International Research Symposia

International Research Symposia

Since 1988, Nichibunken has sponsored international research symposia to provide opportunities for discussions with the purpose of advancing scholarship on Japan. Most of these symposia have been organized on themes of team research projects that are conducted at Nichibunken, but some conferences have addressed the growing diversity, over time, in scholars’ problem-consciousness and research methodologies. In 1994, Nichibunken held the Kyoto Conference on Japanese Studies, in 1997 the Tenth Anniversary[of Nichibunken]conference on Japanese Religion and Literature, and in 2007 the Twentieth Anniversary Conference on the Past, Present and Future of Japanese Studies. Lectures open to the general public were held as obn 7gutreach events during each of these symposia.

Upcoming International Research Symposium:

To be determined

Past International Research Symposia:

International Symposia Overseas

In order to expand its research activities and research cooperation abroad, the Center has held periodic International Symposia outside Japan since 1995.

Upcoming International Symposia Overseas:

To be determined

Past International Symposia Overseas:

Overseas Meetings on Japanese Studies

Since the beginning of the 1999 fiscal year, Nichibunken has sent faculty members abroad several times a year to conduct small study meetings or workshops on trends in research in various countries. In organizing these meetings, our professors cooperate with host country scholars (and sometimes also with scholars from neighboring countries). We at Nichibunken provide backup support, including consulting about research ideas. By holding these meetings, we seek to carry out the international research cooperation activities that have been one of the fundamental objectives of this Center since its foundation, and to do so more actively and effectively than ever.
Nichibunken benefits in other ways from these overseas study meetings. These occasions offer good chances for our Center’s faculty to get acquainted with outstanding young scholars who are not yet known outside their home countries, and they also provide precious opportunities for our Center to gather fresh information about what is going on in Japanese studies outside Japan.

Upcoming Overseas Meetings on Japanese Studies:

To be determined

Past Overseas Meetings on Japanese Studies:

Research Exchange Symposia

In 2006, Nichibunken started a new series of conferences called Research Exchange Symposia, aiming to provide regular opportunities for communication between Japan specialists from around the world and Nichibunken faculty.
With the Office of Research Exchange playing a central organizing role, scholars from Nichibunken travel to places overseas where there is lively interest in Japanese studies and present some of their research findings. Friendly relationships develop from meetings with local researchers who specialize on Japan, and Nichibunken tries utilize up-to-date information about its overseas colleagues’ research environments and current work, along with their suggestions, in planning its own future research cooperation activities.

Upcoming Research Exchange Symposia:

To be determined

Past Research Exchange Symposia:

Symposia for Foreign Researchers in Japan/Annual Symposium for Scholars Resident in Japan

In addition to conducting surveys of the condition of and trends in Japanese studies in other countries, the Office has organized symposia for foreign scholars who reside permanently or temporarily in Japan from fiscal year 1999 in order to form networks among those researchers and Nichibunken faculty and staff.

Past Symposia for Foreign Researchers in Japan/Annual Symposium for Scholars Resident in Japan: