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| Bulletin of the National Museum of Ethnology | |
|---|---|
| Title | Bulletin of the National Museum of Ethnology |
| Discipline | Ethnology; Anthropology; Area Studies |
| Language | English; Japanese |
| Publisher | National Museum of Ethnology (Japan) |
| Country | Japan |
| History | 1973–present |
| Frequency | Irregular; Annual volumes |
| Issn | 0286-8348 |
Bulletin of the National Museum of Ethnology is a peer-reviewed academic journal published by the National Museum of Ethnology in Osaka, Japan, focusing on ethnological, anthropological, and area studies research with emphasis on Asia, Africa, Oceania, and the Americas. The journal presents original research, museum-based studies, field reports, and critical reviews that engage with collections, fieldwork, and comparative analysis, drawing contributors from universities, museums, and research institutes. It serves as a channel between museum scholarship and university-based anthropology, fostering dialogue among scholars associated with institutions such as University of Tokyo, Kyoto University, Osaka University, World Council of Anthropological Associations, and international partners like the Smithsonian Institution and the British Museum.
Founded in the early 1970s, the journal emerged during a period of institutional consolidation for Japanese ethnographic research, influenced by organizations including the Japanese Society of Cultural Anthropology and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. Its development paralleled contemporary initiatives at the National Museum of Japanese History and collaborations with the Australian National University, Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology, and the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales. Early editors engaged with themes raised at conferences such as the International Congress of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences and symposia convened by the International Council of Museums. Over successive decades the bulletin expanded its network, hosting special issues in collaboration with the Ford Foundation, the Japan Foundation, and regional centers like the Institute of Ethnology, Academia Sinica.
The bulletin covers fieldwork reports, museum collection studies, ethnographic theory, material culture analysis, and regional surveys concerning communities documented in regions such as Southeast Asia, South Asia, Central Asia, Northeast Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, Melanesia, Polynesia, and the Americas. Articles frequently engage with collections associated with curatorial units like the National Museum of Ethnology (Japan) holdings, comparative projects with the Musée du quai Branly, and archival sources from institutions including the Hokkaido Museum and the Kobe City Museum. Contributors address topics that intersect with major works and figures such as Claude Lévi-Strauss, Bronisław Malinowski, Margaret Mead, Franz Boas, and initiatives like the International Council on Archives. The bulletin also publishes critical reviews of monographs published by presses such as Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, University of California Press, and the Routledge catalog.
Volumes are published under the auspices of the National Museum of Ethnology in both Japanese and English, often containing bilingual abstracts to reach scholars affiliated with institutions like Harvard University, University of Chicago, University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, and Leiden University. The editorial schedule has varied between annual and biennial releases, coinciding with museum research cycles and grants from entities such as the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science and the Asian Cultural Council. Print editions are complemented by distribution through library consortia including the National Diet Library and university libraries at Hokkaido University and Waseda University.
The editorial board historically comprises curators, researchers, and professors affiliated with organizations such as the National Museum of Ethnology (Japan), University of Tokyo, Kyoto University, Seoul National University, Peking University, and the Australian National University. Peer review is single- or double-blind depending on submission type, drawing referees from networks including the International Union of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences and specialist scholars connected to departments like SOAS University of London and the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales. Editorial policies reflect museum ethics standards advocated by the International Council of Museums and publishing norms echoed by the Committee on Publication Ethics.
The bulletin is indexed or cited in regional and international bibliographies and abstracting services used by researchers at the National Library of Australia, Library of Congress, Deutsche Nationalbibliothek, and university indexing platforms associated with JSTOR and the International Bibliography of the Social Sciences. Its articles appear in citation databases consulted by scholars from University of California, Cornell University, University of British Columbia, and the Australian Research Council readership.
Over its run the bulletin has published influential studies on topics linked to scholars and locales such as research on Ainu communities in Hokkaido referencing the work of John Batchelor, comparative kinship analyses engaging with theories of Claude Lévi-Strauss and David Schneider, museum provenance studies referencing collections from the Netherlands and Portugal, and field reports from expeditions connected to institutions like the British Museum and the Smithsonian Institution. Special issues have addressed heritage debates resonant with cases like the NAGPRA discussions in the United States and repatriation dialogues involving museums such as the Museo Nacional de Antropología and the National Museum of Anthropology (Mexico).
Print copies are held by institutional libraries including the National Diet Library, British Library, Bibliothèque nationale de France, and major university libraries across Asia, Europe, and North America, while some back issues are available through interlibrary loan networks like the OCLC WorldCat system. Scholars affiliated with museums and universities such as National Museum of Ethnology (Japan), Kyoto University, University of Tokyo, and SOAS University of London can typically obtain copies via library subscriptions, exchange programs, and research partnerships.
Category:Ethnology journals