Challenge of living Japanese dictionary "Digital Dai-ji-sen"

A "paper dictionary" and a "digital dictionary" appear similar at first glance, but are actually quite different. Once this perspective is adopted, a completely different world comes into view. Since 2006, the Japanese dictionary "Dai-ji-sen" has been regularly revised by means of a database system. Its data is updated three times a year. Why was this database system created? What considerations guided its development? What kinds of data can the system create? Furthermore, how can this data be imposed over a commercial base? And, what goals should be pursued next? In recent years, the editing of dictionaries has gained attention. Although the essential qualities of editing words have not changed, editing digital dictionaries requires a way of thinking completely different from editing books. This paper introduces differences between digital dictionaries and paper dictionaries, the current state of digital dictionaries, and their potential.