The Center for Japanese Studies is one of the key academic units of the Institute of Oriental Studies. The Center conducts research based on the program “The East and Russia: cultural, historical, and socio- political ties” adopted by the History and Philology Department of Russian Academy of Sciences.

The main task of the Center for Japanese Studies is multifaceted comprehensive research of modern Japanese state and society, main trends in political, economic, social, and cultural life of the country as well as Japan’s international role, its bilateral relations and security issues. The Center’s work involves deepening the knowledge of Japan’s history, its ancient religion, centuries-old cultural and spiritual heritage of the Japanese people, their national traditions. Without this knowledge, it is impossible to gain proper understanding of modern phenomena, be it Japanese pop culture which is known worldwide, or its scientific progress which is also a subject of research of the scholars who work at the Center. It remains necessary to study the unique and authentic experience of Japanese modernization that has turned Japan into one of the global leaders.

These topics are covered in individual works of the researchers of the Center, their articles published in leading academic and popular magazines, as well as in their collective academic works being published annually by the Center in collaboration with their colleagues from Russia’s top educational and academic institutions. One of the recent examples of such cooperation is the book “Japan’s Phenomenon. Views of the Russian Japanologists” (2018). Since 1972, the Center has been publishing an academic and popular academic series “Japan. A Yearbook” which has become its hallmark. It is widely known not only in professional circles, but also among the general public interested in Japan. Some of the researchers of the Center combine their academic work with teaching Japanese language and other courses on Japan at Moscow’s top universities.

The Center maintains close working ties with Russia’s state, academic, and civil society organizations. Among them are the Russian Japanologists Association, Russian International Affairs Council, National Committee of the Asia Pacific Security Cooperation Council. For many years, extensive academic contacts have been kept between the Center and other universities and Japanese studies centers in Russia and abroad. For about 40 years we have been conducting academic exchanges with one of Japan’s largest universities, the Hosei University. The Center maintains close contacts with scholars from Japan and other countries, which includes bilateral and multilateral symposia and conferences on contemporary issues of Japanese studies, joint publications, research trips, etc.

The Head of the Center is Elena Leonidovna KATASONOVA, PhD in Philology and Doctor of History.