The (NDC, also called the Nippon Decimal System) is a system of

library classification A library classification is a system used within a library to organize materials, including books, sound and video recordings, electronic materials, etc., both on shelves and in catalogs and indexes. Each item is typically assigned a call number ...

developed for mainly Japanese-language books maintained and revised by the Japan Library Association 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 (often rendered in the plural as the social sciences) is one of the branches of science, devoted to the study of society, societies and the Social relation, relationships among members within those societies. The term was former ...

* 400

Natural sciences Natural science or empirical 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 ...

* 500 Technology * 600 Industry * 700 Arts * 800

Language Language is a structured system of communication that consists of grammar and vocabulary. It is the primary means by which humans convey meaning, both in spoken and signed language, signed forms, and may also be conveyed through writing syste ...

* 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 ''bibliograph ...

*030 Encyclopaedias *040 General collected essays *050 General serial publications *060 General societies *070 Journalism, Newspapers *080 General collections *090

Rare books Book collecting is the collecting of books, including seeking, locating, acquiring, organizing, cataloging, displaying, storing, and maintaining whatever books are of interest to a given collector. The love of books is '' bibliophilia'', and som ...

, 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 refers to the Philosophy, philosophical thought, traditions and works of the Western world. Historically, the term refers to the philosophical thinking of Western culture, beginning with the ancient Greek philosophy of the Pre ...

*140

Psychology Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Its subject matter includes the behavior of humans and nonhumans, both consciousness, conscious and Unconscious mind, unconscious phenomena, and mental processes such as thoughts, feel ...

*150 Ethics & morals *160 Religion *170

Shinto , also called Shintoism, is a religion originating in Japan. Classified as an East Asian religions, East Asian religion by Religious studies, scholars of religion, it is often regarded by its practitioners as Japan's indigenous religion and as ...

*180

Buddhism Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

*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 The first human inhabitants of the Japanese archipelago have been traced to the Japanese Paleolithic, Paleolithic, around 38–39,000 years ago. The Jōmon period, named after its cord-marked pottery, was followed by the Yayoi period in the fi ...

*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, History of Southeast Asia, Southeast Asia and the Middle East linked by the interior mass of the Eurasian ste ...

*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 500–1500), and the modern era (since AD 1500). The first early Euro ...

*240 History of Africa *250 History of North America *260 History of South America *270 History of Oceania & Polar region *280 Biography *290

Geography Geography (from Ancient Greek ; combining 'Earth' and 'write', literally 'Earth writing') is the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. Geography is an all-encompassing discipline that seeks an understanding o ...

Topography Topography is the study of the forms and features of land surfaces. The topography of an area may refer to the landforms and features themselves, or a description or depiction in maps. Topography is a field of geoscience and planetary sci ...

, 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 the body of expressive culture shared by a particular group of people, culture or subculture. This includes oral traditions such as Narrative, tales, myths, legends, proverbs, Poetry, poems, jokes, and other oral traditions. This also ...

Ethnology Ethnology (from the , meaning 'nation') is an academic field and discipline that compares and analyzes the characteristics of different peoples and the relationships between them (compare cultural, social, or sociocultural anthropology). Sci ...

*390 National defence,

Military science Military science is the study of military processes, institutions, and behavior, along with the study of warfare, and the theory and application of organized coercive force. It is mainly focused on theory, method, and practice of producing mi ...

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 scientific study of matter, its Elementary particle, 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 whi ...

*430

Chemistry Chemistry is the scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a physical science within the natural sciences that studies the chemical elements that make up matter and chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules a ...

*440

Astronomy Astronomy is a natural science that studies celestial objects and the phenomena that occur in the cosmos. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and their overall evolution. Objects of interest includ ...

Space science Space is a three-dimensional continuum containing positions and directions. In classical physics, physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions. Modern physicists usually consider it, with time, to be part of a boundless ...

*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 spheres ...

*460

Biology Biology is the scientific study of life and living organisms. It is a broad natural science that encompasses a wide range of fields and unifying principles that explain the structure, function, growth, History of life, origin, evolution, and ...

*470

Botany Botany, also called plant science, is the branch of natural science and biology studying plants, especially Plant anatomy, their anatomy, Plant taxonomy, taxonomy, and Plant ecology, ecology. A botanist or plant scientist is a scientist who s ...

*480

Zoology Zoology ( , ) is the scientific study of animals. Its studies include the anatomy, structure, embryology, Biological classification, classification, Ethology, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinction, extinct, and ...

*490 Medicine,

Pharmacology Pharmacology is the science of drugs and medications, including a substance's origin, composition, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, therapeutic use, and toxicology. More specifically, it is the study of the interactions that occur betwee ...

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 *540

Electrical Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter possessing an electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described by Maxwel ...

Electronic engineering Electronic engineering is a sub-discipline of electrical engineering that 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 flo ...

*550 Maritime & Naval engineering *560 Metal & Mining engineering *570 Chemical technology *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, animal fiber, fibre, milk, or other products. It includes day-to-day care, management, production, nutrition, selective breeding, and the raising ...

*650

Forestry Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests and woodlands for associated resources for human and Natural environment, environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and ...

*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 (sculpture) *720 Painting &

Calligraphy Calligraphy () is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a pen, ink brush, or other writing instruments. Contemporary calligraphic practice can be defined as "the art of giving form to signs in an e ...

*730

Engraving Engraving is the practice of incising a design on a hard, usually flat surface by cutting grooves into it with a Burin (engraving), burin. The result may be a decorated object in itself, as when silver, gold, steel, or Glass engraving, glass ar ...

*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 is a physical activity or game, often competitive and organized, that maintains or improves physical ability and skills. Sport may provide enjoyment to participants and entertainment to spectators. The number of participants in ...

Physical Education Physical education is an academic subject taught in schools worldwide, encompassing Primary education, primary, Secondary education, secondary, and sometimes tertiary education. It is often referred to as Phys. Ed. or PE, and in the United Stat ...

*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 happiness, enjoyment, amusement, ...

, 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-Japa ...

*920

Chinese literature The history of Chinese literature extends thousands of years, and begins with the earliest recorded inscriptions, court archives, building to the major works of philosophy and history written during the Axial Age. The Han dynasty, Han (202 ...

*930 English & American literature *940

German literature German literature () comprises those literature, 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 ...

*950

French literature French literature () generally speaking, is literature written in the French language, particularly by French people, French citizens; it may also refer to literature written by people living in France who speak traditional languages of Franc ...

*960 Spanish literature *970 Italian literature *980 Russian & Soviet literature *990 Other language literature

References

External links

Japan Library Association

{{Authority control Library cataloging and classification Decimal classification systems