An East Asian collection could be fully utilised along with the knowledge base in the English language even by people without specialised language skills, if there is a linked system of bibliographic information which enables the researcher to go back and forth between English and Japanese language materials. This linked system can be an expert reference librarian for Japanese studies, or an enhanced, sophisticated information system envisioned as library catalogue of the 21st century by some American librarians2. The need for primary research among Japan specialists and a mounting interest in contemporary Japan contribute to this tendency. As you know, grey literature consists of publications which are not available through regular commercial channels, including government documents, reports of various organisations such as think tanks and industrial associations, exhibition catalogues, and so on. Usually they are not collected so comprehensively by university libraries in Japan, and perhaps the situation is similar in Japanese collections overseas.
Librarians search such kinds of publications often on demand.
They have difficulties in finding them, because bibliographic control of grey literature is not well organised in Japan, even for the government documents which comprise the major component of grey literature. The third change is that of the increasing need for electronic resources on Japan. This expectation has been intensifying along with the prevalence of electronic media in English language materials. Yet there is a big gap between what is expected and what is available. There are hardware difficulties and software problems.