Japan Alliance of University Library Consortia for E-Resources (JUSTICE) andElsevier strike agreement to accelerate open access publishing in Japan whileproviding continued access to quality research

140 universities in Japan have expressed interest in this agreement
Tokyo, October 12 2023 – Japan Alliance of University Library Consortia for E-Resources (JUSTICE)
and Elsevier have established a transformative agreement in a major step forward in advancing global
access to Japan’s scholarly publications through open access publishing. The three-year agreement willtake effect from 2024 to 2026.
The agreement, the largest of its kind to date in Japan and Asia, aims to openly share and amplify
Japan’s world-class research for the benefit of society.
To respond flexibly to the diverse needs of Japanese universities, JUSTICE and Elsevier held
consultative discussions on ways to provide Japanese researchers access to quality academic journals
and support them in publishing open access. The read-and-publish agreement will be made available
through JUSTICE to Japanese universities.
57 member universities from the JUSTICE consortium were amongst the team that participated in thediscussion of the proposal, whose collective input contributed to the development of this uniqueframework tailored to the specific needs of Japanese institutions.
140 universities, including those that participated in the discussions, have already expressed interest in
the transformative agreement and will benefit from preferential terms if each university decides to opt intoit.
Sawako Kojin, JUSTICE Steering Committee Chair who is also Director of the Administrative Department
at Osaka University Library, said of the agreement: "For the first time, JUSTICE invited member libraries
to participate in forming a negotiating team to hold discussions with Elsevier. We are deeply encouragedby the level of interest expressed by so many member libraries, which exceeded our expectations. We
thank Elsevier for developing such a flexible framework that offers choice and helps address the needs ofindividual universities. While universities need to consider various factors and make adjustments before
settling on a final contract, JUSTICE, in collaboration with Elsevier, will continue to work towards ourshared goals of promoting open access publishing through the implementation of this transformative
agreement and enhancing the global dissemination of Japanese research capabilities."
Dr. Osamu Watanabe, Executive Vice President responsible for research at the Tokyo Institute ofTechnology and a negotiating team member of the JUSTICE consortium, said: "In line with the global
trend gravitating towards open access publishing, my university is actively pursuing a transformative
agreement to enhance the dissemination of our university’s research. We are positive that this agreement1with Elsevier will not only increase the research visibility of my university, but also the research results ofJapan, especially those of early career researchers."
Gemma Hersh, Senior Vice President of Global Academic and Government Sales, Elsevier, said:“Elsevier is thankful for the deep collaboration with JUSTICE and its member universities, and excitedabout reaching a transformative agreement to serve both reading and open access publishing needs ofJapanese institutions at scale. The agreement will help to accelerate global access to Japan’s cuttingedge research through open access publishing, benefitting both the Japanese and global scientificcommunity. We remain committed to our longstanding partnership with JUSTICE and look forward to thisnext chapter in our journey to support Japanese research institutions.”

Notes for editors
The following is a list of the 57 JUSTICE member universities who participated in the proposal discussion
with Elsevier, and unanimously concurred on the terms of the transformative agreement as JUSTICE
members: Hokkaido University, Muroran Institute of Technology, Obihiro University of Agriculture andVeterinary Medicine, Kitami Institute of Technology, Iwate University, Tohoku University, Akita University,Yamagata University, Utsunomiya University, Saitama University, Chiba University, University of Tokyo,
Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Ochanomizu University, Yokohama
National University, University of Toyama, Kanazawa University, University of Fukui, Shinshu University,Gifu University, Shizuoka University, Nagoya University, Kyoto University, Osaka University, Kobe
University, Nara Women's University, Okayama University, Tokushima University, Kyushu University
Kyushu Institute of Technology, Saga University, Nagasaki University, Kumamoto University, University ofMiyazaki, Kagoshima University, National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies, Nara Institute of Scienceand Technology, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Yokohama City University, Osaka Metropolitan University
University of Hyogo, Kochi University of Technology, International University of Health and Welfare,Aoyama Gakuin University, Keio University, Sophia University, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Toyo
University, Tokyo City University, Waseda University, Teikyo University, Kanagawa University, Okinawa
Institute of Science and Technology, and three other universities who declined to be identified.
The actual execution of the contract will be administered independently for each university, and not every
university that has expressed interest in this agreement will opt in immediately. The contractcommencement date for each university is yet to be determined at the time of this announcement.
Only the identity of the universities is listed, and not the libraries associated with the universities.
A transformative agreement is intended to gradually transform the fees paid by universities and otherinstitutions to publishers for access to academic articles (subscription fees) into fees paid to publish
academic articles via open access (article publishing charges).

About JUSTICEJapan Alliance of University Library Consortia for E-Resource (JUSTICE) promotes activities for providing
academic information stably and continuously including e-journal that is essential for education andresearch activities of universities in Japan.
JUSTICE was formed on April 1, 2011 as a new consortium through an alliance between the Japan
Association of National University Libraries (JANUL) and the Public and Private University Libraries2

Consortium (PULC). In line with the purpose of the “Agreement on Promotion of Collaboration andCooperation” concluded on October 2010 between the Japanese Coordinating Committee for University
Libraries and National Institute of Informatics (NII), various activities are being carried out with the primaryobjective of promoting the securing of electronic journals, including backfiles, and the establishment of apermanent access assurance system.

About Elsevier
As a global leader in information and analytics, Elsevier helps researchers and healthcare professionals
advance science and improve health outcomes for the benefit of society. We do this by facilitating insights
and critical decision-making for customers across the global research and health ecosystems.
In everything we publish, we uphold the highest standards of quality and integrity. We bring that same
rigor to our information analytics solutions for researchers, academic leaders, funders, R&D-intensive
corporations, doctors, and nurses.
Elsevier employs 9,000 people worldwide, including over 2,500 technologists. We have supported thework of our research and health partners for more than 140 years. Growing from our roots in publishing,
we offer knowledge and valuable analytics that help our users make breakthroughs and drive societal
progress. Digital solutions such as ScienceDirect, Scopus, SciVal, ClinicalKey and Sherpath support
strategic research management, R&D performance, clinical decision support, and health education.
Researchers and healthcare professionals rely on over 2,800 journals, including The Lancet and Cell;
46,000+ eBook titles; and iconic reference works, such as Gray's Anatomy. With the Elsevier
Foundation and our external Inclusion & Diversity Advisory Board, we work in partnership with diverse
stakeholders to advance inclusion and diversity in science, research and healthcare in developing
countries and around the world.
Elsevier is part of RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for
professional and business customers.

Media contact
Japan Alliance of University Library Consortia for E-Resources (JUSTICE) Secretariat Officejustice-help@nii.ac.jp
Elsevier
Jason Chan, Director
Elsevier Communications, Asia Pacificj.chan@elsevier.com
Shuji Uraguchi, Regional Director
Elsevier Japan KK
s.uraguchi@elsevier.com

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