Nissan Institute of Japanese Studies

Description

The study of Japan at Oxford University began at St. Antony's College in the 1950s, and in 1981, the Nissan Institute of Japanese Studies was established there. It is currently the sixth oldest of the college's seven centres.

The institute, situated within the grounds of St. Antony's, comprises staff offices, academic visitor spaces, teaching rooms, and a 150-seat lecture theatre. It also houses the Bodleian Japanese Library, one of the primary collections on Japan in the UK. Additionally, the institute offers MSc and MPhil graduate programs.

By the late 1970s, the academic study of Japan had already been well-established at Oxford University. At this time, Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. generously provided an endowment, leading to the creation of the Nissan Institute of Japanese Studies in 1981. Initially, the Nissan Benefaction funded positions for a political scientist, an economist, and a modern historian. Subsequently, in the 1990s, a social anthropologist and another economist were added, followed by two sociologists in 2007/2008. This strength in social science complements the emphasis on pre-modern history, Japanese language, and literature found in the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies.

In the early 1990s, Nissan provided a second endowment, which not only expanded the institute's positions but also financed the construction of the Nissan Institute building within St. Antony's College. The building includes offices for staff and academic visitors, teaching rooms, and a 150-seat lecture theatre. It also houses the Bodleian Japanese Library, particularly renowned for its focus on social science.

Members of the institute contribute to undergraduate teaching in their respective departments and the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies. They also supervise doctoral students. The institute hosts a long-standing Graduate Research Seminar, meeting weekly during term-time, providing a platform for graduate students studying Japan to exchange ideas and engage in discussions, regardless of their disciplinary or college affiliations.

In 2007, the institute launched the Masters Programme in Modern Japanese Studies. This program offers an intensive, advanced language curriculum, as well as options on Japan taught by faculty from both the Oriental and Nissan Institutes. It has an explicitly academic focus and aims to prepare students for future doctoral research.

Since its establishment in the 1980s, the institute has organised a series of Nissan Seminars in Japanese Studies. These seminars occur weekly during Michaelmas and Trinity terms, on Fridays from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., and in Hilary term, they are held on Thursdays from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Each week, distinguished speakers in the field of Japanese studies present their current research. The general public is welcome to attend.

Furthermore, since the 1980s, the institute has been responsible for publishing two series on Japan. The Nissan Institute/Routledge Japanese Studies Series has now released over 100 volumes, making it the largest academic series on Japan worldwide. Additionally, the institute has produced an Occasional Papers Series, which enables wider readership for papers initially presented in the Seminar Series. The last paper published in this series was in 2010, and there are plans to relaunch the series in the future.

Offers funding

No, this infrastructure does not provide funding.

Founding year

1981

Contact details

On the map

Go to larger version of this map

Categorisation

Type

Project Tags

University affiliation(s)

University of Oxford
Oxford