The Activities of the Japan Foundation

Dialogue: Japanese Studies and Intellectual Exchange
Promoting Japanese Studies Overseas

With the aim of consolidating the foundation of Japanese studies around the world, and of supporting specialists in Japanese studies, we provide comprehensive and concentrated support to core organizations in each country/region. Our support includes international conferences, staff expansion, library acquisitions and study tours to Japan. We also work to facilitate further development of Japanese studies by strengthening scholarly networks among various countries and regions.

Japanese Studies Fellowship
Giulio Pugliese (Italy)

Giulio Pugliese, a specialist in Japanese diplomacy and economic policy and one of the Japan Foundation Japanese Studies Fellows in FY2012, has been a Lecturer at King's College London since 2016. In 2017, he was awarded a Postdoctoral Fellowship from the British Academy, which paved the way for securing a Japan expert post at King's College. Pugliese has based his activities in Europe, the U.S. and Japan, and while making full use of his multilingual ability, including that of Japanese, his developing of contemporary Japanese studies with a global view and an interdisciplinary approach is sure to deserve continuous attention.

Support for Japanese Studies Organizations
Syracuse University (U.S.)

In September 2017, Syracuse University, New York, established a Japanese Studies minor with support from the Japan Foundation, which includes establishing a new teaching post, inviting visiting professors and expanding the number of Japanese studies books. The symposium held on campus in the following October, featuring Hiroshima atomic bomb survivor Keiko Ogura, was widely attended by both students and local residents, and received detailed media coverage by the U.S. news media, as well as by NHK World.

Enhancement of Japanese Studies Network
East Asian Consortium of Japanese Studies

The East Asian Consortium of Japanese Studies, the first Japanese studies research network organization for the East Asian region, held its Second International Conference over a three-day period from October 27, 2017 in Tianjin, China. The Japan Foundation provided support for enhancing the consortium's activities and organization through collaboration focused mainly on a next-generation panel by young researchers, as well as by dispatching author Jiro Asada to hold a special lecture on the theme of "Contemporary China and Japan."

European Association for Japanese Studies (EAJS)

Established in 1973 as Europe's first Japanese studies network association, EAJS has grown into an international organization now with over 1,400 memberships from 50 countries. The Japan Foundation provided support for the 15th EAJS International Conference in Lisbon, Portugal, where 252 panels hosted a wide range of presentations, and also supported the EAJS PhD Workshop aimed at training younger Japanese studies scholars. Further developments are expected to be achieved toward the 16th EAJS International Conference in 2020 that will be held in Ghent, Belgium.