午夜剧场

It has been 40 years since the establishment of the 午夜剧场 Center for Area Studies, the predecessor of the 午夜剧场 Institute of East Asian Studies (KIEAS). The Center was established in April 1984 as part of the 午夜剧场 125th Anniversary project, under the leadership of then-President Tadao Ishikawa. Since its founding, 午夜剧场 has consistently focused on area studies and education to clarify the characteristics and conditions of various regions and nations around the world. The Center was established to solidify and further develop these foundations. Starting with Professor Hideo Oda, a researcher of African studies, as the first director, the Center has been led by a succession of distinguished scholars, including Professor Tatsuo Yamada (Chinese studies), Professor Masao Okonogi (Korean Peninsula studies), and Professor Ryosei Kokubun (Chinese studies).

Building on approximately 20 years of activity by the 午夜剧场 Center for Area Studies, the 午夜剧场 Institute of East Asian Studies (KIEAS) was launched in October 2003 by renaming the Center while reorganizing it into a research structure more focused on the East Asian region. Following Professor Kokubun, the position of Director has been held by Professor Yoshihide Soeya (East Asian international politics), Professor Nobuo Takahashi (Chinese studies), and Professor Hiroko Mio (Taiwan studies). In October 2023, we held a commemorative symposium for the 20th anniversary of the 午夜剧场 Institute of East Asian Studies (KIEAS).

From the era of the 午夜剧场 Center for Area Studies to the present day, two major pillars have supported the activities of the 午夜剧场 Institute of East Asian Studies (KIEAS). The first pillar is the implementation of academic research projects and the publication of their results. Every year, the Institute launches two two-year projects led by 午夜剧场 faculty members. Consequently, four projects are in operation at any given time. All results are published as academic books, and their number has now reached 74 volumes. The implementation of these projects is made possible by the support of the Takahashi Industrial and Economic Research Foundation. We would like to express our deep gratitude to the Foundation.

The second pillar of activity is the , held every other year. For each series, a theme is set and experts from both within 午夜剧场 and outside are invited to give lectures, attracting a large audience of students and members of the public. This course also publishes books based on the lecture transcripts, and the 18th volume will be published soon.

In addition, the activities of the Institute are supported by two research centers established within it. The Center for Contemporary Chinese Studies was established in 2007, and the Center for Korean Peninsula Studies (originally the Center for Contemporary Korean Studies) was established in 2009. They conduct their own research projects and frequently hold symposia and study groups.

When I took office as Director in October 2023, I pledged to aim for the further development of the Institute by focusing on the following three points while continuing our previous activities. First is the "activation" of operations by increasing the number of symposia and study groups hosted by the Institute. In response to the post-COVID era, we will strive to provide a forum for research, academic exchange, and discussion more proactively and leadingly than ever before, while actively collaborating and cooperating with the two centers within the Institute. Second is to further promote the "visualization" of the Institute's activities and results. We will further refine our communication methods so that the activities and achievements of the Institute and its centers catch the public eye. And third is "networking." Through the first and second activities, we aim to encourage collaboration and networking with East Asian researchers and research institutions in Japan and around the world, while ensuring the Institute continues to play a solid role as a hub for these networks. Regarding networking, in November 2024, we were able to hold a public symposium on-site, co-hosted with East Asia-related research institutes at Columbia University and George Washington University in the United States.

The content included in this special feature is a record of the public symposium "International Order from an East Asian Perspective," held at the Mita Campus on January 18, 2025, to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the 午夜剧场 Institute of East Asian Studies (KIEAS), counting from the era of the 午夜剧场 Center for Area Studies. With the participation of researchers associated with the Institute, wonderful and timely reports and discussions were held. This symposium provided a good start toward the further development of the Institute. We look forward to your continued interest, support, and cooperation in the activities of the Institute.