A Reminiscence on the Formation of the East Asian Consortium of Japanese Studies

Abstract

This essay describes the ideas and concerns that led to the formation of the East Asian Consortium of Japanese Studies (hereafter EACJS), and records its development since 2016. I first conceived of the consortium after the 2013 East Asia Forum for Japanese Studies. In 2014, I made an official proposal at the Awajishima East Asia Forum, and introduced plans for the realization of the EACJS at a seminar hosted by the Atsumi International Scholarship Foundation in 2015. The Tianjin Meeting in 2016 was the final check point prior to launching the EACJS, and the first conference of the EACJS was inaugurated in Songdo, South Korea on November 30, 2016. Since then, an EACJS conference has been held successfully for four consecutive years. The core values of the EACJS are transnationalism, the promotion of interdisciplinary integration across the humanities and social sciences, and a concern to nurture the next generation of specialists on Japan. These visions are embodied in three critical policies: a rotating host formula to prevent monopoly by a single state or institution; an outof-pocket system to support the operation of panel sessions and lessen the financial burden for host institutions; and an open door policy to encourage the widespread participation of a diverse range of scholars. The formation and successful operation of the EACJS would be impossible without the support of its five founding members and many Japan-focused institutions in the region, not to mention generous backing from the Japan Foundation