With the rapid growth of computer and communication technologies, the creation, modification and distribution of digital multimedia information have become easier than ever. Such multimedia information includes still images, video, audio, texts and artifacts in virtual space. The efficient storage of valuable information and rapid access to it is crucial to all modern organizations.This proceedings volume consists of papers by researchers and academicians which explore the various aspects of the digital media information base. A special emphasis is placed on new database system technologies.

This volume is a progress report on the project Research and Development of Advanced Database Systems for Integration of Media and User Environments, supported by the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture of Japan. It investigates research on new database systems due to the recent development of network technology; a clearer picture of integration by database technology is drawn as a result.