The Nippon Decimal Classification (NDC, also called the Nippon Decimal System) is a system of
library classification
A library classification is a system of organization of knowledge by which library resources are arranged and ordered systematically. Library classifications are a notational system that represents the order of topics in the classification and al ...
developed for mainly Japanese-language books maintained and revised by the
Japan Library Association
The Japan Library Association (JLA) () is a professional organization for librarians in Japan. Its mission is to promote libraries and librarian education throughout Japan. It is also a member of the International Federation of Library Associat ...
since 1948. Originally developed in 1929 by Kiyoshi Mori, the 10th and latest edition of this system was published in 2014. The decimal notation system is similar to the
Dewey Decimal System, and the order of main classes is inspired from the
Cutter Expansive Classification. The system is based upon using a three digit number to classify subjects, where more digits can be added if necessary and a decimal point is used to separate the third and fourth digit. The first division level is called a class, the second level is called a division, and the third level is called a section. Each '1-9' digit is used to represent a specific category, with the digit '0' being used to represent general works.
Main classes
The system is made up of ten categories:
* 000 General
* 100 Philosophy
* 200 History
* 300
Social sciences
Social science is one of the branches of science, devoted to the study of society, societies and the Social relation, relationships among individuals within those societies. The term was formerly used to refer to the field of sociology, the o ...
* 400
Natural sciences
Natural science is one of the branches of science concerned with the description, understanding and prediction of natural phenomena, based on empirical evidence from observation and experimentation. Mechanisms such as peer review and repeat ...
* 500 Technology
* 600 Industry
* 700 Arts
* 800
Language
Language is a structured system of communication. The structure of a language is its grammar and the free components are its vocabulary. Languages are the primary means by which humans communicate, and may be conveyed through a variety of ...
* 900 Literature
Description of the Divisions
000 General
The General category contains books that contain general information, rather than information about specific topics. The sub-categories of the General category are:
*010 Libraries,
Library & information science
*020 Books,
Bibliography
Bibliography (from and ), as a discipline, is traditionally the academic study of books as physical, cultural objects; in this sense, it is also known as bibliology (from ). English author and bibliographer John Carter describes ''bibliography ...
*030 Encyclopaedias
*040 General collected essays
*050 General
serial publications
*060 General societies
*070 Journalism, Newspapers
*080 General collections
*090
Rare books, Local collections,
Special collections
100 Philosophy
The Philosophy category contains books that contain information regarding philosophy, religion, and psychology. The sub-categories of the Philosophy category are:
*110 Special treatises on philosophy
*120
Oriental philosophy
*130
Western philosophy
Western philosophy encompasses the philosophical thought and work of the Western world. Historically, the term refers to the philosophical thinking of Western culture, beginning with the ancient Greek philosophy of the pre-Socratics. The wo ...
*140
Psychology
Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immense scope, crossing the boundaries betwe ...
*150 Ethics & morals
*160 Religion
*170
Shinto
Shinto () is a religion from Japan. Classified as an East Asian religion by scholars of religion, its practitioners often regard it as Japan's indigenous religion and as a nature religion. Scholars sometimes call its practitioners ''Shintoist ...
*180
Buddhism
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
*190 Christianity
200 History
The History category contains books that contain information regarding local and foreign history. The sub-categories of the History category are:
*210
History of Japan
*220
History of Asia
The history of Asia can be seen as the collective history of several distinct peripheral coastal regions such as East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia and the Middle East linked by the interior mass of the Eurasian steppe. See History of th ...
*230
History of Europe
The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (800 BC to AD 500), the Middle Ages (AD 500 to AD 1500), and the modern era (since AD 1500).
The first earl ...
*240
History of Africa
The history of Africa begins with the emergence of hominids, archaic humans and — around 300–250,000 years ago— anatomically modern humans (''Homo sapiens''), in East Africa, and continues unbroken into the present as a patchwork of di ...
*250
History of North America
History of North America encompasses the past developments of people populating the continent of North America. While it was widely believed that continent first became a human habitat when people migrated across the Bering Sea 40,000 to 17, ...
*260
History of South America
The history of South America is the study of the past, particularly the written record, oral histories, and traditions, passed down from generation to generation on the continent of South America. The continent continues to be home to indigeno ...
*270
History of Oceania &
Polar region
The polar regions, also called the frigid zones or polar zones, of Earth are the regions of the planet that surround its geographical poles (the North and South Poles), lying within the polar circles. These high latitudes are dominated by flo ...
*280 Biography
*290
Geography
Geography (from Greek: , ''geographia''. Combination of Greek words ‘Geo’ (The Earth) and ‘Graphien’ (to describe), literally "earth description") is a field of science devoted to the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, a ...
,
Topography
Topography is the study of the forms and features of land surfaces. The topography of an area may refer to the land forms and features themselves, or a description or depiction in maps.
Topography is a field of geoscience and planetary s ...
, Travel
300 Social Sciences
The Social Sciences category contains books that contain information regarding modern day society, such as government systems and cultural traditions. The sub-categories of the Social Sciences category are:
*310 Politics
*320 Law
*330 Economics
*340 Finance
*350 Statistics
*360 Sociology
*370 Education
*380 Customs,
Folklore
Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as Narrative, tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, r ...
,
Ethnology
Ethnology (from the grc-gre, ἔθνος, meaning 'nation') is an academic field that compares and analyzes the characteristics of different peoples and the relationships between them (compare cultural, social, or sociocultural anthropology) ...
*390 National defence,
Military science
400 Natural Sciences
The Natural Sciences category contains books that contain information regarding the natural world, such as plants, animals, and natural laws, such as math and physics. The sub-categories of the Natural Sciences category are:
*410 Mathematics
*420
Physics
Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which rel ...
*430
Chemistry
*440
Astronomy
Astronomy () is a natural science that studies astronomical object, celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and chronology of the Universe, evolution. Objects of interest ...
,
Space science
Space is the boundless Three-dimensional space, three-dimensional extent in which Physical body, objects and events have relative position (geometry), position and direction (geometry), direction. In classical physics, physical space is often ...
*450
Earth science
Earth science or geoscience includes all fields of natural science related to the planet Earth. This is a branch of science dealing with the physical, chemical, and biological complex constitutions and synergistic linkages of Earth's four spher ...
*460
Biology
Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditar ...
*470
Botany
Botany, also called plant science (or plant sciences), plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "bot ...
*480
Zoology
Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and ...
*490 Medicine,
Pharmacology
Pharmacology is a branch of medicine, biology and pharmaceutical sciences concerned with drug or medication action, where a drug may be defined as any artificial, natural, or endogenous (from within the body) molecule which exerts a biochemi ...
500 Technology and Engineering
The Technology & Engineering category contains books that contain information regarding man-made scientific achievements. The sub-categories of the Technology & Engineering category are:
*510 Construction, Civil engineering
*520 Architecture
*530 Mechanical engineering,
Nuclear engineering
Nuclear engineering is the branch of engineering concerned with the application of breaking down atomic nuclei (fission) or of combining atomic nuclei ( fusion), or with the application of other sub-atomic processes based on the principles of nu ...
*540
Electrical
Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter that has a property of electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described ...
&
Electronic engineering
Electronics engineering is a sub-discipline of electrical engineering which emerged in the early 20th century and is distinguished by the additional use of active components such as semiconductor devices to amplify and control electric current ...
*550 Maritime &
Naval engineer
A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It include ...
ing
*560 Metal &
Mining engineering
Mining in the engineering discipline is the extraction of minerals from underneath, open pit, above or on the ground. Mining engineering is associated with many other disciplines, such as mineral processing, exploration, excavation, geology, and ...
*570
Chemical technology
Chemical engineering is an engineering field which deals with the study of operation and design of chemical plants as well as methods of improving production. Chemical engineers develop economical commercial processes to convert raw materials int ...
*580 Manufacturing
*590
Domestic arts and sciences
600 Industry and Commerce
The Industry and Commerce category contains books that contain information regarding business, products, transportation systems, and money. The sub-categories of the Industry and Commerce category are:
*610 Agriculture
*620 Horticulture
*630
Silk industry
*640
Animal husbandry
Animal husbandry is the branch of agriculture concerned with animals that are raised for meat, fibre, milk, or other products. It includes day-to-day care, selective breeding, and the raising of livestock. Husbandry has a long history, star ...
*650
Forestry
Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests, woodlands, and associated resources for human and environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands. ...
*660 Fishing
*670 Commerce
*680 Transportation & Traffic
*690 Communications
700 Arts
The Arts category contains books that contain information regarding various art forms, such as paintings, writing, and music. The sub-categories of the Arts category are:
*710
Plastic arts
Plastic arts are art forms which involve physical manipulation of a plastic medium by molding or modeling such as sculpture or ceramics. Less often the term may be used broadly for all the visual arts (such as painting, sculpture, film and p ...
(sculpture)
*720 Painting &
Calligraphy
*730
Engraving
Engraving is the practice of incising a design onto a hard, usually flat surface by cutting grooves into it with a burin. The result may be a decorated object in itself, as when silver, gold, steel, or glass are engraved, or may provide an i ...
*740 Photography & Printing
*750
Craft
A craft or trade is a pastime or an occupation that requires particular skills and knowledge of skilled work. In a historical sense, particularly the Middle Ages and earlier, the term is usually applied to people occupied in small scale pr ...
*760 Music & Dance
*770 Theatre, Motion Pictures
*780
Sports
Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, ...
,
Physical Education
Physical education, often abbreviated to Phys Ed. or P.E., is a subject taught in schools around the world. It is usually taught during primary and secondary education, and encourages psychomotor learning by using a play and movement explora ...
*790
Recreation
Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or ple ...
, Amusements
800 Language
The Language category contains books that contain information regarding various languages spoken around the world. The sub-categories of the Language category are:
*810 Japanese
*820 Chinese
*830 English
*840 German
*850 French
*860 Spanish
*870 Italian
*880 Russian
*890 Other languages
900 Literature
The Literature category contains books with fictional content, such as romance novels and adventure stories. The sub-categories of the Literature category are:
*910
Japanese literature
Japanese literature throughout most of its history has been influenced by cultural contact with neighboring Asian literatures, most notably China and its literature. Early texts were often written in pure Classical Chinese or , a Chinese-Japan ...
*920
Chinese literature
*930 English &
American literature
*940
German literature
German literature () comprises those literary texts written in the German language. This includes literature written in Germany, Austria, the German parts of Switzerland and Belgium, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, South Tyrol in Italy and to a l ...
*950
French literature
French literature () generally speaking, is literature written in the French language, particularly by citizens of France; it may also refer to literature written by people living in France who speak traditional languages of France other than Fr ...
*960
Spanish literature
Spanish literature generally refers to literature ( Spanish poetry, prose, and drama) written in the Spanish language within the territory that presently constitutes the Kingdom of Spain. Its development coincides and frequently intersects wit ...
*970
Italian literature
Italian literature is written in the Italian language, particularly within Italy. It may also refer to literature written by Italians or in other languages spoken in Italy, often languages that are closely related to modern Italian, including ...
*980 Russian &
Soviet literature
Russian literature refers to the literature of Russia and its émigrés and to Russian-language literature. The roots of Russian literature can be traced to the Middle Ages, when epics and chronicles in Old East Slavic were composed. By the A ...
*990 Other language literature
References
External links
Japan Library Association
{{Authority control
Library cataloging and classification
Decimal classification systems