National and International Researchers
Collaborate to Chart a New Course
in Humanities Scholarship.
Yanagihara ToshiakiDirector, Center for Integrated Japanese Studies
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Objectives
In conjunction with international Japanese studies network initiatives at Tohoku University including the Hasekura League, the International Graduate Program in Japanese Studies, and the Digital Archive of Integrated Knowledge, the last of which is being built to coordinate the cultural and academic resources of the University with international standards, the Center for Integrated Japanese Studies aims to become the heart of the world’s largest cross-disciplinary “Japanese Studies” community.
In concrete terms, it will bring together Japanese studies scholars from top-ranked universities in North America and other regions at Tohoku University and will assume a leading role in the setting of a new standard in international academic excellence in the humanities.
Deepening and evolving.
Two Types of Integration
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Integration of research methods in Japanese studies
The Center and its scholars will deepen Japanese studies by integrating research methods that emphasize detailed empirical findings with those that focus on originality in theory and conceptual understanding.
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Integration of data-driven research and the humanities
The Center and its members will promote the integration of data-driven research using large-scale digital archives with the humanities, bringing innovation to research in the humanities.
Introduction
National and International Researchers
On October 1, 2023, the Center for Integrated Japanese Studies was established at Tohoku University.
Recent years have seen remarkable development in Tohoku University’s efforts to promote research and international academic exchange in connection with Japanese studies, including the formation and expansion of the Hasekura League and the opening of the International Graduate Program in Japanese Studies. In September 2022, the University convened the Hasekura Summit, assembling faculty members and students from 25 universities in 14 countries around the world in Sendai to discuss the promotion of humanities and sciences research and education. The results of the Summit were published as the “Hasekura Declaration”, with Tohoku University joining the presidents and faculty heads of seven overseas universities as joint signatories. These achievements provided the basis for the foundation of the Center for Integrated Japanese Studies.
Structure
About the logo mark
The logo mark of the Center for Integrated Japanese Studies (CIJS) is designed based on the abbreviation of CIJS and features a motif of origami, representing an aspect of Japanese culture. Through its three-dimensional construction, it evokes the Center’s dedication to dynamic innovation in Japanese studies research. The well-balanced palette of four colors represents the integration of empirical and innovative research, humanities and data-driven research, visually embodying CIJS’s mission.
