This conversation between Ilan Stavans and Yukio Tono reveals a rich and complex history of Japanese lexicography, spanning over 1,400 years, from the earliest Kanji-character dictionaries of the 7th century to the present day. Japanese lexicography has evolved significantly, with a notable surge in the development of monolingual dictionaries after World War II. The history of bilingual lexicography, including English-Japanese and Japanese-English dictionaries, is also a significant area of development. Additionally, the development of electronic pocket dictionaries containing more than 100 full-content dictionaries was a unique technological innovation in Japanese monolingual and bilingual lexicography. In recent years, online dictionaries have become increasingly popular, offering users convenient and accessible ways to look up words and phrases. This overview provides a general summary of the development of Japanese lexicography, from its early beginnings to the present day, highlighting key milestones and trends in the field.

This chapter illustrates how some dictionaries published under the Collins imprint deal with aspects of language variation. It provides three case studies: the first looks at how dictionaries portray languages where multiple norms enjoy a similar level of prestige, using the example of Irish; the second looks at how a large monolingual dictionary of English acknowledges the existence of variation within the language; and the third investigates how variations in spelling, pronunciation and lexis are dealt with in two English dictionaries designed for learners of English. These case studies reveal how different target readerships can determine the treatment of language variation in different dictionaries. In the final sections of the chapter, the focus shifts to the impact of technology on the process of publishing dictionaries, showing how different considerations come into play when creating materials for online access and suggesting how this medium may eventually allow for a dictionary concept that reflects the full variety of language in use rather than being orientated towards a single prestigious standard variety.