Research Activities

Research Funds Misuse and Research Misconduct Measures

Registration of Researchers in the Cross-Ministerial Research and Development Management System (e-Rad)

Team Research

Research activity to which Nichibunken attaches special importance

Nichibunken’s NIHU Transdisciplinary Projects

National Institutes for the Humanities (NIHU) Projects under the Fourth Mid-Term Plan (FY2022–2027)

Nichibunken Research Projects

Research projects led by tenured Nichibunken faculty members

Theory and Methodology Seminars

Seminars aimed at improving a variety of abilities required for studying Japanese culture

Conferences / Symposia

List of conferences / symposia sponsored by Nichibunken

Research Cooperation

International Research Planning Office

Team Research

At Nichibunken, researchers from different countries and regions as well as in various disciplines team up for interdisciplinary, i nternational, and comprehensive research on Japanese society and culture. In our collaborative research project, we have sought to liberate the study of Japan from a single nation framework, and reappraise its history, society and culture from a distinctly multi cultural, multi dimensional perspective. Such is the trajectory of our international Japan research.

Their work, while grounded in the basic scholarship of each discipline, pursues topics that tended to be marginalized previously and explores relati onships and mutual influences between Japan and other areas from global perspectives, thereby aiming to open up the frontiers of solid yet innovative research in the humanities.

Reflecting Nichibunken’s ideals, objective third party evaluation has been introduced to verify not only the interdisciplinarity and internationality but also the originality, the pioneering qualities, t he scholarly significance, and the academic value of the research.

Three Units of Nichibunken Team Research

Perspectives on Nature/Perspectives on Humanity

A “common humanities science” research model that aims for flexible collaboration between the two disciplines of the humanities and the sciences.

Power and Culture

Research that explores not only phases of merging and of mixing culture in times and spaces of divergence, but also the power relat ions and public aspects that inhere therein.

Developing Research into Popular Culture

Research that examines popular culture from chronological and transnational perspectives.

Team Research

2025

Title of Project	Project Leader	Unit
Mouths and Noses: A Cultural History of the Junctures between the Human Body and the Outside World in Japan	Professor ISODA Michifumi	Perspectives on Nature/Perspectives on Humanity
City and Monument: Urban Planning and Memory in Japan, from the Perspective of Visual Culture	Professor Timon SCREECH	Perspectives on Nature/Perspectives on Humanity
From Womb to Tomb: Exploring Life and Death in Contemporary Japan	Professor YASUI Manami	Perspectives on Nature/Perspectives on Humanity
Island Japan: Fluid Bodies, Senses, Imaginaries	Associate Professor Edward BOYLE	Perspectives on Nature/Perspectives on Humanity
Shinto and Buddhism in Modern Japan: from separation to reconnection	Visiting Professor MORIYA Tomoe Professor TAKII Kazuhiro	Perspectives on Nature/Perspectives on Humanity
Studying Nichibunken’s Collection of Inoue Tetsujiro’s Correspondence: The Rise and Fall of the Nation-State	Professor ISOMAE Jun'ichi Team Researcher KARITA Shinji	Power and Culture
Reconsidering the Early-Modern in the History of East Asia: In Search of a New Global History	Professor ITŌ Takayuki	Power and Culture
The Formation and Development of Western Perceptions of Japan	Professor Frederik CRYNS	Power and Culture
Beyond the Postwar and Modernity: Japan in the 1970s	Professor KUSUNOKI Ayako	Power and Culture
The Formation and Transformation of the Cultural Commons	Professor YAMADA Shōji	Power and Culture
Anthologizing “Chi (Knowledge)” for the Future: An Interdisciplinary Perspective	Associate Professor KATAOKA Mai	Power and Culture
Knowledge in state formation: Japan in comparative constitutional history	Professor TAKII Kazuhiro	Power and Culture
Thirteenth century Japan and Eastern Eurasia: Rulership, capitals, detached palaces, and gardens	Visiting Professor TOYODA Hiroaki Professor ITŌ Takayuki	Power and Culture
Reconstructing Modern East Asian Cultural HistoryⅡ: Focusing on the 20th Century	Professor LIU Jianhui	Developing Research into Popular Culture
Comparative History of Cultural Mediators	Professor ENOMOTO Wataru	Developing Research into Popular Culture
The Transformation of "Bunjin Culture" in Modern Japan	Professor ZHAN Xiaomei	Developing Research into Popular Culture
International Exchange in Modern Japan across Political and Cultural Boundaries: the diplomat Yanagisawa Ken	Visiting Associate Professor YUASA Takuya Professor KUSUNOKI Ayako	Developing Research into Popular Culture

2024

Title of Project	Project Leader	Unit
Solid “Impermanence”/Fragile “Impermanence”: The Transmogrification of the Classics and Future Prospects	Professor ARAKI Hiroshi	Perspectives on Nature/Perspectives on Humanity
The Japanese Colonial Empire and the Global Linkage of Knowledge	Professor MATSUDA Toshihiko	Perspectives on Nature/Perspectives on Humanity
Mouths and Noses: A Cultural History of the Junctures between the Human Body and the Outside World in Japan	Professor ISODA Michifumi	Perspectives on Nature/Perspectives on Humanity
City and Monument: Urban Planning and Memory in Japan, from the Perspective of Visual Culture	Professor Timon SCREECH	Perspectives on Nature/Perspectives on Humanity
From Womb to Tomb: Exploring Life and Death in Contemporary Japan	Professor YASUI Manami	Perspectives on Nature/Perspectives on Humanity
Island Japan: Fluid Bodies, Senses, Imaginaries	Associate Professor Edward BOYLE	Perspectives on Nature/Perspectives on Humanity
Studying Nichibunken’s Collection of Inoue Tetsujiro’s Correspondence: The Rise and Fall of the Nation-State	Professor ISOMAE Jun'ichi Team Researcher KARITA Shinji	Power and Culture
Reconsidering the Early-Modern in the History of East Asia: In Search of a New Global History	Professor ITŌ Takayuki	Power and Culture
The Formation and Development of Western Perceptions of Japan	Professor Frederik CRYNS	Power and Culture
Japanese Foreign Policy in the Cold War Era: The Formation of “Peace State” (1952–1972)	Visiting Research Scholar HUANG Tzu-chin	Power and Culture
Beyond the Postwar and Modernity: Japan in the 1970s	Professor KUSUNOKI Ayako	Power and Culture
The Formation and Transformation of the Cultural Commons	Professor YAMADA Shōji	Power and Culture
Anthologizing "Chi (Knowledge)" for the Future: An Interdisciplinary Perspective	Associate Professor KATAOKA Mai	Power and Culture
Comparative History of Cultural Mediators	Professor ENOMOTO Wataru	Developing Research into Popular Culture
The Transformation of "Bunjin Culture" in Modern Japan	Professor ZHAN Xiaomei	Developing Research into Popular Culture
Inner Palace, Oku, Harem―Comparative historical research on court women from the perspective of gender analysis―	Visiting Associate Professor KANDA Yuri Professor ENOMOTO Wataru	Developing Research into Popular Culture
A View on Global Japanese Studies	Visiting Research Scholar SATO-ROSSBERG Nana	Developing Research into Popular Culture

2023

Title of Project	Project Leader	Unit
The Japanese Colonial Empire and the Global Linkage of Knowledge	Professor MATSUDA Toshihiko	Perspectives on Nature/Perspectives on Humanity
Solid “Impermanence”/Fragile “Impermanence”: The Transmogrification of the Classics and Future Prospects	Professor ARAKI Hiroshi	Perspectives on Nature/Perspectives on Humanity
Japanese Style Education - from the Perspective of the History of Civilizations	Professor TAKII Kazuhiro	Power and Culture
What are Aristocrats, and What are Samurai?	Professor KURAMOTO Kazuhiro	Power and Culture
Reconsidering the Early-Modern in the History of East Asia: In Search of a New Global History	Professor ITŌ Takayuki	Power and Culture
Studying Nichibunken’s Collection of Inoue Tetsujiro’s Correspondence: The Rise and Fall of the Nation-State	Professor ISOMAE Jun'ichi Team Researcher KARITA Shinji	Power and Culture
The Formation and Development of Western Perceptions of Japan	Professor Frederik CRYNS	Power and Culture
Reconstructing Modern East Asian Cultural History I: Focusing on the 19th Century	Professor LIU Jianhui	Developing Research into Popular Culture
Sports as Civilization, Sports as Culture	Professor USHIMURA Kei	Developing Research into Popular Culture
Yanagita Kunio as a connecter	Professor ŌTSUKA Eiji	Developing Research into Popular Culture
Mouths and Noses: A Cultural History of the Junctures between the Human Body and the Outside World in Japan	Professor ISODA Michifumi	Perspectives on Nature/Perspectives on Humanity
From Womb to Tomb: Exploring Life and Death in Contemporary Japan	Professor YASUI Manami	Perspectives on Nature/Perspectives on Humanity
City and Monument: Urban Planning and Memory in Japan, from the Perspective of Visual Culture	Professor Timon SCREECH	Perspectives on Nature/Perspectives on Humanity
Imagining Islands in Japan	Associate Professor Edward BOYLE	Perspectives on Nature/Perspectives on Humanity
Beyond the Postwar and Modernity: Japan in the 1970s	Professor KUSUNOKI Ayako	Power and Culture
Japanese Foreign Policy in the Cold War Era: The Formation of “Peace State” (1952–1972)	Visiting Research Scholar HUANG Tzu-chin	Power and Culture
The Power of Culture in the Japanese Empire and Cold War Asia: Intersecting Ideologies and Symbolism in Ch’oe Sŭng-hŭi’s Dance	Visiting Professor PARK Sang Mi Professor MATSUDA Toshihiko	Developing Research into Popular Culture

2022

Title of Project	Project Leader	Unit
Reconstructing Modern East Asian Cultural History I: Focusing on the 19th Century	Professor LIU Jianhui	Developing Research into Popular Culture
Sports as Civilization, Sports as Culture	Professor USHIMURA Kei	Developing Research into Popular Culture
The Japanese Colonial Empire and the Global Linkage of Knowledge	Professor MATSUDA Toshihiko	Perspectives on Nature/Perspectives on Humanity
Solid “Impermanence”/Fragile “Impermanence”: The Transmogrification of the Classics and Future Prospects	Professor ARAKI Hiroshi	Perspectives on Nature/Perspectives on Humanity
Formation and Changes of Correspondence-Texts as　Seen in the Principle of 'As If'-Transpositions: The Term Monjo, Its Styles, Signs, Representations, and Intentions	Professor Markus RUTTERMANN	Perspectives on Nature/Perspectives on Humanity
Cultural Creativity in a Shrinking Society: Individuals, Networks, Capital, and Systems	Professor YAMADA Shōji	Power and Culture
Japanese Style Education - from the Perspective of the History of Civilizations	Professor TAKII Kazuhiro	Power and Culture
What are Aristocrats, and What are Samurai?	Professor KURAMOTO Kazuhiro	Power and Culture
Reconsidering the Early-Modern in the History of East Asia：In Search of a New Global History	Professor ITŌ Takayuki	Power and Culture
Studying Nichibunken's Collection of Inoue Tetsujiro's Correspondence: The Rise and Fall of the Nation-State	Professor ISOMAE Jun'ichi Visiting Professor KARITA Shinji	Power and Culture
The Formation and Development of Western Perceptions of Japan	Professor Frederik CRYNS	Power and Culture
Mouths and Noses: A Cultural History of the Junctures between the Human Body and the Outside World in Japan	Professor ISODA Michifumi	Perspectives on Nature/Perspectives on Humanity
Yanagita Kunio as a connecter	Professor ŌTSUKA Eiji	Developing Research into Popular Culture
The Geological Characteristics of Japanese Culture	Visiting Associate Professor SUZUKI Hisashi Associate Professor ENOMOTO Wataru	Perspectives on Nature/Perspectives on Humanity
A Popular Cultural History of Labor and the Human Body: On the Connectivity of Wartime and Postwar	Visiting Associate Professor HOSHINO Yukiyo Professor ŌTSUKA Eiji	Developing Research into Popular Culture

2021

Title of Project	Project Leader	Unit
A Theory of Culture during the Ōei and Eikyō periods: Between Popular Views of History on “Kitayama Culture” and “Higashiyama Culture”	Team Reseacher OOHASHI Naoyoshi	Priority
Reconstructing Modern East Asian Cultural History I: Focusing on the 19th Century	Professor LIU Jianhui	Priority
Sports as Civilization, Sports as Culture	Professor USHIMURA Kei	Priority
Reconsidering the Early-Modern in the History of East Asia：In Search of a New Global History	Professor ITŌ Takayuki	International
Imaging Japan in International Cultural Transmissions: An Interdisciplinary Study of Yanagisawa Ken (Takeshi)	Visiting Professor SHIBASAKI Atsushi Associate Professor KUSUNOKI Ayako	Priority
Imagining and Developing Images of the Body in Medicine, Art, and Folk Religion	Professor YASUI Manami Team Researcher Lawrence MARCEAU	International
The Japanese Colonial Empire and the Global Linkage of Knowledge	Professor MATSUDA Toshihiko	International
Avidya on a Spider’s Web: Toward the Future of the Somatic Experience under the Ecology of Social Network System	Visiting Professor INAGA Shigemi	International
Studying Nichibunken's Collection of Inoue Tetsujiro's Correspondence: The Rise and Fall of the Nation-State	Professor ISOMAE Jun'ichi Visiting Professor KARITA Shinji	International
Solid “Impermanence”/Fragile “Impermanence”: The Transmogrification of the Classics and Future Prospects	Professor ARAKI Hiroshi	International
Japanese Subcultures and Diversity: The Contribution of International Japanese Studies's Research Methods and Pedagogies to a Global Multicultural Society	Visiting Research Scholar Edmond ERNEST DIT ALBAN	International
Formation and Changes of Correspondence-Texts as　Seen in the Principle of 'As If'-Transpositions: The Term Monjo, Its Styles, Signs, Representations, and Intentions	Professor Markus RUTTERMANN	Foundational
Cultural Creativity in a Shrinking Society: Individuals, Networks, Capital, and Systems	Professor YAMADA Shōji	Foundational
The Scars of Post-war Japan	Professor TSUBOI Hideto Team Researcher UNODA Shōya	Foundational
Japanese Style Education - from the Perspective of the History of Civilizations	Professor TAKII Kazuhiro	Foundational
What are Aristocrats, and What are Samurai?	Professor KURAMOTO Kazuhiro	Foundational
The Formation and Development of Western Perceptions of Japan	Professor Frederik CRYNS	Foundational
Reconstruing Honzōgaku as an East Asian Multidisciplinary Science: New Developments in Empirical Research on the Fusion of Arts and Sciences	Visiting Associate Professor ITŌ Ken Professor ISODA Michifumi	Foundational

2020

Title of Project	Project Leader	Unit
Popular Culture as Social Movement	Professor ŌTSUKA Eiji	Priority
A Theory of Culture during the Ōei and Eikyō periods: Between Popular Views of History on “Kitayama Culture” and “Higashiyama Culture”	Visiting Associate Professor OOHASHI Naoyoshi Assistant Professor GOZA Yūichi	Priority
Popular Culture and “Civilization and Enlightenmentˮ: The Position and Role of Mass Media in the Turbulent Transition from Edo to Meiji	Visiting Research Scholar Alistair SWALE	Priority
Reconstructing Modern East Asian Cultural History I: Focusing on the 19th Century	Professor LIU Jianhui	Priority
Sports as Civilization, Sports as Culture	Professor USHIMURA Kei	Priority
Imagining and Developing Images of the Body in Medicine, Art, and Folk Religion	Professor YASUI Manami Team Researcher Lawrence MARCEAU	International
The Creation and Development of Philosophy in East Asia: An Intercultural Perspective	Visiting Research Fellow LIAO Chin-ping	International
Living on the Frontier of the Japanese Empire: Migration, Travel and Cultural Representation in the Japanese Empire and the East Asia	Team Researcher ARARAGI Sinzō Professor MATSUDA Toshihiko	International
The Japanese Colonial Empire and the Global Linkage of Knowledge	Professor MATSUDA Toshihiko	International
Avidya on a Spider’s Web: Toward the Future of the Somatic Experience under the Ecology of Social Network System	Professor INAGA Shigemi	International
The Current State of Shamanism and Divination: The Propagation and Development of Folk Beliefs in the East Asian World	Visiting Associate Professor YOSHIMURA Mika Associate Professor ENOMOTO Wataru	International
A Historical Study of Manners and Customs in Modern East Asia	Professor LIU Jianhui Team Researcher SAITŌ Hikaru	Foundational
Formation and Changes of Correspondence-Texts as Seen in the Principle of 'As If'-Transpositions: The Term Monjo, Its Styles, Signs, Representations, and Intentions	Professor Markus RÜTTERMANN	Foundational
Cultural Creativity in a Shrinking Society: Individuals, Networks, Capital, and Systems	Professor YAMADA Shōji	Foundational
The Scars of Post-war Japan	Professor TSUBOI Hideto Team Researcher UNODA Shōya	Foundational
Japanese Style Education - from the Perspective of the History of Civilizations	Professor TAKII Kazuhiro	Foundational
What are Aristocrats, and What are Samurai?	Professor KURAMOTO Kazuhiro	Foundational

For past information through March 2019, please click here.

Nichibunken’s NIHU Transdisciplinary Projects

Projects are classified as: (I) Institute-based projects, (II) Multidisciplinary collaborative projects, and (III) Network-based projects. Research results are made widely available to the academic community and the public at large through publications, databases, films, exhibitions, and the like. They are planned in such a way as to make them useful for new university-level educational programs.

Nichibunken’s NIHU Transdisciplinary Projects

(I) Institute-based projects:
New Departures and Consortium for Global Japanese Studies: Pioneering and Cultivating Global Japanese Studies

■ Past projects under the Third Mid-Term Plan (FY2016–2021)

(I) Institute-based projects

Historical and International Research into Popular Culture to Pursue New Images of Japan

(II) Multidisciplinary collaborative projects

Development of a Field of Comprehensive Bibliographical Studies from an Interdisciplinary Perspective
Visual Images as the Intersection of Culture and Information

(III) Network-based projects

NIHU Transdisciplinary Projects

Nichibunken Research Projects

International Research Center for Japanese Studies Research Projects (Nichibunken Projects) fall into three categories: (1) projects conducted in accordance with Nichibunken’s founding purposes or its mid-term objectives and plans; (2) projects conducted either as part of NIHU inter-institutional research projects or as projects related mainly to international collaborative research on Japan-related documents and artifacts overseas; and (3) projects carried out with funds from outside sources (Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research, revenue for commissioned activities, and donations).

Nichibunken Research Projects

2025

Title of Project	Project Leader
Compilation of the Database of Overseas Images of Japan and Analysis of Japanese Culture through Overseas Image Documents	Director-General INOUE Shōichi (Professor LIU Jianhui)
Study of Western Books on Japan	Director-General INOUE Shōichi (Professor Frederik CRYNS)
A Critical Commentary on Inoue Tetsujiro’s Collected Correspondence and its Dissemination throughout East Asia	Professor ISOMAE Jun'ichi Professor ITŌ Takayuki Professor KUSUNOKI Ayako Professor SEKINO Tatsuki
Kaii and Yokai Culture Materials Database Project	Professor YASUI Manami Professor YAMADA Shōji
Consortium for Global Japanese Studies: New Developments	Director-General INOUE Shōichi
NIHU Area Studies Project for Northeast Asia (Network-based Project):The Sequel	Professor LIU Jianhui
Japan's Borders in Globalization	Associate Professor Edward BOYLE
Issues Pertaining to State Theory Japan-style	Professor TAKII Kazuhiro
Postcards from Art Exhibitions held in pre-war Japan	Professor LIU Jianhui
International Team Research on the Tōma Seita and Ishimoda Shō Archive Collections: Digital Humanities Japanese Studies through the Consortium	Director-General INOUE Shōichi Professor ISOMAE Jun'ichi Professor KUSUNOKI Ayako Professor SEKINO Tatsuki

2024

Title of Project	Project Leader
Compilation of the Database of Overseas Images of Japan and Analysis of Japanese Culture through Overseas Image Documents	Director-General INOUE Shōichi (Professor LIU Jianhui)
Study of Western Books on Japan	Director-General INOUE Shōichi (Professor Frederik CRYNS)
A Critical Commentary on Inoue Tetsujiro’s Collected Correspondence and its Dissemination throughout East Asia	Professor ISOMAE Jun'ichi Professor ITŌ Takayuki Professor SEKINO Tatsuki
East Asian outlooks and Buddhist visions: International developments in reconstructing research on classical Japanese literature	Professor ARAKI Hiroshi
Kaii and Yokai Culture Materials Database Project	Professor YAMADA Shōji Professor YASUI Manami
Consortium for Global Japanese Studies: New Developments	Director-General INOUE Shōichi
NIHU Area Studies Project for Northeast Asia (Network-based Project):The Sequel	Professor LIU Jianhui
Issues Pertaining to State Theory Japan-style	Professor TAKII Kazuhiro
Japan's Borders in Globalization	Associate Professor Edward BOYLE
Postcards from Art Exhibitions held in pre-war Japan	Professor LIU Jianhui
International Team Research on the Tōma Seita and Ishimoda Shō Archive Collections: Digital Humanities Japanese Studies through the Consortium	Director-General INOUE Shōichi Professor ISOMAE Jun'ichi Professor SEKINO Tatsuki

2023

Title of Project	Project Leader
Compilation of the Database of Overseas Images of Japan and Analysis of Japanese Culture through Overseas Image Documents	Director-General INOUE Shōichi (Professor LIU Jianhui)
Study of Western Books on Japan	Director-General INOUE Shōichi (Professor Frederik CRYNS)
A Critical Commentary on the Database of Inoue Tetsujiro’s Collected Correspondence and its Dissemination throughout East Asia	Professor ISOMAE Jun'ichi Professor ITŌ Takayuki Professor SEKINO Tatsuki
The Reconstruction and International Expansion of Research on Classical Japanese Literature：Buddhist Perspectives and Networks	Professor ARAKI Hiroshi
Heian-Period Chronicles Database Project	Professor KURAMOTO Kazuhiro
Kaii and Yokai Culture Materials Database Project	Professor YAMADA Shōji Professor YASUI Manami
Consortium for Global Japanese Studies: New Developments	Director-General INOUE Shōichi
NIHU Area Studies Project for Northeast Asia (Network-based Project):The Sequel	Professor LIU Jianhui
Issues Pertaining to State Theory Japan-style	Professor TAKII Kazuhiro
International Research into Japan's Ancient History	Director-General INOUE Shōichi
Japan's Borders in Globalization	Associate Professor Edward BOYLE
Postcards from Art Exhibitions held in pre-war Japan	Professor LIU Jianhui

2022

Title of Project	Project Leader
Compilation of the Database of Overseas Images of Japan and Analysis of Japanese Culture through Overseas Image Documents	Director-General INOUE Shōichi (Professor LIU Jianhui)
Study of Western Books on Japan	Director-General INOUE Shōichi (Professor Frederik CRYNS)
Kaii and Yokai Culture Materials Database Project	Professor YAMADA Shōji Professor YASUI Manami
Digital Humanities Research Project	Professor YAMADA Shōji
Heian-Period Chronicles Database Project	Professor KURAMOTO Kazuhiro
NIHU Area Studies Project for Northeast Asia (Network-based Project):The Sequel	Professor LIU Jianhui
Issues Pertaining to State Theory Japan-style	Professor TAKII Kazuhiro
International Research into Japan's Ancient History	Director-General INOUE Shōichi
A Critical Commentary on the Database of Inoue Tetsujiro’s Collected Correspondence and its Dissemination throughout East Asia	Professor ISOMAE Jun'ichi Professor ITŌ Takayuki
The Reconstruction and International Expansion of Research on Classical Japanese Literature：Buddhist Perspectives and Networks	Professor ARAKI Hiroshi
Consortium for Global Japanese Studies: New Developments	Director-General INOUE Shōichi

2021

Title of Project	Project Leader
Compilation of the Database of Overseas Images of Japan and Analysis of Japanese Culture through Overseas Image Documents	Director-GeneralINOUE Shōichi (Professor LIU Jianhui)
Study of Western Books on Japan	Director-General INOUE Shōichi (Professor Frederik CRYNS)
Kaii and Yokai Culture Materials Database Project	Professor YAMADA Shōji Professor YASUI Manami
International Collaborative Research on Japan-related Documents and Artifacts Overseas: Ongoing Research Project on Overseas Sources on Modern Japanese Migrants and Their Milieu: A Survey and Study	Professor LIU Jianhui
Digital Humanities Research Project	Professor YAMADA Shōji
Development of a Field of Comprehensive Bibliographical Studies from an Interdisciplinary Perspective "Visual Images as the Intersection of Cultute and Information" (Multidisciplinary Collaborative Project)	Professor YAMADA Shōji
Heian-Period Chronicles Database Project	Professor KURAMOTO Kazuhiro
Historical and International Research into Popular Culture to Pursue New Images of Japan (Institute-based Project)	Director-General INOUE Shōichi
NIHU Area Studies Project for Northeast Asia (Network-based Project)	Professor LIU Jianhui
Coordination between Projects to Make Effective Use of Research Results (Network-based Project “Japan-related Documents and Artifacts Held Overseas: NIHU International Collaborative Research and Utilization”)	Director-General INOUE Shōichi
Issues Pertaining to State Theory Japan-style	Professor TAKII Kazuhiro
International Research into Japan's Ancient History	Director-General INOUE Shōichi
A Critical Commentary on the Database of Inoue Tetsujiro’s Collected Correspondence and its Dissemination throughout East Asia	Professor ISOMAE Jun'ichi Professor ITŌ Takayuki
The Reconstruction and International Expansion of Research on Classical Japanese Literature：Buddhist Perspectives and Networks	Professor ARAKI Hiroshi

2020

Title of Project	Project Leader
Compilation of the Database of Overseas Images of Japan and Analysis of Japanese Culture through Overseas Image Documents	Director-GeneralINOUE Shōichi (Professor LIU Jianhui)
Study of Western Books on Japan	Director-General INOUE Shōichi (Professor Frederik CRYNS)
Kaii and Yokai Culture Materials Database Project	Professor YAMADA Shōji Professor YASUI Manami
International Collaborative Research on Japan-related Documents and Artifacts Overseas: Ongoing Research Project on Overseas Sources on Modern Japanese Migrants and Their Milieu: A Survey and Study	Professor LIU Jianhui
The Reconstruction and International Expansion of Research on Classical Japanese Literature	Professor ARAKI Hiroshi
Digital Humanities Research Project	Professor YAMADA Shōji
Development of a Field of Comprehensive Bibliographical Studies from an Interdisciplinary Perspective (Multidisciplinary Collaborative Project)	Professor YAMADA Shōji
Heian-Period Chronicles Database Project	Professor KURAMOTO Kazuhiro
Historical and International Research into Popular Culture to Pursue New Images of Japan (Institute-based Project)	Director-General INOUE Shōichi
NIHU Area Studies Project for Northeast Asia (Network-based Project)	Professor LIU Jianhui
Coordination between Projects to Make Effective Use of Research Results (Network-based Project “Japan-related Documents and Artifacts Held Overseas: NIHU International Collaborative Research and Utilization”)	Professor INAGA Shigemi
Issues Pertaining to State Theory Japan-style	Professor TAKII Kazuhiro
International Research into Japan's Ancient History	Director-General INOUE Shōichi

For past information through March 2019, please click here.

Theory and Methodology Seminars

The purpose of these seminars is to share various skills necessary for researchers engaged in the study of Japanese culture. Examples of such skills are reading and deciphering historical manuscripts, proficiency in other languages, analysis of visual materials, familiarity with cultural theory, and so on.

Theory and Methodology Seminars

2025

Title of Project	Project Leader
An Introduction to Chinese Classics	Professor ITŌ Takayuki
Reading Documents and Studies of Japanese Political and Diplomatic History	Professor KUSUNOKI Ayako
Study in Modern Historical Documents	Professor TAKII Kazuhiro
Practical Korean Language （Intermediate）	Professor MATSUDA Toshihiko
Practical Korean Language （Introduction）	Professor MATSUDA Toshihiko

2024

Title of Project	Project Leader
An Introduction to Chinese Classics	Professor ITŌ Takayuki
Perusing English Monographs on Japanese History	Professor USHIMURA Kei
Reading Documents and Studies of Japanese Political and Diplomatic History	Professor KUSUNOKI Ayako
Study in Modern Historical Documents	Professor TAKII Kazuhiro
Practical Korean Language （Intermediate）	Professor MATSUDA Toshihiko

2023

Title of Project	Project Leader
Perusing English Monographs on Japanese History	Professor USHIMURA Kei
Reading Medieval Japanese Literature	Professor ARAKI Hiroshi
Practical Korean Language （Intermediate）	Professor MATSUDA Toshihiko
Fundamental Research of Old Diaries	Professor KURAMOTO Kazuhiro
French language(Beginners)	Assistant Professor MATSUGI Hiromi
French language(Intermediate)	Assistant Professor MATSUGI Hiromi
Study in Modern Historical Documents	Professor TAKII Kazuhiro
An Introduction to Chinese Classics	Professor ITŌ Takayuki
Introduction to the History of Modern Religious Thoughts	Professor ISOMAE Jun'ichi
Reading Documents and Studies of Japanese Political and Diplomatic History	Professor KUSUNOKI Ayako

2022

Title of Project	Project Leader
Perusing English Monographs on Japanese History	Professor USHIMURA Kei
Reading Medieval Japanese Literature	Professor ARAKI Hiroshi
Practical Korean Language（Intermediate）	Professor MATSUDA Toshihiko
Fundamental Research of Old Diaries	Professor KURAMOTO Kazuhiro
French language(Beginners)	Assistant Professor MATSUGI Hiromi
French language(Intermediate)	Assistant Professor MATSUGI Hiromi
Study in Modern Historical Documents	Professor TAKII Kazuhiro
An Introduction to Chinese Classics	Professor ITŌ Takayuki
Introduction to the History of Modern Religious Thoughts	Professor ISOMAE Jun'ichi
Reading Documents and Studies of Japanese Political and Diplomatic History	Professor KUSUNOKI Ayako

2021

Title of Project	Project Leader
Perusing English Monographs on Japanese History	Professor USHIMURA Kei
Reading Medieval Japanese Literature	Professor ARAKI Hiroshi
Practical Korean Language（Elementary, Intermediate）	Professor MATSUDA Toshihiko
Fundamental Research of Old Diaries	Professor KURAMOTO Kazuhiro
French language(Beginners)	Assistant Professor MATSUGI Hiromi
French language(Intermediate)	Assistant Professor MATSUGI Hiromi
Introduction to Theory of Literature and Culture	Professor TSUBOI Hideto
Study in Modern Historical Documents	Professor TAKII Kazuhiro
An Introduction to Chinese Classics	Professor ITŌ Takayuki
Introduction to the History of Modern Religious Thoughts	Professor ISOMAE Jun'ichi
Reading Documents and Studies of Japanese Political and Diplomatic History	Associate Professor KUSUNOKI Ayako

2020

Title of Project	Project Leader
Perusing English Monographs on Japanese History	Professor USHIMURA Kei
Reading Medieval Japanese Literature	Professor ARAKI Hiroshi
Practical Korean Language（Elementary, Intermediate）	Professor MATSUDA Toshihiko
Basic Research on Ancient Documents	Professor KURAMOTO Kazuhiro
Basic French Language	Professor INAGA Shigemi
French Reading Support: Lessons in Essay Writing (Intermediate)	Professor INAGA Shigemi
Introduction to Theory of Literature and Culture	Professor TSUBOI Hideto
Study in Modern Historical Documents	Professor TAKII Kazuhiro
An Introduction to Chinese Classics	Professor ITŌ Takayuki
Introduction to the Study of Religions	Professor ISOMAE Jun'ichi
Practical and Theoretical Research in Mind-Mental Technique	Professor INAGA Shigemi

For past information through March 2019, please click here.