The European Association for Japanese Studies (EAJS or ヨーロッパ日本研究協会　ヨーロッパにほんけんきゅうきょうかい) was established in 1973 by European scholars in order to facilitate academic exchange in the field of Japanese studies within Europe.

Since 1976 conferences have been organised almost every three years. The 2008 conference was held at Salento University in Lecce

Lecce

Lecce is a historic city of 95,200 inhabitants in southern Italy, the capital of the province of Lecce, the second province in the region by population, as well as one of the most important cities of Puglia...

, Italy.

All the activities of EAJS are mainly supported by the Japan Foundation

Japan Foundation

The was established in 1972 by an Act of the Japanese Diet as a special legal entity to undertake international dissemination of Japanese culture, and became an independent administrative institution under the jurisdiction of the Foreign Ministry of Japan on 1 October 2003 under the "Independent...

, the Toshiba International Foundation, as well as some private funds.

Sections

Each conference is divided into specialist sections with convenors for each one. For 2008 the eight sections are:

• Urban and Environmental Studies
• Japanese Linguistics and Language Teaching
• Literature
• Visual and Performing Arts
• Anthropology and Sociology
• Economics and Economic History
• History, Politics and International Relations
• Religion and History of Ideas

Conferences

• 2008, Lecce / Italy (13th)

• 2005, Vienna / Austria

• 2003, Warsaw / Poland

• 2000, Lahti / Finland

• 1997, Budapest / Hungary

• 1994, Copenhagen / Denmark

• 1991, Berlin / Germany

• 1988, Durham / UK

• 1985, Paris / France

• 1982, The Hague / Netherlands

• 1979, Florence / Italy

• 1976, Zurich / Switzerland

• 1973, Oxford, London / UK (1st)

Past presidents

• 2005–2008 Viktoria Eschbach-Szabo, Tübingen University

• 2003–2005 Brian Powell
  Brian Powell
  William Brian Powell was a Major League Baseball pitcher from Bainbridge, Georgia, who played in the majors from to for the Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies, and San Francisco Giants. In , he pitched a no-hitter for the minor league baseball team, New Orleans Zephyrs, then...
  
  , Oxford University

• 2000–2003 Joseph Kyburz, CNRS Paris

• 1997–2000 Peter Kornicki
  Peter Kornicki
  Peter Francis Kornicki FBA, is an English Japanologist. He is Professor of East Asian Studies at Cambridge University. He was previously Professor of Japanese History and Bibliography....
  
  , Cambridge University

• 1994–1997 Irmela Hijiya-Kirschnereit
  Irmela Hijiya-Kirschnereit
  Irmela Hijiya-Kirschnereit b. is a distinguished German Japanologist and Translator. In 1992 she was awarded Germany's most prestigious prize for distinction in research, the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize.- Life :...
  
  , Freie Universitaet Berlin

• 1991–1994 Adriana Boscaro, Venice University

• 1988–1991 Sepp Linhart, Vienna University

• 1985–1988 Ian Nish
  Ian Nish
  Ian Hill Nish CBE is a British academic, a specialist in Japanese studies, and Emeritus Professor of International History at the London School of Economics and Political Science ....
  
  , London School of Economics

• 1982–1985 Olof Lidin, Copenhagen University

• 1979–1982 Charles Dunn
  Charles Dunn
  Charles Dunn was a United States jurist and politician.Born in Bullitt's Lick, Bullitt County, Kentucky, Dunn was educated in Kentucky and Illinois. Dunn read law under Nathaniel Pope in Illinois and was admitted to the Illinois bar. During the Black Hawk War of 1832, Dunn served in the Illinois...
  
  , SOAS London

• 1976–1979 Joseph Kreiner, Bonn University

• 1975–1976 Joseph Kreiner, Bonn University

• 1973–1974 Patrick O'Neill, London University

External links

• EAJS official home page