National Institute of Japanese Literature - Research and Publications at The Institute

Research and Publications At The Institute

The NIJL's primary purposes are to perform and publish research on Japanese literature. Its research is divided into four main areas of interest: (1) research on original copies of Japanese literary materials; (2) research on the creation, reception and expression of Japanese literature; (3) interdisciplinary research linking Japanese literary studies to other disciplines in order to introduce new ideas and techniques into Japanese scholarship; and (4) research on archiving and preservation of historical documents.

The NIJL also is in the process of creating electronic archives of historical documents. It runs a graduate research facility called "The Graduate University for Advanced Studies." It publishes several series of scholarly journals, copies of its microfilm archives, and many multi-volume compendiums of historical and contemporary Japanese literature, such as the Nihon koten bungaku taikei or NKBT. It also gathers historical documents from all over Japan to make microfilm and digital copies to add to its archives.