About the Institute

The Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia

Since its establishment in 1941, the Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia has grown into one of Japan’s most distinguished centers of Asian studies. 

During its first two decades, the Institute mainly focused on the politics, economics, history, and the culture of East Asia, especially China. Since the early 1960s, it has expanded its domain of research beyond China to include South (including Southeast) and West (including Central) Asia. Today, the Institute consists of five departments – the Departments of East Asian Studies, South Asian Studies, and West Asian Studies, Pan Asian Studies, and Pioneering Asian Studies – and a dedicated Office for International Affairs. The research staff is composed of over thirty specialists in humanities, social sciences and engineering, including such disciplines as history, literature, religious studies, art, political science, law, economics, geography, anthropology, and architecture.

The Institute has continuously emphasized interdisciplinary research, combining analyses of documentary materials and field research. Since the 1950s, it has conducted various kinds of field research. The Iran-Iraq Archaeological Expeditions, the Mission for Indian History and Archaeology, and the photographic collection of Chinese paintings are representative example of such activities. Today, virtually all Institute members have day to day academic contacts with international academic institutions and conduct field research throughout Asia. By establishing academic exchange agreements, the Institute has increased academic contacts with various research institutions in Asia, including the Center of Asian Studies at the University of Hong Kong, Fudan University in Shanghai, the Department of Arts and Social Sciences at the National University of Singapore, and the Center for Japanese Studies, University of Indonesia.

The Institute has one of the best and the largest libraries for Asian studies in Japan. Its collection of Chinese books is especially well-known internationally. In addition to the Library, in order to facilitate the use of documentation research materials for Asian studies, the Institute established the Research and Information Center for Asian Studies (RICAS). The center is aimed at collecting and facilitating the use of various forms of research materials in addition to text-based materials.

Awards and honours

Order of Culture

1991. (江上 波夫) EGAMI Namio

1998. (山本 達郎) YAMAMOTO Tatsuro

2001. (中根 千枝)  NAKANE Chie

2017. (斯波 義信) SHIBA Yoshinobu

Medal with Purple Ribbon

1969. (江上 波夫) EGAMI Namio

1974. (川野 重任) KAWANO Shigeto

1975. (小口 偉一) OGUCHI Iichi

1976. (窪 徳忠) KUBO Noritada

1979. (深井 晋司) FUKAI Shinji

1984. (鈴木 敬) SUZUKI Kei

1989. (中根 千枝) NAKANE Chie

2012. (田中 明彦) TAKANA Akihiko

2017. (羽田 正) HANEDA Masashi

Order of Culture

EGAMI Namio (江上 波夫), 1991

YAMAMOTO Tatsuro (山本 達郎), 1998

NAKANE Chie, (中根 千枝) 2001

SHIBA Yoshinobu (斯波 義信), 2017

Medal with Purple Ribbon

(江上 波夫), 1969

(川野 重任), 1974

(小口 偉一), 1975

(窪 徳忠), 1976

(深井 晋司), 1979

(鈴木 敬), 1984

(中根 千枝), 1989

Takana Akihiko (田中 明彦), 2012

(羽田 正), 2017

Persons of Cultural Merit

TSUJI Naoshiro (辻 直四郎), 1978

EGAMI Namio (江上 波夫), 1983

YAMAMOTO Tatsuro (山本 達郎), 1986

KAWANO Shigeto (川野 重任), 1993

NAKANE Chie (中根 千枝), 1993

ITAGAKI Yuzo (板垣 雄三), 2003

SHIBA Yoshinobu (斯波 義信), 2006

Japan Academy Prize

NIIDA Noboru (仁井田 陞), 1934

UNO Enku (宇野 圓空), 1942

YAMAMOTO Tatsuro (山本 達郎), 1952

SUDO Yoshiyuki (周藤 吉之), 1956

FUKUSHIMA Masao (福島 正夫), 1963

KAMATA Shigeo (鎌田 茂雄), 1976

ARA Matsuo (荒 松雄), 1978

IKEDA On (池田 温), 1983

SUZUKI Kei (鈴木 敬), 1985

TANAKA Issei (田仲 一成), 1993

Japan Academy Medal

SATO Jin (佐藤 仁), 2014

JSPS Prize

SATO Jin (佐藤 仁), 2013

BABA Norihisa (馬場 紀寿). 2018

Tang Prize

SHIBA Yoshinobu (斯波 義信), 2018