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Connect Ndl Japan Library Search to ChatGPT and Claude

Set it up once and it works in ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, and any other client you love. It all runs safely in the background, so you can relax and focus on what really matters. Access the complete bibliographic memory of Japan through your AI agent.

Ask AI about this Connector

Developed, maintained, and hosted by Vinkius.

MCP VERIFIED · PRODUCTION READY · VINKIUS GUARANTEED

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Works with modern AI clients that support MCP, including ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, and more.

ChatGPTClaudeCursorPerplexityGeminiMicrosoft CopilotRaycastMeta AI

Your AI does the work. We keep it safe and sound.

No other AI tool gives you this. Your workflow runs in the client you already love, your account stays protected, and you decide what the agent can and cannot do. It is the whole reason to make the switch.

Each Connector lives inside our infrastructure, the same place where your workflow runs. The three things below are already part of it, working quietly in the background so you never have to think about them. Nothing to add, nothing to set up, nothing to worry about.

A futuristic MCP client docking bay
V8 Isolate01

Each Connector runs inside its own sealed environment.

Each Connector runs inside its own sealed V8 runtime — no access to your files, your system, or other servers. A Connector never sees past its own request.

Kill Switch02

One switch stops every agent. Instantly.

One action deactivates every Connector, revokes every token, and ends every session at once. AI Governance keeps the record.

FinOps per User03

Spending limits that pause instead of surprise.

Every user keeps their own connections and credentials, isolated from everyone else. Anything that would cross your spending limit is held for your approval, not billed.

Three controls, built into the layer your AI connects through.

Curated set · 3 capabilities

We ship only the actions that matter.

Capability set01 / 01

01-03

3 capabilities in this set.

Part of 3 available through NDL Search.

  1. 01

    Find book by isbn

    This capability retrieves authoritative Japanese bibliographic data using an ISBN. It automatically handles the hyphenation required by the NDL API for both ISBN-10 and ISBN-13.

  2. 02

    Search national library

    This capability queries the National Diet Library catalog for books, journals, dissertations, and government documents. You can search by title, author, publisher, or any other field using Japanese or English terms.

  3. 03

    Search digitized history

    This capability searches the NDL Digitized Collections for scanned historical materials. It finds free digital versions of Meiji and Edo era books, old maps, and rare journals, providing direct links to the NDL viewer.

Real work

What teams actually run

01

Academic Research

Find specific PhD theses or journal articles within the Japanese national collection.

02

Historical Investigation

Locate digitized maps and government documents from the Meiji era.

03

Bibliographic Verification

Confirm exact publication dates, volumes, and page numbers for Japanese books.

04

Translation Accuracy

Retrieve the correct kanji spelling for book titles and authors via ISBN.

One connector, every AI

NDL Search works with the most popular AI clients.

These are the most popular clients, each with a step-by-step guide: one link, set up once, with governance and visibility built in. And because everything runs on the MCP standard, the same connection also works in any other compatible client — nothing to rebuild.

ClaudeClaudeChatGPTChatGPTGeminiGeminiPerplexityPerplexityGrokGrokMicrosoft CopilotMicrosoft CopilotCursorCursorVS CodeVS CodeWindsurfWindsurfJetBrainsJetBrainsClineClineLangChainLangChainVercel AI SDKVercel AI SDKLovableLovableZ.aiZ.aiRaycastRaycastQwen CodeQwen CodeKimi CodeKimi CodeLe ChatLe Chat

Building your own app? The connector is yours to use.

You don't need a client to put NDL Search to work: the same hosted connection plugs into your own applications and agent code, with the same governance on every request. Build with it, chat with it — one connection for both.

Observed, not estimated

858ms average. Fast in production.

NDL Search is checked daily against the live service.

Daily averagePeak 994ms
Oct 3Today
Fastest day
697ms
Slowest day
994ms
14-day trend
Slowing+14%

Connect your client

One URL. Every client.

Activate the Connector, copy your link, and paste it into the client you already use. 3 capabilities arrive ready to run.

Preview access · not provider authentication

The vk_preview_* token belongs to Vinkius preview infrastructure. It lets Claude discover and display the capabilities of NDL Search, so you can see the experience inside your AI.

It does not authenticate your account with NDL Search. Actions requiring credentials or live account data may not run until you activate the Connector and authorize the service.

NDL Search Connector

You're all set. Choose your MCP client and follow the setup instructions.

Connector linkhttps://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_1KHZON53bo83KKBQFQ5L9hXvIX9xS0yeWF03PVow/mcp

Claude Desktop

Follow the steps below to connect in seconds.

  1. 1In Claude Desktop, open Settings → Connectors.
  2. 2Click “Add custom connector” and paste the connector link above as the remote MCP server URL.
  3. 3Click Add and start a new chat — NDL Search capabilities are ready to use.
Configuration · claude_desktop_config.jsonCopy
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ndl-japan-library-search-mcp": {
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_1KHZON53bo83KKBQFQ5L9hXvIX9xS0yeWF03PVow/mcp"
    }
  }
}
  • Claude
  • ChatGPT
  • Cursor
  • VS Code
  • Windsurf
  • Claude Code
  • JetBrains
  • Cline

Step-by-step instructions for each client are in the guide. How to connect

Guided setup for Claude? Set up NDL Search in Claude and other AIs

See all the AI clients this connector works with ↑

Who it's for

Built for the work NDL Search owners hand off.

This MCP is built for professionals who require high-fidelity Japanese bibliographic data and access to primary historical sources.

  • 01

    Historians

    They use the agent to find digitized Meiji and Edo era documents and primary sources.

  • 02

    Translators

    They rely on the capability to verify exact kanji titles and authoritative publication details.

  • 03

    Researchers

    They use the massive catalog to find academic dissertations and specific journal articles.

FAQ

Questions NDL Search owners ask.

  • 01

    How many records can I search?

    The MCP provides access to over 100 million records in the National Diet Library catalog.

  • 02

    Can I search using English terms?

    Yes, English terms work for many records, though Japanese terms will yield more comprehensive results.

  • 03

    Do I need to format ISBNs with hyphens?

    No, the find_book_by_isbn capability automatically inserts the hyphens required by the NDL API.

  • 04

    Are the digitized books free to read?

    Yes, many Meiji and Edo era books, maps, and journals in the NDL Digitized Collections are free to read online via the NDL viewer.

  • 05

    Which AI clients can use this MCP?

    This MCP works with any MCP-compatible client, including Claude, Cursor, Windsurf, and VS Code.

  • 06

    Do I need an API key or registration?

    No. The NDL Search OpenSearch API is fully public. all capabilities work without authentication.

  • 07

    Does the API support pagination?

    The NDL OpenSearch endpoint has no server-side pagination (tested: pagenum/first/start params are ignored). Each call returns the top 'cnt' results (up to ~200). For deeper results, refine the query terms instead of paging.

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