General features 

Casio: XD-A9800 

• 2010 model for univ 

students 

• 395 CAD 

• 120 ref. & other works 

• 300 Japanese / 100 world 

literature in English trans. 

• Famous speeches 

• National examinations 

• [One Mil-Word] 

Comprehensive 

Database of Technical 

Terminology 

http://casio.jp/exword/pro 

ducts/XD-A9800/

High-resolution color display 

http://casio.jp/exword/feature/hardware_9/

Can highlight and pen in in color 

Things possible with print dictionaries 

http://casio.jp/exword/feature/hardware_9/

Sharp: PW-GC610 

• 2010 model for senior 

high students 

• 268 CAD 

• Helps school study 

and entrance exams 

• Download and watch 

popular classes at a 

famous college 

preparatory school 

http://www.sharp.co.jp/brain/lineup/pw-gc610/

Canon: V330 

• 2010 model for 

senior high students 

• 256 CAD 

• Eijoro – 1.7 mil-word 

E-J/J-E database 

http://cweb.canon.jp/wordtank/lineup/wordtank/study/v330/index.html

SII: SR-G10001 

• 2009 model for English professionals 

• 540 CAD 

• Oxford Sentence Dictionary (OSD): 1 mil 

examples from Oxford English Corpus (2 

bil words) 

• Computer manipulable 

http://www.sii.co.jp/c 

p/products/english/s 

rg10001/index.html

Oxford Sentence Dictionary (OSD) 

• Only available in SR-G10001 

• 1 mil examples from Oxford English 

Corpus (2 bil words) 

• Additional examples collected after 2000 

to illustrate unillustrated entries in Oxford 

Dictionary of English 

(Sekiyama 2010)

Look up “MRI” 

• SR-E10000: 

5 mil-word Wordbank (from Bank of Eng.) 

3 examples 

• SR-G10001: 

OSD with 1 mil examples 

79 examples 

(ibid.)

Development of 

example search functions 

SR8000 (1999): First example search; 

run search on the examples of the included 

dictionaries by entering key words 

SR-E10000 (2005): Wordbank (5 mil words < BoE), 

Example search with word order designated 

SR-G10000 (2006): search examples in EJDs on 

the basis of J words; 

results displayed with the key word in the middle 

SR-G10001 (2009): Attribute-specific search with 

OSD 

(ibid.)

Attribute-specific search with OSD 

You can specify: 

• Mode (spoken, written edited/unedited) 

• Dialect (American, British, Canadian, etc.) 

• Domain (fiction, law, medicine, news, etc.) 

http://www.sii.co.jp/cp/products/english/srg10001/page02.html

Other contents 

• Standard: 

- Encyclopedias 

- Language learning 

materials (TOEIC®, 

etc.) 

- Travel phrase books 

- Maps 

• Unique: 

- Calculation drills to 

sharpen adults' brains 

- Pension calculator 

- Recipes 

- Sake handbook 

http://casio.jp/exword/feature/reference_20/

Recent trends 

• User-/purpose-specification 

- Junior high/senior high/univ students, 

adults 

- Language/law/medical/business 

professionals/students

Databases into 

handheld electronic dictionaries 

• Eijiro (1.7 mil-word E-J/J-E database) 

(in Canon‟ V330) 

• 1.8 Mil-Word E-J/J-E Databases 

(in SII‟ SR-G8000) 

• [1 Mil-Word] Comprehensive Database of 

Technical Terminology 

(in Casio‟ XD-A9800)

2.2.3 Fourteen important functions 

1) Fuzzy search 

• Enables you to consult a word whose 

spelling you are not quite sure about 

• Use “” or “*” for the part of the word you 

are not sure about 

• Student usage rate: 35.8% 

http://www.sii.co.jp 

/cp/products/functi 

on/func21.html

2)"Jump" search 

• Highlight a word in the dictionary text, 

and you can instantly look up the word 

in another dictionary included in the same 

electronic machine. 

• 94.3% 

http://www.sii.co.jp/cp/products/ 

function/func12.html

3) Multiple-dictionary headword 

search 

• Enables you to consult the relevant 

included dictionaries simultaneously 

• Especially useful for peripheral items 

• 64.2% 

Look up “form book” in SII‟ SR-G10000

✓ EJD for the General Reader 

✓ Genius Unabridged EJD 

✕ ODE 

✕ COBUILD

Multi-dictionary Headword Search 

Saves the user: 

• the time and energy to consult several 

dictionaries one at a time 

• (the trouble to work out which dictionaries 

to consult in the most effective order) 

• many disappointments of a fruitless search

4) Phrase search 

• 84.9% 

Casio©

5) Example search 

• Comb through examples of the relevant 

included dictionaries, in search of the 

examples which include the key words you 

entered 

• Especially helpful for phrases 

• 75.5%

Example search 

• Provides a quick route to meaning 

(examples from an EJD come with the 

translations) 

• Does not require the knowledge of 

- parts-of-speech, 

- grammar, and 

- dictionary structures


Which word would you look up 

“… with so much going for you, your 

negativeness about this opportunity leaves 

me somewhat shaken ….” 

(Kingsley Ward, G. 1985. 

Letters of a Businessman to his Son.)

Enter only “much&going&for”

Genius Unabridged EJD


You have so much going for you in the 

way of education. 

君は教育の点で強みがたいへん多い 

• Entering the appropriate words provides 

the user with relevant examples including 

the words and the meanings (translations) 

of the examples 

• Grammatical analysis is not required

6) Example search 

with word order designated 

• You can designate word order in example 

search, so that you can retrieve only the 

examples with the key words in the order 

you typed them. 

• 7.5% 


7) Accessing EJD by Japanese 

• Turn the English- 

Japanese dictionary 

on its head. 

• You can use 

Japanese to access 

English headwords. 

• 15.1% 


8) Accessing English examples 

by Japanese 

• You can use Japanese words to access 

the English examples whose translations 

include those Japanese key words. 

• 7.5% 

http://www.sii.co.jp/cp/products/function/func39.html

9) Word register function 

• You can register words you consulted in 

the memory, so that you can review them. 

• 39.6% 

http://www.sii.co.jp/cp/products/function/func23.html

10) Backtracking 

• The handheld electronic dictionary records 

100-1,000 words you consulted, so that 

you can access them for a second time 

without typing them again. 

• 92.5% 


11) Touch panel 

• You can write in both Japanese and 

English words with the accompanying pen 

to consult the words. 

• 32.1% 


12) Pronunciation in human voice 

• The dictionary provides audio recordings. 

• 67.9%

13) Split screen 

• You can split the 

screen and 

show two dictionaries 

simultaneously. 

• 7.5% 

CASIO©

14) Character size change 

• 49.1% 

CASIO©

Summary 

• “Jump” search: 94.3% 

• Backtracking: 92.5 

• Phrase search: 84.9 

• Accessing E ex by J: 7.5 

• Split screen: 7.5 

• Ex search with WO designated: 7.5 

Handheld EDs are not fully exploited.

Better electronic dictionary use 

Can be achieved by: 

• Users‟ effort (supported by instruction): 

especially, classroom instruction to inform 

and train students to become proficient 

users of electronic dictionaries 

• Manufactures‟ effort: 

make sophistication compatible with userfrinendliness

2.2.4 Merits and shortcomings 

“Portable Reference 

Shelf” 

• Ease of reference 

• Speed of reference 

• Flexibility of reference 

• Portability 

• Versatility 

• Self-sufficiency 

Made possible by 

electronic presentation 

and search methods 

• Screen is too small. 

• Difficult to use 

• Expensive 

• Can break 

• Electricity 

consumption 

• Not customized: 

contents and 

functions

Wider yet restricted choice 

Restricted choice: 

• User factors 

• Manufacturer factors

Restricted choice 

User factors: 

• High concentration on the use of J, E-J, 

and J-E dictionaries 

• Reluctant to spend money on the 

electronic dictionary: 

- Continue to use high school students‟ 

models after entering univ 

- Reluctant to pay to add new dictionaries

Restricted choice 

Manufacturer factors: 

The combination of dictionaries included in a 

handheld dictionary is not satisfactory for all 

users. 

• To maximize their sales, all manufacturers 

incorporate: 

1) Brand-name/best-selling dictionaries 

2) Dictionaries easy to include

2.2.5 Impact on Japan‟s dictionary 

Sales 

• Print dictionaries 

compilation 

• Handheld electronic 

dictionaries 

Asahi Simbun (Newspaper), 

July. 19, 2009

“Online Revolution” 

Asahi Shimbun [newspaper](10/02/04) 

• Electronic dictionaries outsold paper ones 

in 2003. 

• [Dictionary] Publishers receive only token 

fees for providing electronic dictionary 

data, ranging from less than 100 yen [0.85 

CAD] to less than 1,000 yen per unit 

shipped

Ikuko Takano, manager of electronic 

publishing at Sanseido Corporation 

“We will not be able to finance updates of 

existing [paper] dictionaries or 

compilations of new ones if things remain 

unchanged.'' 

(IHT/Asahi: June 2, 2005)

Japan‟s dictionary compilation: 

stagnation 

• Print dictionaries: 

- Sales declining 

- Revision intervals 

widening 

• Handheld electronic 

dictionaries: 

- Reached saturation 

point 

- Depend contents on 

print dictionaries 

Lexicographers: endangered spices

Two types of hopefuls 

• Dictionary 

consultation has been 

in among elementary 

school kids. 

• Techno-savvy whiz 

kids

3 English Databases in Japan 

3.1 Eijro (1.7 mil entries) 

3.2 1.8 Mil-Word E-J/J-E Databases 

3.3 [One Mil-Word] Comprehensive 

Database of Technical Terminology

3.1 Eijiro 

• a bilingual English-Japanese database 

• On the web: free of charge 

; CD-ROM (5 th ed., 2010, 

28 CAD) 

• compiled over 20 years by a group of 

professional translators known as EDP 

(Electronic Dictionary Project) 

• growing at a rate of 10,000 words per month 

• 1.72 million E-J entries (Eijiro, 5th ed. 2010: 13) 

• 2.07 million J-E entries 

(http://www.eijiro.jp/e/index.htm)

Eijiro 

• aims to be the most comprehensive dictionary, 

covering the range from everyday to technical 

vocabulary and providing practical and useful 

phrases and examples (Eijiro, 5th ed. 2010: 13) 

• Evolved from a database format intended mainly 

for professionals into a popularly used dictionary 

structure, displaying dictionary-like 

characteristics: numbered sense discriminations, 

and grammar and usage annotations.


Consult the underlined part in Eijoro: 

The industry could be forgiven for thinking 

that when it comes to brand extension, 

anything goes. 

(Claire Cozens. “Brand New World.” The 

Guardian, 11/03/02)


・You could be forgiven for thinking 

~と考えるのも無理はない。 

• You can confirm that it is an idiomatic 

expression 

• You come across the kind of translation 

that ordinary people can not come up with 

from totaling up the meanings of the words 

involved.

Flexible collocation search 

What is the appropriate adjective 

本格中華 

(real) Chinese dish

Two approaches to collocation 

search 

• ↓ Paradigmatic relations 

(e.g. consult 本格 in a JED for the 

synonyms) 

• → Syntagmatic relations 

(e.g. consult “dish” in a collocation 

dictionary for collocates)


• You can enter a combination of Japanese and 

English “ 本格 dish”. 

• The dictionary cross-searches the database 

– the Japanese component by 本格 and the 

English component by “dish” – 

to bring an example which includes both 本格 and 

dish.


・本格的な中華料理を出す 

serve authentic Chinese dishes 

• Combines paradigmatic and syntagmatic 

approaches 

• Offers a reliable and sophisticated method 

of collocation search

Shortcomings of Eijiro 

• EPD takes no responsibility for the content 

of the data. Users are to judge the 

accuracy, reliability, usefulness, 

appropriateness, up-to-dateness, etc. of 

the data at their own risk (Eijiro, 5 th ed. 

2010: 2). 

• Haphazard approach: adding info as they 

go along

3.2 

1.8 Mil-Word E-J/J-E Databases 

• Nichigai Associates, Inc.: a database company 

• Established in 1965 

• Accumulates, documents, and provides 

information on literature, people, incidents, 

terminology, etc. 

• 1986 NICHIGAI ASSIST (online info provision) 

• 1997 NICHIGAI/WEB Service (flat fixed rate) 

• 1999 WEB/NICHIGAI ASSIST (pay as you go) 

http://www.nichigai.co.jp/info/index.html

Way to 1.8 Million 

• Inter Press Corporation: 

• 1979: 40,000 words 

• 1983: 250,000 words (each): E-J 1,927 pp. / J-E 1,888 

pp.; 103 CAD (each) 

• 1990: 350,000 words (each): E-J 2,073 pp. /J-E 1,767 pp. 

• Nichigai Associates: 

• 2001: 450,000 words (each): E-J 2,158 pp. / J-E 2,170 

pp.; 376 CAD (each): E-J/J-E CD-ROM 447 CAD 

• 2002: 1.3 mil words; CD-ROM; 1,059 CAD (science & 

technology+biomedicine+business) 

• 2003: 1.8 mil words; CD-ROM; 1,211 CAD

Genres 

• Thermal power generation(JIS) approx.4,300 terms 

• NASA abbreviations 300 

• Aerospace 4,000 

• Genetics (academic) 9,200 

• Biotechnology (JIS) 1,300 

• Medicine, biology 32,500 

• Automotives 11,800 

• Chemistry (academic) 13,100 

• Spinning machinery(JIS) 800 

Adapted from: 

http://www.sii.co.jp/cp/products/english/srg8000/page02.html

JIS [Japanese Industrial Standards] 

terms 

Translation: 

ABACA Manila hemp [chemistry] 

3.3 [One Mil-Word] Comprehensive 

Database of Technical Terminology 

“The CJK Dictionary Institute maintains 

a comprehensive Japanese-English 

bilingual, bidirectional database of over 

1,000,000 technical terms covering a 

broad spectrum of fields ranging from 

computer science to biotechnology.” 

http://www.cjk.org/cjk/samples/japterm.htm

Database Applications 

• Machine translation dictionaries 

• Information retrieval applications for accurate 

term recognition and indexing 

• NLP tools like morphological analyzers and 

tokenizers 

• Handheld electronic dictionaries 

• In CD-ROM format, as in Logovista's Electronic 

Dictionary Series 

• Smart phone applications 

http://www.cjk.org/cjk/samples/japterm.htm

List of Domains 

Terms verified / to be verified 

A Computer/IT 126,045 / 224,350 

B Electricity/Electronics 50,838 / 83,543 

C Physics, Nuclear engineering 12,916 / 15,342 

D Mechanical Engineering 99,898 / 175,624 

E Chemistry, Industrial Chemistry118,609 / 198,338 

G Civil Engineering 22,366 / 43,269 

H Metallurgy 14,640 / 26,029 

I Geology, Astronomy 29,560 / 42,466 

… 

Total 1,002,015 / 1,567,122 

Adapted from: http://www.cjk.org/cjk/samples/japterm.htm

Sample of Japanese-English 

Technical Terms 

Japanese Reading English 

アカンサスアカンサス acanthus 

酸腐食サンフショク acid corrosion 

アエロライトアエロライト aerolite 

大気中放射線タイキチュウホウシャセン air radiation 

非晶質鉱物ヒショウシツコウブツ amorphous mineral 

アンカー爪アンカーツメ anchor fluke 

Adapted from: http://www.cjk.org/cjk/samples/japterm.htm

Casio: XD-GF10000

Look up “ 透過 ” („permeation‟)

透過 

penetration« 電気・電子 »« 物理・原子力 »« 化学・工 

業化学 »« 土木・建設 »« 金属 »« 地学・天文 »« 生命科 

学 » 

percolation« 農林水産 » 

permeation« 物理・原子力 »« 機械 »« 化学・工業化 

学 »« 金属 »« 生命科学 »« 医学・薬学 » 

transmission« 電気・電子 »« 物理・原子力 »« 機械 » 

« 化学・工業科学 »« 土木・建築 »« 金属 »« 地学・天文 

»« 生命科学 »« 医学・薬学 »« 環境 » 

transparency« 情報処理 »

4 Summing up and looking forward 

• Proposal for: A dictionary-cum-database 

4.1 A case of EFL dictionary 

4.2 Electronic revolution 

4.3 A case of handheld electronic dictionary 

4.4 Possible future developments

4.1 A case of EFL dictionary 

“Dual-Track Approach” by Macmillan ED 

• 7.500 words: for reception and production 

• Less frequent words: for reception 

“This „dual-track‟ approach has great benefits for 

the user: productive vocabulary is described in 

depth, while the brevity of „receptive‟ entries 

enables us to include much more vocabulary of 

this type.” (“Introduction,” v)

Shortcomings of EFL dictionaries 

• Intended for the global market 

• Offer limited help for production 

- less frequent words 

- multi-word lexical items 

• Productive EFL dictionaries provide too 

selective information.

4.2 Electronic revolution 

• Boundaries between dictionaries lowered. 

• Dictionaries can be put to different uses 

than originally intended. 

- Distinction between receptive and 

productive dictionaries makes less sense. 

However, it is questionable: 

Materials prepared for reception are 

readily useful for production.

4.3 A case of handheld electronic 

dictionary 

Casio‟s XD-A9800 supplements 

a database 

([One Mil-Word] Comprehensive Database 

of Technical Terminology) 

with 

a J-E specialized dictionary 

(New J-E Dictionary of Natural Science).

New Japanese-English Dictionary 

of Natural Science 

• Revised & enlarged ed. 2009 

• Ogura Shoten 

• 153,000 words and examples 

• 395 CAD

透過 

transmission; permeation; penetration 

• 正透過 

regular transmission; 

direct transmission 

• 透過型蛍光計 

a transmission type 

fluorometer 

• 透過型コンピューター 

断層撮影法 

transmission computed 

tomography 

透過写真上に溶接部の欠陥 

と紛らわしい陰影が生じない 

よう注意する。 

Care should be taken not to 

cause shadow liable to be 

confused with weld defects 

on the photograph. 

水が水深 10m 位まで透過す 

る。 

Light penetrates to a depth 

of about 10 meters.

Why not merge them: 

A dictionary-cum-database 

• Vast amounts of info are available. 

• Users‟ purposes/preferences are variegated. 

- Some need guidance on usage and examples 

but others are only after exquivalents. 

Arrangements should be made for necessary info 

to be selected.

Keys to the future developments 

• Organization/classification 

• Presentation 

• Adaptation 

- incl. bilingualization

Two types of synonym dictionary 

cumulative synonymy A SYNONYM 

DICTIONARY or thesaurus in which 

expressions of similar meanings are listed 

and classified into semantic groups 

without definitions or SENSE 

DISCRIMINATION. 

→ DISTINCTIVE SYNONYMY 

(Hartmann and James 1998)

Lexicographers and terminologists 

should join forces.

References (1) 

• Hartmann, R. R. K. and Gregory James. 1998. 

Dictionary of Lexicography. London: Routledge. 

• Murata, Minoru, et al. 2007. “Kokoseiyo 

Denshijiho oyobi Eigojujitsugata no Daigakusei 

Ippan Shakaijinyo Denshijisho ni tsuite no 

Hikakukenkyu [A Comparative Study of Handheld 

Electronic Dictionaries for High School 

Students and for University Students and Adults 

with Advanced English Contents].” Wayo Joshi 

Daigaku Kiyo [Wayo Women’s University 

Journal], No. 47. 71-92.

References (2) 

• Rundell, Michael, ed. 2002. Macmillan English Dictionary. 

1 st ed. Oxford: Macmillan. 

• Yamada, Shigeru. Forthcoming. “Electronic Revolution in 

Dictionary Consultation:Hand-held Electronic, Online, 

and CD-ROM Reference Tools in Japan.” Ed. Zhang, 

Yihua. Proceedings of the First International Symposium 

on Lexicography and L2 Teaching and Learning, 

Guangzhou, China. Shanghai: Shanghai Commercial 

Press. 

• Yamada, Shigeru. 2009. “Dictionary Use by Japanese 

College Students of English between 1997 and 2009.” 

The 6th Biennial Conference of the Asian Association for 

Lexicography. Imperial Queen‟s Park Hotel (Bangkok). 

Aug. 20-22.

Asialex 2011 Kyoto 

The 7th biennial conference of 

the Asian Association for Lexicography 

Kyoto, Japan 

Tentative date: August 22-24, 2011 

http://www.asialex.org/

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