kltng 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 schemasscripts/jbdb_api.py— Python client with rate limiting and structured data extraction- JBDB Project — Official project website
- API Spec — Swagger/OpenAPI documentation