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Multicultural Library Service & The Foreign Language Materials Corner

Saitama prefectural libraries set up The Foreign Language Materials Corner on Kumagaya Library. We promote multicultural library service (library service primarily for ethnic, linguistic and cultural minorities) in our community. (Last updated: March 2026)

Facility

Saitama Prefectural Kumagaya Library

5-6-1 Hakoda, Kumagaya-shi, 360-0014
TEL: 048-523-6291
FAX: 048-523-6468

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The Foreign Language Materials Corner

There are about 270,000 foreign residents from 165 different countries living in Saitama Prefecture. The Saitama Prefectural Libraries collect foreign language materials for their better understanding the Japanese way of life and for providing them with information from their various native lands.

The Kumagaya Library holds about 22,000 books in 42 languages including Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, English, and Portuguese etc, 10 newspapers in 5 languages, and 40 magazines in 7 languages. They are shelved in the foreign language materials corner on the 3rd floor of the Kumagaya Library. Our librarians will provide support for you in accessing the required information resources.

The library aims not only to give visitors access to foreign language materials but to present our community with events and exhibitions to foster cultural exchanges.

  • 外国語資料コーナー.jpg

    The foreign language material corner

  • picture of magazine corner

    Magazines

Corner map


コーナー図2024eng.PNG

1. Chinese 6. French 11. Foreign textbooks (China, Korea)
2. Korean 7. Spanish 12. Foreign textbooks (USA, Vietnam, Brazil)
3. Thai, Vietnamese, etc * 8. Portuguese 13. Side reader (USA, UK)
4. English 9. Italian,Russian,etc 14. Books for Japanese as the second language
5. German 10. Multilingual Lifestyle
Guidebooks		 15. Overseas brouchure

*Thai, Bengali, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Malay, Tagalog, Hindii, Urdu, Persian, Arabic, Turkish, Laos, Tajik, Tibetan, Nepali

Foreign language materials

Books

We are developing our collection of foreign language materials written in Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, English, and Portuguese as our priority languages.

Please feel free to ask which libraries have the book you would like to read, if it has been translated in Japanese, or any question on library materials. → Let's ask a librarian

How to search for foreign language books

We have online catalogue for Japanese"詳細蔵書検索" , English"Detailed Search", and Easy Japanese"くわしく さがす".

  • As well as library materials in Japanese, you may search foreign language materials by title, author name, publisher, publication year, language, etc.
  • If you check the box "海外資料(foreign book)" on the detailed search page, the system will search materials from foreign books for general users and foreign magazines. To search Saitama local materials in foreign languages, check the box "Saitama local material".
  • Click on a title you would like to read, it will show the "Item details". On that page, you may see "Detailed information" and reserve library materials.
  • We use Romanized data or eliminate accent marks for some of foreign language materials.
  • In the case the book has been published in Japanese version, we can search by the title in Japanese. When you don't know the original title, it would help you.

We wrote some tips to search non-Japanese language books at Web-OPAC (catalogue). Please check " How to search for foreign language books ".

List of books in each language

Click each name of the following languages, our system will turn the result searched by the language name.

Foreign textbooks

We hold about 1,200 textbooks and side readers of 6 countries.
This is the list of textbooks in the Foreign Language Materials Corner.

Magazines

Here is the List of the magazines in the Foreign Language Materials Corner.
Old issues (2 years passed) and the latest issue are in-library use only.

Newspapers

Here is the List of the newspaper in the Foreign Language Materials Corner.
We keep back numbers in 3 years. Please use them in the library.

Information papers from city halls and international associations

This is the list of information papers from city halls and international associations.
Please ask about back numbers at the counter on the 3rd floor.

Title Language Publisher

Friendship News

(Until 2020)

 Japanese Saitama International Association
Hello Friends Japanese Fujimino International Cultural Exchange Center
HIFA News Letter Japanese Hidaka International Friendship Association
Information Fujimino Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Korean, Filipino, Vietnamese, English, Portuguese Fujimino International Cultural Exchange Center
IRUMA COM+COM Simplified Chinese, English, Spanish, Portuguese Iruma City, Iruma International Friendship Society

Kokusai Koryu News

(Until 2021)

 Japanese Iruma International Friendship Society
Kompeito : Kasukabe International Friendship Association News Japanese Kasukabe International Friendship Association
Koshigaya Messenger Simplified Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Vietnamese, Filipino, English Community Activity Support Section, Koshigaya City
KUMAGAYA FRIENDS Simplified Chinese, English Public Relations Section, Kumagaya City
MISATO VIEW Japanese, English Assistance for Citizen's Activity Division, Misato City
NIFA dayori Japanese Niiza International Friendship Association

Pulala

(Until 2019)

 Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Korean, English, Spanish Saitama city Association for Global Awareness
Shake Hands Japanese Kumagaya International Friendship Association
SIFA Newsletter Japanese Sayama International Friendship Association
TiFA Japanese Toda International Friendship Association
TIFA Newsletter Japanese Tsurugashima International Friendship Association

Tomo×Tomo

Publication will end in February 2024. This content will be transitioned to the multicultural online magazine "発見!川口".

 Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, English Kawaguchi city Cooperative promotion department symbiosis person in charge of multi cultures

Multilingual Lifestyle Guidebooks Produced by Saitama Prefecture and Local Municipalities

We hold Multilingual helpful guidebooks for daily life in Saitama, published by the prefectural and local governments in Saitama. The guides are available for borrowing.

"Nihongo wo manabu" Books on Japanese as the second language

We Saitama Prefectural Libraries support learners of Japanese language to live, work, raise their children in Saitama Prefecture. We have books for learners of Japanese language as the second language.
The languages of the main text are Chinese(Traditional and Simplified), Korean, Vietnamese, English, Portuguese, Thai, Malay, Tagalog, Indonesian, Burmese, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Russian and Japanese.
For more information, look at the page "Books on Japanese as the second language."

Mini exhibition and events

Mini exhibition and New titles

MiniExhibition.jpg

We have foreign book displays corresponding to seasons, certain topics, and newly arrived books. All books can be checked out. Please check "Mini exhibition and New titles" .

Books about Japanese Culture

BooksAboutJapan.jpgf5cdfbe17c1e4b89670ca078ff545d23.png

Books will help you learn about Japan, providing you information on Japanese society and culture.
If you want to check the books, please see The foreign-language exhibition
'Books about Japanese Culture2' (PDF:1.1 MB).
'Books about Japanese Culture1' (PDF:729.4 KB).

Events

Here is(are) up-coming and finished events.

On February 9, 2025, we held a workshop on the appeal of Vietnamese literature. The event featured a lecture and a workshop on Vietnamese literature.

          On November 11, 12, and 13, 2025, we conducted a workshop for students at a Japanese language school in Kumagaya City to introduce them to how to use the library and the foreign language materials section.

    Let's ask a librarian

    Please feel free to ask librarians for assistance when you are looking for materials or information.
    You may ask us for information for research and study purpose by e-mail, at the reference desk of each prefectural library, or our website: Reference service

    Library Guides (PDF) in 8 languages

    We published library guides in the following languages.

    Get Adobe Reader The viewing of these PDF files requires the installation of Adobe Reader. Please click the icon "Get Adobe Reader" to download and install the newest free version. The page for download is Japanese.

    Statistics of our library holdings for the multicultural service

    Book: 22,195 books
    including 4,315 in Chinese, 2,248 in Korean, 405 in Vietnamese, 11,202 in English, and 1,056 in Portuguese.

    Magazine: 40 titles

    Journal: 10 titles

    as of March 31, 2026

    About us: Section for Multicultural Services

    As part of the internal reorganization of the prefectural libraries in the fiscal year 2003, the Saitama Prefectural Libraries have established a section for foreign language materials in the Kumagaya Library. From April 1, 2024, the department has been renamed the Multicultural Services Department. We have 2 basic policies: to promote multicultural library services to multicultural populations in Saitama and to provide local residents with opportunities for international cultural exchanges.

    Volunteer translators

    Thank you for considering volunteering opportunities at Saitama Prefectural Libraries. We are working with volunteer translators in 8 languages (English, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Portuguese, French, Spanish, and Indonesian)as of March 31, 2026. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.