Inter-University Research Institute Corporation

National Institutes
for the Humanities
GUIDE BOOK 2023-2024
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Message from the President・ ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ 1

NIHU Research Projects・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ 4

About NIHU・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ 2

NIHU Co-creation Initiatives・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ 6

Mission and Vision・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ 3

NIHU at a Glance・ ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・10

Center for Innovative Research (CIR)

Activities of the NIHU Institutes・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・11

・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

3

Message from the President

Message from the President

The humanities are the disciplines that study human culture
and society. Culture and society widely vary depending ona host of factors, including natural environment, historicalcontext, relations with neighboring groups, and the internal
circumstances of groups. Transcending all the differencesin time and space, however, we all are human beings. Our
cultures and societies therefore exhibit both diversity anduniversality. That diversity and universality, which are theresult of human efforts over the course of time to deal withthe factors around them, are the distillation of wisdom. Whatis distilled there is not just wisdom, but also human folly —war, discrimination, destruction of the environment, and soon. These negative aspects of humanity, too, are part-andparcel of culture and society. The study of the humanities
covers the entirety, including the negative aspects.
For culture and society, there cannot possibly be only
“correct” ways of doing things or only “right” answers. Every
culture or society has its inherent value. The humanities do
not seek a single answer. Their objective is to explore how
diversity and universality arise, reveal the cultural and social
structures not visible on the surface, and the cultural andsocial structures of the past not visible from the perspectiveof the present, thereby promoting mutual understanding andempathy.
The results of research should be made available not just in a single language like English but in otherlanguages. In the case of research on regional cultures and societies, especially, the most suitable language
for their description may be the one used in that region. The use of English is most effective to shareresearch results widely, but this does not mean English is superior to other languages. Description in thelocal language may assure the higher quality of a document.
Not only research results but also data on culture and society should be made publicly available in various
languages. A massive amount of data accumulated through research done so far has regrettably not beenplaced within easy access to the public. Technological, financial, and other factors have made that difficult,but in the recent years the situation has been improving.
The mission of inter-university research institute corporations like NIHU is to provide researchers atuniversities and research institutes in Japan and abroad with the large-scale facilities and vast dataand information that would be difficult for individual universities to maintain, so that they can efficiently
collaborate in research. The six research institutes under the umbrella of NIHU each have accumulated
experience in providing public access to their own vast data and conducting collaborative research. NIHU
seeks to achieve a broader and deeper understanding of human culture by providing systematic accessto databases in the humanities and enhancing research on the diversity and universality of human culture.
These achievements should then be made accessible not only to the community of researchers but also to
broader public. We look forward to your continued support and goodwill.

KIBE Nobuko
President
National Institutes for the Humanities

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National Institutes for the Humanities GUIDE BOOK 2023-2024

About NIHU

About NIHUThe National Institutes for the Humanities (NIHU) was established in 2004 as a corporation to support andfurther develop inter-university research institutes* that promote research in the humanities.
The current constituent organizations are:・National Museum of Japanese History (REKIHAKU)
・National Institute of Japanese Literature (NIJL)・National Institute for Japanese Language and Linguistics (NINJAL)
・International Research Center for Japanese Studies (NICHIBUNKEN)
・Research Institute for Humanity and Nature (RIHN)
・National Museum of Ethnology (MINPAKU)
As international centers of excellence in their respective research fields, these six institutes aim to promote basic
and interdisciplinary research in collaboration with universities and other research institutes and researchers inJapan and overseas. As the only inter-university research institute corporation for humanities research, the NIHU
connects institutes within the organization with universities and other external institutes, and is also engaged
in comprehensive academic research and dissemination related to human culture with the aim of constructing
research resources, promoting empirical and theoretical research, and creating new research areas, including
collaboration with the natural sciences.

Organization of NIHU
Presidential Selection andSupervisory Committee

President

Education and Research Council

Auditors

Administrative Council

Board of
Executive Directors

External Evaluation Committee

NIHU HQ
Audit Office

Center for Innovative Research(CIR)

Directors’ Meeting

REKIHAKUNIJLStrategic Office ofInformation
the President
Infrastructure Office

NINJALNICHIBUNKEN

RIHN

Secretariat

MINPAKU＊ Inter-University Research Institutes
As Japanese centers of excellence (COE) in their respective research fields, these institutes provide universities
and other research institutes in Japan and overseas with large facilities and equipment as well as vast materials
and information that are difficult for any individual university to maintain, thereby facilitating effective joint
research.

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Mission and Vision
The six inter-university research institutes that make up NIHU operate as international centers of excellence intheir respective fields as they deepen basic research, in collaboration with universities, other research institutes,
and researchers in Japan and overseas, as well as conduct interdisciplinary research transcending the confinesof research fields. In addition to supporting the activities of these six institutes, the NIHU headquarters connect
institutes inside and outside NIHU, thus promoting the construction of research resources and new researchersthat transcend disciplines and organizations.

▷ Mission
Mission and Vision / Center for Innovative Research (CIR)

As the only inter-university research institute corporation for the humanities, NIHU’s mission is tocomprehensively explore humanity and its cultures, and through this exploration, to ask what true abundanceis, to promote harmony between nature and humanity, and to contribute to the survival and coexistence ofhumankind.

▷ Vision
To realize its mission, in the NIHU’s Fourth Mid-term Plan Period (FY2022-2027), NIHU aims to explore various
social issues related to the diversity of human culture and social dynamics, try to solve them, and present newvalues and humanities knowledge that will serve as guidelines for the formation of a future society in whichpeople and nature live in harmony and where science, technology, and humanity coexist. To achieve this, theCenter for Innovative Research was established in April 2022 with the aim of forming new knowledge open
to society. Based on the philosophy of open humanities research through co-creation with various people inJapan and overseas, the center continues to build a research platform using digital technology, promote joint
research through that platform, and work on the formation of a “Knowledge Forum” as a place for exchange andcollaboration with various people in society and the formation of an international network.

Center for Innovative Research (CIR)
Based on the mission and vision above, the Center for Innovative Research promotes “NIHU Research Projects”
and “NIHU Co-creation Initiatives.”

⿙NIHU Research Projects

Social Co-creation

NIHU Research Projects conduct basic andinterdisciplinary researches, and promote three
types of projects.
・Institute-based Projects
・Multidisciplinary Collaborative Projects
・Network-based Projects

Co-creation
Initiatives

⿙NIHU Co-creation Initiatives
These are projects that promote the sharingof research results and co-creation with local
communities and societies, promote knowledge
co-creation projects and co-creation outreach,
whose aim is to develop research in three
ways: “social co-creation,” “digitalization,” and“international co-creation” as shown on the rightfigure.

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National Institutes for the Humanities GUIDE BOOK 2023-2024

Co-creation
Initiatives

International
Co-creation

NIHU Research
Projects

Co-creation
Initiatives

Digitalization

NIHU Research Projects
Institute-based Projects
REKIHAKU
Construction of Japanese Historical
Knowledge and Open Science Research

New Departures and Consortium for
Global Japanese Studies: Pioneeringand Cultivating Global Japanese Studies

NIHU Research Projects

NIJL

NICHIBUNKEN

RIHN

Model Building in the Humanities
through Data-Driven Problem Solving

Renewing Modern Civilization throughNature-culture Complex toward
Solving Global Environmental Problems

NINJALMINPAKU

Empirical and Applied Research on theJapanese Language Based on Open
Language Resources

Sustainable Development Humanities
Research Based on the Info-Forum
Archives of Human Culture

Multidisciplinary Collaborative Projects
⿙Interdisciplinary and Integrated Studies on Local Cultures:
Aiming for the Emergence of Novel Communities
REKIHAKU [lead institute], MINPAKU [lead institute], NIJL, NINJAL, RIHN
Many local communities today are in a critical situation due to frequent disasters and changes within andoutside the community. While inheriting existing traditional culture, there is a need for social emergence throughnew bearers and the culture that is renewed there. In this research, the aim is to actively participate in socialand cultural emergence by investigating how a society can be truly sustainable and diverse from cross-cutting
perspectives such as conservation science, anthropology, folklore, history, ecology, and linguistics, incorporating
traditional culture that is replete with local wisdom and history.

⿙Object-based Research of Nature-human Interactions up to the Anthropocene
RIHN [lead institute], REKIHAKUHumanity living in nature have made use of a wide variety of resources from the environment. The goal of thisproject is to study the relationship between nature and people along temporal and spatial axes by analyzing theconcentrations and isotope ratios of elements contained in the human body and substances, and to clarify thechanges in human resource usage that lead to modern global environmental problems from the perspective ofmaterial culture. In addition to conducting collaborative research with the National Museum of Ethnology on theancient Andes, the academic collaboration will be done also with universities and research institutes inside andoutside NIHU.

⿙Expansion Studies of Synthetic Bibliology
NIJL [lead institute], REKIHAKU, NINJAL
The main target is the Edo period and earlier books, and each unit has a common flow of “fragmentation of
information into units of lexical level and character composition” to “reconstruction as value-added data,” withthe aim of contributing to society today and graduate school classes through the research results, and at thesame time innovate at the meta-level of expanding research methods and areas themselves while incorporating
AI technology as appropriate. By allowing open access also to failed attempts, this becomes a kind of testing
ground for knowledge in the humanities, which invites future breakthroughs.

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NIHU Research Projects
Network-based Projects
These are projects in which NIHU's institutes play a central role in forming a network with universities and otherresearch institutes in Japan and overseas as well as implementing issues that are important to Japan and theworld. Through the establishment of the NIHU Global Area Studies Program and the Inter-University ResearchInstitute Network Project to Preserve and Succeed Historical and Cultural Resources, efforts are being made in
research to solve problems from various research field.

NIHU Research Projects

Global Area Studies Program (Steering Unit, MINPAKU)
So far, area studies have mainly focused on elucidation of the unique, essential, and inherent nature ofconventionally constructed areas, imagined (created) through a postcolonial knowledge system. In this research
program, with collaboration of the following four projects consisting of networks of various research institutes
and universities, we are aiming to uncover the mechanisms of the establishment (and failure) and transformationof the global order from a viewpoint of comparison and relevance of various areas, and to explore possibility of
new area studies that go beyond the conventional conceptualization of areas.

Global Mediterranean
MINPAKU [Central Hub], Toyo University, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, Doshisha University
This project examines the movement of people, goods, and knowledge through the modern and contemporary
Mediterranean from a supra-regional and interdisciplinary perspective, exploring frameworks in area studies.

Indian Ocean World Studies
MINPAKU [Central Hub], University of Tokyo, Osaka University, Kyoto University
Focusing on the world surrounding the Indian Ocean, this project will elucidate the dynamics by whichflows of people, goods, information, values, and so on have been involved in the generation, development,
accumulation, and disappearance of relationships inside and outside that world.

Maritime Asian and Pacific Studies (MAPS)MINPAKU [Central Hub], Kyoto University, Toyo University, Tokyo Metropolitan University
Based on the fundamental cultural commonalities within the “Austronesian” language sphere, this project aims tocomprehensively outline cross-border movements of people, goods, and information from maritime Asia to Oceania.

East Eurasian Studies
Tohoku University [Central Hub], MINPAKU, Kobe University, Hokkaido University
This project aims to elucidate the influence of the existence of East Eurasia, home to the large states of China
and Russia, on the global world from the perspective of cultural collisions and well-being (sense of happiness).

Inter-University Research Institute Network Project to Preserve andSucceed Historical and Cultural Resources
REKIHAKU [lead institute], Tohoku University, Kobe University
This project will contribute to the construction of local history and culture by having the foundations ofhistorical and cultural materials in the area recognized by not only researchers but also the area as a whole,
based on the results of activities to preserve historical and cultural materials conducted in the area (preservation,
survey, and research activities), building on the “Shiryo Net” established in universities and areas across Japan,
centering on NIHU (lead institute: REKIHAKU), Tohoku University, and Kobe University. Moreover, it aims to help
researchers and areas share the best ways to preserve materials and the foundations of local culture throughcollaboration and co-creation between local governments and society.

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National Institutes for the Humanities GUIDE BOOK 2023-2024

NIHU Co-creation Initiatives
Co-creation Research Projects
These projects promote joint research through co-creation with various organizations and people inside andoutside NIHU as well as develop research in three ways.

Establishing Science for Universal Communication (S_COM)
NIHU Co-creation Initiatives

The goal of this project is to establish a new research field for “universal communication” through whichpeople can participate equally regardless of their attributes. In order for “people with communicationdifficulties” and “people with disabilities” to be able to participate in social activities to the same extent
as other people, it is necessary to elucidate current mechanisms and conduct basic research to balance
the differences in needs. This research will be advanced to facilitate changes on the hardware side ofinfrastructure development and the software side of general public perception. The National Museum of
Ethnology and the National Institute for Japanese Language and Linguistics are the main bases for thisproject.

Building Digital Library for Humanities
This project, with help of digital technologies, intends more effective conservation and utilization of suchresearch materials as photographs, videos, and audio materials accumulated through field surveys conductedby researchers and research institutes in Japan. Through collaboration among the National Museum of
Ethnology, the National Institute for Japanese Language and Linguistics, and the National Institute ofInformatics, the fruits of past scientific expedition in various fields are to be reevaluated for future activities.

Japan-related Documents and Artifacts Held Overseas:
NIHU International Collaborative Research

Early Diplomatic Japanese Collections Abroad: Contextualizing 19th Century Japanese Material
Heritage in World History through On-site and Online Research and Use (REKIHAKU)
Focusing on Japan collections (objects and related historical documents) in Europe and the United States
built in the 19th century, this project looks at the history of mutual relations by considering them not only
as Japanese historical and cultural materials but also as materials that have moved to their current locations
and been given a new context. Multi-perspective research on Japanese materials abroad will be advanced
to reframe them in a global context as well as develop projects that promote their local use remoteenvironments, and online spaces.

Study on the Construction of Archival Infrastructure for the History of Modern Japan-Vatican
Relations (NIJL)
It is well-known that exchanges happened between the Vatican (the Holy See) and Japan during the Warring
States period, but the relationship in modern times is actually important as well. In addition to missionary
educational and social activities conducted in various places, the Vatican acted as an intermediary with
the Allies during World War II. This project is a full-scale survey of archives (written records) related to
diplomatic relations between the Vatican and Japan in the modern era, which have not been well known inJapan, and will contribute to the future development of research on the history of Vatican-Japan relations
by laying information groundwork on this topic.

Japan-related Documents and Artifacts in Hawai`i: Historical and Social Survey Interface (NINJAL)
Among the Japan-related materials scattered overseas, those created in Hawai`i since the 19th century are
numerous and diverse, but there is a high risk of materials being discarded because fewer and fewer local
staff can understand Japanese. With a starting point in advancing research based on local language history,social history, and life history, this project aims to give an overview of the current state and future prospectsof materials management by investigating the materials collections, interviewing relevant persons, andcollaborating with local communities.

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NIHU Co-creation Initiatives
Co-creation Outreach

NIHU Knowledge Co-creation Projects

In collaboration with the NIHU’s institutes and research institutes such as universities, these projects aim tovisualize cutting-edge research on human culture through museums and exhibitions as well as build a researchpromotion model that enhances research through co-creation with academia and society. Moreover, they will
promote social co-creation together with NIHU symposiums and other public outreach projects.

NIHU Co-creation Initiatives▷ NIHU Interactive Museums
A “circulation of knowledge” between universities, other research institutions, and society will be created byusing digital technology to prepare materials and data owned by NIHU’s institutes, visualize them throughmuseums and various exhibitions, and share and publish research processes and results by various methods
and in various places. In this way, the aim is to build a model for promoting open humanities researchthrough co-creation with various people in Japan and overseas. Moreover, joint research will be conductedto solve communication challenges, such as visual and auditory difficulties, and, based on the results, todevelop exhibition methods that support diversity.

▷ Liberal Arts Communicator
In addition to communicating the results of humanities research tosociety in an easy-to-understand manner by utilizing various media andopportunities such as exhibitions, “Liberal Arts Communicators” aretrained systematically as researchers with skills to pick up on social
demands for and responses to research and funnel that back into
the research field. As an interpreter who “connects” society andresearch, he/she will promote social collaboration and co-creation
as well as contribute to the promotion and development of thehumanities.

The collaboration lecture “ResearchCommunication in Humanities and Social
Sciences” at the University of Tsukuba
Graduate School▷ NIHU Symposiums
With NIHU at the center, universities
and various research organizations
collaborate to hold symposiums
on the latest results in humanities
research.

40th NIHU Symposium
Venue: Kyoto Institute, Library and Archives▷ Industry-Academia Collaborations
In collaboration with industry and external organizations, social benefits of research results are promoted,
and contributions are made to develop academic culture.

▷ The web magazine “NIHU Magazine”
This is a web magazine that disseminates NIHU research results and activities both in Japanand internationally. It is published regularly in two languages, Japanese and English.

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Co-creation Outreach

NIHU “Digital Humanities” (DH) Projects

NIHU Co-creation Initiatives

Since 2022, NIHU has conducted a six-year project placing priority on the promotion of Digital Humanities (DH).
NIHU sees DH not only as the application of digital technologies to diverse fields and methods in the humanities;
but also as the action of a place where scholars and other members of society from different fields cometogether for interdisciplinary discussion and co-create new research fields and research platforms. For NIHU,
the projects form the infrastructure on which to create knowledge for the next generation. In FY 2023, NIHU
has launched an office for the promotion of the digital humanities and play a unique role in the international
advancement of DH research.

Resource
Development
Handbook
・Handling of rights
・Digitalization

DH lecture
seriesnihuBridge(DH platform)

Collaboration
betweenorganizationsin Japan andoverseas

DH networking
and training ofyoung scholars
Research DataManagement
・Policy・Guidebook

Key Activities
・Digitalizing and making available research resources for humanities research held by the NIHU’s six
institutes and other research organizations in Japan.
・Compiling the above research resources into databases to make them searchable.
・Developing a platform to support efforts such as the standardization of data formats, inter-database
coordination, and rights management to make the databases publicly available.
・Providing and sharing the established research platforms to integrate different disciplines and propel
the team research projects of domestic and international research institutes.
・Utilizing DH to promote the preservation, analysis, and exchange of new knowledge by scholars inJapan in the context of humanities research.

▷ nihuBridge
nihuBridge is a portal site for sharing and utilizing diverse research resources disseminated by NIHU and its
constituent institutes.
The website — released as a new platform offering an overview of the achievements of the NIHU institutes —is an updated version of the NIHU Integrated Retrieval System (nihuINT), originally developed as a productof the research resource-sharing promotion project. nihuBridge not only allows users to acquire datasetsand collect information by searching and cross-referencing databases but also provides information fromdirectories and APIs.
From here on, NIHU aims to further advance nihuBridge, by enhancing the connection between its knowledge
information, and develop the website into a platform for promoting data utilization.

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NIHU Co-creation Initiatives
Co-creation Outreach NIHU Global Partnership
NIHU has built collaborative research relationships with foreign
research institutions involved in humanities research. We actively
promote to invite foreign researchers and dispatch researchers
overseas, and hold and send speakers to international symposiums
overseas.

NIHU Co-creation Initiatives▷ Overseas Research Facilities
NIHU opened overseas research facilities (liaison offices) topromote international collaborative research with overseas
institutions. The offices provide information on research on
Japan and Japanese culture to people in other countries.

Visit of the President of the University of Bonn

▷ Agreement with UK’s Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC)
NIHU signed an agreement with the United Kingdom’s Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC) in 2007
to facilitate the exchange of post-graduates and early career researchers. The agreement has been renewed
several times since then and a cooperative relationship has developed between the two organizations.
Based on this agreement, at the request of the AHRC, NIHU provides placements and research guidance tograduate students and early career researchers from the UK who wish to pursue Japanese studies. NIHU
continues to contribute to the development of overseas researchers through these types of activities.

▷ NIHU Program for Young Researcher Overseas Visits
In order to contribute to NIHU projects and expand overseas research opportunities (survey researchand presentations at international conferences, etc.), young researchers participating in NIHU Research
Projects and NIHU Co-creation Initiatives are dispatched to overseas universities and international research
conferences.

NIHU International Prize in Japanese Studies
In January 2019, the NIHU International Prize in Japanese Studies was established, with the support of
the Kuraray Foundation, with the aim to promote the development of Japanese studies and deepen
the understanding of Japanese culture internationally. The prize will be awarded to researchers based
overseas who have shown outstanding achievement in Japan-related scholarship in literature, language,
history, ethnology, folklore studies, the environment and other fields related to the human culture
studies and have made great contributions to the international development of Japanese studies.
2019 The prize winner Haruo Shirane
Professor of Japanese Literature and Culture and Chair of
the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures atColumbia University
2020 The prize winner Andrew Gordon
Lee and Juliet Folger Fund Professor of History at Harvard
University Professor of the Edwin O. Reischauer Institute forJapanese Studies at Harvard University
2021 The prize winner Jean-Noël Robert
Professor of Collège de France
2022 The prize winner Josef Kreiner
Professor Emeritus of University of Bonn
Visiting Researcher of Hosei University Research Center forInternational Japanese Studies

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National Institutes for the Humanities GUIDE BOOK 2023-2024

A commemorative lecture by the fourth prize
winner Josef Kreiner

NIHU at a Glance
Profile of Academic and Administrative Staff (2022)…10

Organization

Academic staff

Administrative staff

NIHU HQREKIHAKUNINJALNICHIBUNKEN
RIHN
MINPAKU

28

44

44

30

46

26

30

28

38

26

31

56

51

Male

71%

Japanese
staff

Female90%29%Overseas
staff

NIHU at a Glance

NIJL

7

10%

*Percentages calculated from the numbers of academic staff.

Map of Agreements with Overseas Research Institutions (2023)

20

8

(6%)
(16%) NIHUMINPAKU HQ

24

129

(19%)
RIHN

12

(9%)
NICHI
BUNKEN

30

(23%)
REKI
HAKU

19

16

(12%)
NINJAL(15%)
NIJL

Researchers Collaborating with NIHU (2022)

Overseas organizations
386 (11%)Other
195 (6%)

National universities
1086 (32%)

Private organizations
124 (4%)
Public organizations
261 (8%)Inter-university research institutes
197 (6%)

3398

Public universities
162 (5%)
Private universities
987 (29%)

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Activities of the NIHU Institutes
Joint Use and Collaborative Research
The vast libraries of NIHU’s institutes house a plethora of research resources and databases in their respective
specialist fields. They contain information obtained from universities and other institutions nationwide, and fromtheir own facilities. The materials are provided to Japanese and overseas research institutions for joint use andcollaborative research. Through its lending program, universities and institutions can use these materials forseminars and researchers for their studies.

Activities of the NIHU Institutes

A seminar using museum collections

Vacuum line to prepare sample for radiocarbon dating(Rekihaku)

Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI)
NIHU’s six institutes offer courses at the Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI. The six graduate(doctoral) courses take advantage of the institutes’ respective resources to train scholars for broad perspective
and a high level of expertise and learning.
Department( ～ FY2022)

Program(FY2023～ )Regional Studies
Comparative Studies
CulturalandSocialStudies

Japanese Studies
Japanese History
Japanese Literature

DepartmentofAdvanced
StudiesName of
Institute

Number of
students(as of May 1,
2022)

Number ofdegreesawarded(FY2021)

12

（5）

4

11

（4）

4

NICHIBUNKEN

16

（8）

4

Japanese History

REKIHAKU

12

（0）

0

Japanese Literature

NIJL

6

（0）

3

Japanese Language Sciences

NINJAL

Anthropological Studies

MINPAKU

Japanese Studies

Global Environmental Studies RIHN
(Unit: People) (Numbers in brackets: Overseas students)

Contributing to Universities and Graduate Education
Through agreements with universities, we contribute to the advancement of graduate education by providing
placements for graduate students, research guidance, coordinating lecture subjects, and taking part in committees forawarding degrees (collaborative graduate programs). The National Museum of Ethnology and the National Museum ofJapanese History make their collections and exhibit materials available to universities for use in lectures and training.
The National Institute of Japanese Literature (NIJL) provides university faculty and graduate schools opportunities tohold “NIJL Seminars” at the institute. As part of the seminar, they are also given access to the institute’s extensive
collection as lecture materials.
Graduate Programs offered in collaboration with Japanese Universities◦ National Museum of Japanese History◦ National Institute for Japanese Language and Linguistics◦ Research Institute for Humanity and Nature

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Chiba University
Hitotsubashi University, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies
Nagoya University, Tohoku University

National Museum of Japanese History

REKIHAKU

国立歴史民俗博物館

A research institute promoting research on Japanese history
and culture

Development of permanent exhibition basedon the results of collaborative research.
Renovation of Gallery 1, noted as a practicalmodel for the [Rekihaku] “museum-based
research integration” approach.

Research Projects

Exhibitions

Research projects at Rekihaku are organized and conducted withresearchers in Japan and overseas. “Collaborative research” consistsof “principal research” aiming for interdisciplinary collaboration oncore research themes based on Rekihaku’s mission (4 projects),“fundamental research” addressing the development of methodologicalfoundations for historical studies (10 projects), “developmental
research” aimed at breaking ground for new areas of study anddeveloping human resources, and “Collaborative access type joint
research” to train early career researchers such as students enrolled
in doctoral programs and postdoctoral researchers (6 projects).
In addition, “research projects on Rekihaku’s collections” designed
for making effective use of the museum’s holdings (2 project) and“exhibition projects” in exhibition development of special and featured
exhibitions (12 projects) are conducted. (The number of projects
conducted in FY 2022)

Permanent exhibitions at Rekihaku present key themes in Japanese history
and culture, from prehistoric and ancient times to modern times, with anemphasis on the history of daily life of the people. Special exhibitions andfeatured exhibitions are held to publicize the achievements of collaborative
research and collecting activities. Seasonal exhibitions of traditional plants
are offered at the Botanical Garden of Everyday Life as well.

Activities of the NIHU Institutes

The National Museum of Japanese History (Rekihaku) is a museum-based interuniversity research institute established to advance research on Japanese history
and culture. Its vision is to offer historical perspective that will open the way tothe future, and to enhance mutual understanding among people with divergent
perceptions of history. In pursuing the vision above, Rekihaku values its researchstyle (museum-based research integration) in which resources, research, andexhibitions are organically linked and presented through sharing and public access.
Rekihaku will promote interdisciplinary collaborative research with researchers inJapan and overseas as well as initiatives involving multidisciplinary cooperation
towards developing a new field of Japanese history.

Collections / Databases
Rekihaku is committed to collecting authentic materials, reproductions,audio-visual materials, and other resources. As of May 1, 2022,
Rekihaku has 273,133 items in its collection (including 5 nationaltreasures, 87 important cultural properties and 27 art treasures). It
also has a library of 362,842 titles. For research use, Rekihaku provides
extensive access to several databases, including those containing its
collections, bibliographical information and the full text of historical
records, as well as those containing the achievements of collaborative
research (57 databases as of May 1, 2022).

National Institute of Japanese Literature
国文学研究資料館

Harvesting the Intellectual Wealth of Premodern Japanese
Texts

NIJL

The National Institute of Japanese Literature (NIJL) is a comprehensive scientificresearch institution specializing in Japanese literature. Its activities include:
collection of literary texts and other related documents on a large scale from allover Japan; provision of the same materials for use by researchers working acrossa wide range of fields related to Japanese literature; and active promotion ofadvanced collaborative research projects utilizing these materials. Drawing upon NIJLʼs Reading Room
its scholarly achievements in documentary research on premodern Japanese texts,
a body of accomplishment built up over the 50 years since the institute’s founding, NIJL works with research institutions
and researchers both in Japan and abroad to make the most of premodern Japanese texts as a rich intellectual
resource, and is committed to paving the way for innovative research spanning a variety of different fields.

Surveying, Collecting, and Using Resources

Exhibition SpaceNIJL surveys primarily Japanese literary texts and other related
documents (manuscripts, printed books, historical documents, etc.),collecting these in digital and other formats. The institute offers
reading and copying services in its reading room, in addition toproviding copy services through the interlibrary loan system. It also
conducts a variety of educational programs in concert with various
universities. Beyond these services, parts of its collections can be freely
accessed through 32 databases available from NIJL’s website, notably
the “Database of Pre-Modern Japanese Works.” Selected materials
are also accessible via the NIJL website as “premodern Japanese
text datasets” in which full individual works may be downloaded as
single files made available through the Center for Open Data in the
Humanities (CODH) at the Research Organization of Information and
Systems’ Joint Support-Center for Data Science Research (ROIS-DS).

NIJL endeavors to make available the results achieved in its
documentary research and collaborative research projects throughdisplay in its public exhibition space. It also offers a series of regularlychanging temporary exhibitions, showcasing a variety of different
themes.

NIJL Arts Initiative
NIJL strives to bring its abundant store of premodern materials into
dialogue with the modern world, in hopes of engaging with thesematerials in a variety of original ways. The NIJL Arts Initiative actively
utilizes these rich cultural resources as a means of responding to thecontemporary needs of society, while simultaneously promoting the
spread of Japanese culture and learning throughout the world.

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National Institute for Japanese Language and Linguistics

NINJAL

国立国語研究所

Conducting comprehensive research into the Japanese
language

Activities of the NIHU Institutes

The National Institute for Japanese Language and Linguistics (NINJAL) isa core international research facility engaged in research into Japanese
language, linguistics and Japanese language education. Its aim is tomaintain an overview of the characteristics of Japanese in the context
of world languages, and its universal nature and linguistic diversity. In
addition to staying involved in large-scale collaborative research with
universities and research institutions in Japan and overseas, NINJAL
provides the results of its research for joint use as a resource for
language research, in an effort to advance and internationalize Japanese
language research, and promote the development of new areas ofresearch.

“Handbooks of Japanese Language andLinguistics” Series

Corpora and Databases

Research Library

A corpus is a language database that contains large volumes ofelectronic text that can be searched and analyzed in detail. NINJAL
designs and builds corpora, such as the Corpus of Spontaneous
Japanese, the Balanced Corpus of Contemporary Written Japanese,and the NINJAL Web Japanese Corpus, and provides shared accessfor language research and a wide range of other purposes, includingin the information processing industry. NINJAL is currently in theprocesses of building a diverse array of corpora, from dialects andhistorical Japanese to everyday conversation and Japanese as asecond language.
NINJAL also publishes a number of databases and datasets via
its website, including the Bibliographic Database of Japanese
Language Research.

The Research Library of NINJAL collects and stores mainly researchmaterials and linguistic resources concerning Japanese language
studies and the Japanese language, as well as related fields such as
Japanese language education, linguistics, etc. This is the only libraryspecialized in the Japanese language and linguistics in Japan.
⃝ Special Collections
Tojo bunko (dialects), Ota bunko (dialects), Hoshina bunko (language
issues), Kenbo bunko (dictionaries), Kanamozikai bunko (characters/
notation), Fujimura bunko (phonology), Hayashi bunko (Japanese
Linguistics), Koshimizu bunko (pedagogical studies of the Japanese
Language), Nakamura bunko (Japanese Linguistics), etc.

International Research Center for Japanese Studies
国際日本文化研究センター

NICHIBUNKEN

An international research facility focused on
studying Japanese culture and providing support toJapan scholars around the world

The International Research Center for Japanese Studies (Nichibunken)
is an institution whose aim is to conduct comprehensive research,both scholarly and international in nature, on Japanese culture and toassist researchers specializing in Japanese studies around the world.
As part of its core team research activities, the center sets out themesthat span different disciplines and approach Japanese culture from aninternational perspective, and involves researchers from a wide rangeof specialist fields in Japan and overseas. In addition to hosting a large
number of overseas research scholars every year, Nichibunken acts as
an international hub for research on Japanese culture, through activities
such as organizing international symposiums and forums, facilitating
academic exchange, and gathering and disseminating research data.

Library
The Nichibunken Library collects a wide range of materials thatare essential to research into Japan and makes the relevantmaterials available to researchers. It also provides access to various
kinds of information relating to Japanese studies. The library’s
600,000 titles can be searched online, and are available for otheruniversities and institutions to copy or borrow on request via theinter-library loan system. One of the key points when it comes tocollecting materials is to ensure comprehensive coverage of books
about Japan written in different languages, and translated texts.

13

National Institutes for the Humanities GUIDE BOOK 2023-2024（left）“Nihon Kenkyū”（center）“Japan Review”（right）“Nichibunken Monograph”Series

As well as books and other such publications, the library is also active
in collecting colored photographs from the late Edo and Meiji periods,
old maps, and audio visual materials such as DVDs and CDs.

Publications
Nichibunken disseminates the latest research in Japanese studies
through its two peer-reviewed journals, Japan Review and Nihon
Kenkyū. The Center also sponsors monographs in both Japanese andEnglish, and publishes the proceedings of conferences held in Japanand abroad.

Research Institute for Humanity and Nature

RIHN

総合地球環境学研究所

A research facility working with the public to explore thefuture of humanity and nature

Interdisciplinary and Transdisciplinary research
To achieve our mission, RIHN has been conducting interdisciplinary
research spanning the natural sciences, humanities, and social
sciences, and in recent years, has developed towards transdisciplinary
research that involves collaboration with various stakeholders insociety. RIHN research is increasingly transdisciplinary in that it seeks
to redefine the role of science in society, improve dialogue between
different traditions of knowledge, and stimulate new multiactor local,
national and international collaborations.

Facilities and Equipment
RIHN places particular importance on developing technologies tomeasure relationships between humanity and nature, and on using
those technologies to perform environmental diagnoses.

Activities of the NIHU Institutes

The Research Institute for Humanity and Nature (RIHN) examines global
environmental issues in the context of the relationship between humanity andnature. In this perspective, environmental problems are always linked to humanculture. The institute conducts comprehensive research with the aim of resolving
these issues. RIHN research is conducted through international research projects,
each of which identifies appropriate themes, methods and other researchresources that can be developed within a given time frame. RIHN also emphasizes
working with local residents and other stakeholders, as well as the wider researchcommunity. Such qualities distinguish RIHN from other environmental research
institutions in Japan.

Groundwater survey at Tarama Island,
Okinawa

To this end, RIHN maintains a world-class laboratory for stable isotope
analysis. It is also working with universities and research institutions
around the world to stimulate the use of stable isotope analysis within
environmental studies.

Science Communication
As a national research institute, RIHN is expected to conduct
exemplary science. It also must communicate its research agenda
and results to the public and contribute to public awareness anddiscussion of contemporary environmentalism.
A number of public symposia, seminar series, various outreach events,
publications and web contents are designed, to reach specialist andgeneral audiences. Strengthening the relation with the mass media isalso promoted.

National Museum of Ethnology

MINPAKU

国立民族学博物館

A forum for sharing and creating knowledge of the world

The National Museum of Ethnology (Minpaku) is an inter-university research instituteof cultural anthropology, providing postgraduate education and managing one of
the world’s largest museum facilities. As a focal point for international research,collaboration and shared access, the museum works with peoples, societies andcultures the world over, accumulating cultural resources and disseminating ideas
and information through exhibition and publications. Minpaku has been constructing
an online “Info-Forum Archives” to enable researchers and source communities toexchange information related to cultural resources of the world, and create a newknowledge of humanity.

Research Projects
Based on extensive academic resources, Minpaku continues its
mission of “creating a science of global human coexistence”, toestablish guidelines for human symbiosis. The main activities are a
Special Research Project entitled “Ethnic Groups and Ethnicity in
the Post-Nationalist Era”, to explore guiding principles for realizing
a convivial human society, and a Transdisciplinary Project on “InfoForum Archives”, to create a digital databank of cultural resources for
global use, and interdisciplinary joint research projects on peoples,
societies and cultures, in collaboration with researchers and source
communities in Japan and abroad.

Collection and Databases
Minpaku holds some 345,000 cultural and ethnological items, and70,000 audio-visual recordings. It also houses a book and journal
collection of cultural anthropology and related fields consisting ofsome 280,000 titles in Japanese and 420,000 titles in other languages.
As well as making these resources available for use in research anduniversity education, it also lends them to other museums and touring
exhibitions. In addition to online catalogues detailing artifacts, audiovisual materials, books and other documents in its collection, various
outcomes and data of research at the museum are made open to the
public through an online database and academic repository.

Exhibitions
Minpaku disseminates research results to the public through several
kinds of exhibition.
⃝ Main Exhibition Hall
The museum’s permanent exhibition is divided into nine regional
galleries and two cross-cultural galleries showcasing music andlanguage. Also, a thematic exhibition gallery showcases contemporary
issues or recent research.
⃝ Special Exhibitions
Special exhibitions are large-scale events designed to comprehensively
and systematically showcase the latest research on specific themes.
The museum presents them twice each year.

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N I H U
https://www.nihu.jp/en

10-2, Midori-cho, Tachikawa City,
Tokyo 190-8561 Japan
TEL: +81-42-540-4300
FAX: +81-42-540-4333
https://www.ninjal.ac.jp/english/

Sakura City Police

NIJL
Tama Intercity Monorailu

NINJAL
Local Autonomy College

Tokyo ElectricPower Company
7-Eleven

Rakuhoku

Hospital
457-4 Motoyama, Kamigamo,
Kita-ku, Kyoto City,
Kyoto 603-8047 Japan
RIHN
TEL: +81-75-707-2100
FAX: +81-75-707-2106
https://www.chikyu.ac.jp/rihn_e/index.html

Kyoto Seikadai mae

Iwa k

ur a

Eizan Railway
Kurama Line

Kyoto Bus
Chikyuken-mae
bus stop

3-2 Goryo Oeyama-cho,Nishikyo-ku,Kyoto City,
Kyoto 610-1192 Japan
TEL: +81-75-335-2222
FAX: +81-75-335-2091
https://www.nichibun.ac.jp/en/

National Museum of
Ethnology

Kyoto Seika University
Kino

International ResearchCenter for JapaneseStudies

KokusaiKaikanCity Subway
Karasuma Line

10-1 Senri Expo Park, Suita City,
Osaka 565-8511 Japan (on thePremises of Expo Park)
TEL: +81-6-6876-2151
FAX: +81-6-6875-0401
https://www.minpaku.ac.jp/en/

NIJL
Tama Intercity Monorail
NINJALu10-3 Midori-cho, Tachikawa City,
Tokyo 190-0014 Japan
Tel: +81-50-5533-2900
FAX: +81-42-526-8604
https://www.nijl.ac.jp/en/

JR Sakura

Nikenchaya

Research Institute for
Humanity and Nature

Rekihaku

amats

National Institute forJapanese Language
and Linguistics

Sakura City Hall
Sakura City
Museum of Art

am
ats

117 Jonai-cho, Sakura City,
Chiba 285-8502 Japan
TEL: +81-43-486-0123
FAX: +81-43-486-4209
https://www.rekihaku.ac.jp/english/

National Institute ofJapanese Literature

Keisei Sakura

Route 296TakKeisei LineTakNational Museumof Japanese History

Local Autonomy College

Tokyo ElectricPower Company
7-Eleven

KatsuraRiver
HankyuRailway

Nichibunken
Hananomai
Koen-mae
bus stop

Katsurazaka
Shogakko-mae
bus stop9

Kyoto University
Katsura Campus

Katsura

JR

Katsuragawa

Japan Folk Crafts
Museum Osaka
Nihonteien-mae
Parking Lot

Minpaku

Tower of the Sun

Natural and Cultural
Gardens (entrance fee required)

Main Gate

ChugokuExpressway

Bampaku Kinen Koen
Osaka MonorailInter-University Research Institute Corporation

National Institutes
for the Humanities
Administrative Headquarters

RIHN・KYOTO

National Museum of
Ethnology

MINPAKU・OSAKA

大学共同利用機関法人
National Institute ofJapanese Literature

NIJL・TOKYO

National Institute for Japanese
Language and Linguistics

NINJAL・TOKYO

人間文化研究機構本部〒105-0001
東京都港区虎ノ門4-3-13
ヒューリック神谷町ビル2F
TEL：03-6402-9200（代表）
FAX：03-6402-9240【最寄り駅】
地下鉄日比谷線「神谷町駅」（出口4b徒歩2分）
地下鉄三田線「御成門駅」（出口A5徒歩10分）

Risona Bank

Onarimon (Mita Line)

Research Institutefor Humanity and Nature

Toranomoncross-point

Mizuho Bank

REKIHAKU・CHIBA

2nd Floor, Hulic Kamiyacho Bldg.
4-3-13 Toranomon, Minato-ku,
Tokyo 105-0001 Japan
TEL : +81-3-6402-9200
FAX : +81-3-6402-9240
https://www.nihu.jp/en

Kamiyacho MT
Building

NICHIBUNKEN・KYOTO

National Museum ofJapanese History

Administrative Headquarters

NIHU

International Research Center
for Japanese Studies

Ministry of Education,
Culture, Sports,
Science and Technology

Kamiyacho (Hibiya Line)

NIHU・TOKYO

National Institutes
for the Humanities