German Institute for Japanese Studies

We are a German research Institute based in Tokyo. Our Institute was founded in 1988 and, in 2002, became part of the Max Weber Foundation – German Humanities Institutes Abroad (DGIA), funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. Our research focuses on modern Japan in a global context. We decide our research agenda independently, with the support of our Scientific Advisory Council.
Our mission is to enhance knowledge and understanding of modern Japanese society, economy, politics and culture, as well as Japan’s international relations, by applying and advancing methods and theories from both the humanities and the social sciences. Comparative perspectives as well as multi- and interdisciplinary approaches are central to our research activities.