JBDB API

Query the Japan Biographical Database for historical Japanese figures via the LoopBack REST API.

Critical: Things Claude Won't Know Without This Skill

API base URL:

https://jbdb.jp/api

Response structure is flat (unlike CBDB's nested format):

GET /BiogMains → returns array of person objects directly
GET /BiogMains/{id} → returns a single person object

LoopBack filter syntax — all query filtering uses a JSON filter parameter:

GET /BiogMains?filter={"where":{"cName":"松尾芭蕉"}}

Name fields: Each person has three name variants:

• cName — Japanese characters (e.g., 松尾芭蕉)
• cNameFurigana — Furigana reading (e.g., まつおばしょう)
• cNameRomaji — Romanized name (e.g., Matsuo Basho)

Encoding: Pass Japanese characters as UTF-8 directly — do not URL-encode into hex.

Python Script

Use scripts/jbdb_api.py for programmatic access (zero dependencies):

from scripts.jbdb_api import JBDBAPI
api = JBDBAPI()

# By name (Japanese, furigana, or romaji — searches all name fields)
persons = api.search_by_name("松尾芭蕉")
persons = api.search_by_name("Matsuo Basho")

# By ID (most precise)
person = api.query_by_id(12345)

# Extract structured data
alt_names = api.get_alt_names(person_id)       # alternative names
kinship = api.get_kinship(person_id)           # family relations
nonkinship = api.get_nonkinship(person_id)     # non-family associations
events = api.get_events(person_id)             # events involving this person
history = api.get_personal_history(person_id)  # personal history records

# Formatted summary
print(api.summarize(person))

The script handles rate limiting, retries, and LoopBack filter construction automatically.

Quick Reference

Search by Japanese name:

https://jbdb.jp/api/BiogMains?filter={"where":{"cName":"松尾芭蕉"}}

Search by romaji (regex, case-insensitive):

https://jbdb.jp/api/BiogMains?filter={"where":{"cNameRomaji":{"regexp":"/Matsuo/i"}}}

Search across all name fields:

https://jbdb.jp/api/BiogMains?filter={"where":{"or":[{"cName":{"regexp":"/芭蕉/i"}},{"cNameFurigana":{"regexp":"/ばしょう/i"}},{"cNameRomaji":{"regexp":"/Basho/i"}}]}}

Query by ID:

https://jbdb.jp/api/BiogMains/12345

Get kinship for a person:

https://jbdb.jp/api/KinData?filter={"where":{"cPersonid":12345}}

Priority: ID > exact Japanese name > regex search (regex may return many matches).

Handling Results

Multiple results: Use additional context (dates, occupation, place) to identify the correct person. If ambiguous, present options to the user.

Empty results: Returns [] for find operations or 404 for findById. Try alternative name forms (kanji vs romaji vs furigana).

Key BiogMain fields: cPersonid, cName, cNameFurigana, cNameRomaji, cFemale, cByNengoYear, cByNengoCode, cDyNengoYear, cDeathAge, cOccupationCodes, cStatusCodes, cPlaceCode, cNotes

Lookup Tables

The API uses numeric codes that map to descriptive values. Use these endpoints to resolve codes:

| Code Field | Lookup Endpoint | Description Fields | |---|---|---| | cOccupationCodes | /OccupationCodes/{id} | cOccupationDesc, cOccupationDescTrans | | cStatusCodes | /StatusCodes/{id} | cStatusDesc, cStatusDescTrans | | cPlaceCode | /PlaceCodes/{id} | cPlaceName, cPlaceNameRomaji | | cByNengoCode | /NengoCodes/{id} | cNengoName, cNengoNameRomaji | | cKinCode | /KinshipCodes/{id} | cKinrel, cKinrelTrans | | cNonkinCode | /NonkinshipCodes/{id} | cNonkinrel, cNonkinrelTrans |

Related Skills

• cbdb-api: Sister project for Chinese historical figures — similar concept, different API structure
• chgis-tgaz: Look up associated locations in the CHGIS Temporal Gazetteer
• wikidata-search: Cross-reference JBDB figures with Wikidata for external identifiers

Resources

• references/api_reference.md — Complete endpoint specs, all parameters, response schemas
• scripts/jbdb_api.py — Python client with rate limiting and structured data extraction
• JBDB Project — Official project website
• API Spec — Swagger/OpenAPI documentation