Research

The Japan Programme

Research

Japanese and Asian Research Resources in Scandinavia

NIAS

The Nordic Institute for Asian Studies, NIAS, was founded in 1968 by the Nordic Council (of Ministers). In 2005, ownership of NIAS was transferred to a consortium consisting of Lund University, Copenhagen University, the Copenhagen Business School, and the members of the Nordic NIAS Council (NNC), of which NTNU is a founding member. NIAS maintains the largest Western language library on Asia in the Nordic region. It is building an online portal that will give users at member universities, including NTNU, the ability to simultaneously search a tremendous range of Asian data bases. NIAS is also promoting a Nordic networked research school, the Asian Century Research School, which aims to pool graduate level Asian related educational and research resources in the Nordic region.

NIAS Supra is a scholarship program offering masters and doctoral candidates travel expenses, room at a dormitory, and partial board expenses while they use the NIAS library for a period of approximately two weeks. NIAS Supra recipients also have the opportunities to present their work at lunch time seminars during the course of the scholarship. NTNU graduate students conducting research on Asia are eligible to apply for NIAS Supra scholarships.

Research Resources in Japan

NACIS Webcat

Webcat is the most complete online university catalogue system in Japan; it also includes the National Diet Library's large holdings and those of a few foreign universities (e.g. Oxford). Because NTNU is not currently a member of the Webcat system (which would require sending requested books to other member libraries overseas) NTNU users cannot generally request books from Webcat participating libraries. However, as a bibliographic source on published books, Webcat is a superb tool.

Keizai Koho Center: Japan Institute for Social and Economic Affairs

Keizai Koho Center publishes Japan: An International Comparison, which contains a very useful collection of basic economic and social data, and often, comparable data from other countries. This publication can be downloaded in pdf format from their web page. This center also publishes a bimonthly newsletter, Japan Economic Currents: A Commentary on Economic and Business Trends, and a newsletter focusing on EU-Japanese relations. Both are available at this web site.

Institute of Social Science, University of Tokyo

One of Japan's best (if not the best) academic institute for social research, the Institute of Social Science at University of Tokyo has pdf files of Social Science Japan (newsletter), and the table of contents for Social Science Japan Journal. It also includes a list of discussion papers, some of which can be downloaded. There is also a data archive and other depositories of occasional papers available in Japanese.

It is also through this web page that one can search and subscribe to Social Science Japan (SSJ) Forum. This email discussion forum includes debate among social scientists and students regarding social research, and especially Japanese elections. This is also a good forum for requesting information from professional researchers on social research topics related to Japan.

The Japan Institute for International Affairs

One of Japan's top foreign policy think-tanks, The Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA) is nominally affiliated with the Japanese Foreign Ministry. Its home page carries a variety of articles and conference reports in English. In 2006 it will begin carrying JIIA Commentary and the Japan Review of International Affairs, available by free subscription.

Institute for International Policy Studies

One of Japan's leading centers for the study of public policy, Institute for International Policy Studies (IIPS) was originally founded by former Prime Minister Nakasone and his advisors. IIPS is currently promoting the debate on revising Japan's post-war constitution.

Gaiko Forum

An opinion journal on Japanese foreign policy supported by the Foreign Ministry, Gaiko Forum is published in both English and Japanese. Many of the English language articles are available online in pdf format.

US Research Resources on Japan and East Asia

  • The Japan Considered Podcast: Hosted weekly by Robert Angel, a political scientist at the University of South Carolina, this twenty minute podcast provides commentary on Japanese domestic politics and foreign policy. In addition to the podcast audio file, Angel posts the written transcript of each podcast, including links to useful internet resources related to Japan. 
  • Duke University: Electronic Resources for Japanese Studies: Perhaps the most complete collection of electronic resources on Japan located on a single web page. 
  • The Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation: Boasts a data base of translated polls from Asahi Shimbun and other Asian newspapers; also has downloadable publications and information about fellowships, Foundation sponsored talks, etc.
  • East-West Center Washington: Contains a wealth of downloadable publications, online fora, and information about collaborative research and study groups.
  • East-West Center: The parent organization of the Washington Office, the East-West Center is based in Hawaii, and hosts many conferences and seminars on East Asia, and has downloadable publications available at its web site as well.