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| Centre for East Asian Cultural Studies | |
|---|---|
| Name | Centre for East Asian Cultural Studies |
| Established | 1988 |
| Location | Kyoto, Japan |
| Type | Research institute |
| Director | Masahiro Saito |
Centre for East Asian Cultural Studies The Centre for East Asian Cultural Studies is an independent research institute based in Kyoto focusing on interdisciplinary study of East Asian cultural history, material culture, and transnational exchanges. It maintains active programs in comparative studies linking China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Mongolia, and Southeast Asian communities, and engages with museums, universities, and heritage agencies across the region. The Centre publishes monographs and journals and hosts conferences that attract scholars, curators, and diplomats.
The Centre traces origins to postwar scholarly networks that included exchanges among scholars associated with Kyoto University, The University of Tokyo, Seoul National University, Peking University, National Taiwan University, Harvard University, Cambridge University, École pratique des hautes études, and the Mellon Foundation. Early leaders were alumni of programs linked to the British Museum, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Gallery of Art, Tokyo National Museum, and Shanghai Museum, while formative grants came from the Japan Foundation and the Ford Foundation. Major milestones include symposia convened with the Asian Cultural Council, collaborative excavations connected to the Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, and archival projects modeled on the National Archives of Japan and the National Archives of Korea.
The Centre's mission aligns with policies promoted by institutions such as the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, International Council on Monuments and Sites, Asia-Europe Foundation, Council on East Asian Libraries, and the Association for Asian Studies. Objectives emphasize preservation of tangible and intangible heritage reflected in collections associated with the Tōshō-gū Shrine, Ise Grand Shrine, Chang'an manuscripts, Joseon Dynasty archives, and Qing Dynasty epigraphy. The Centre aims to foster comparative research with partners including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Victoria and Albert Museum, National Palace Museum (Taiwan), Hong Kong Museum of Art, and the Shanghai Museum.
The Centre's governance mirrors structures found at the Smithsonian Institution and the Louvre Museum, with a board comprising representatives from universities like Kyoto University, The University of Tokyo, Seoul National University, Peking University, and cultural agencies such as the Agency for Cultural Affairs (Japan), Cultural Heritage Administration (Korea), and the Ministry of Culture (China). Research divisions take inspiration from the School of Oriental and African Studies, the Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations (Harvard), and the Institute of East Asian Studies (UC Berkeley), and include curatorial units modeled on the National Museum of China and the Tokyo National Museum. Administrative functions coordinate with funders such as the Japan Arts Council and foundations like the Getty Foundation.
Research programs address material culture related to sites like Horyu-ji, Gyeongbokgung Palace, Forbidden City, Shōsōin, Angkor Wat, and manuscripts connected to Dunhuang Caves, Jade Burial Traditions, and Nara period chronicles. The Centre runs long-term projects on topics comparable to initiatives at the International Dunhuang Project, the Digital Silk Road Project, and the Project for the Study of Chinese Buddhist Canon. Fellowships have been awarded in the tradition of the Fulbright Program, the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, and the Hayashibara Museum of Art residency schemes. The Centre organizes conferences that echo formats used by the Association for Asian Studies, European Association for Japanese Studies, and the World Archaeological Congress.
Holdings include photographic archives of artifacts from the Shōsōin Repository, catalogues of ceramics comparable to collections at the British Museum and Freer Gallery of Art, and digitized epigraphic records analogous to archives at the Academia Sinica. The Centre curates materials related to lacquerware traditions associated with Edo period workshops, textiles connected to the Ming Dynasty, and prints in the style of Utagawa Hiroshige and Katsushika Hokusai. Conservation labs adopt standards from the International Council of Museums and collaborate with laboratories at the National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo and the Conservation Center of the Palace Museum.
Educational programs include postgraduate seminars modeled on curricula at Kyoto University Graduate School of Letters, short courses like those run by the School of Oriental and African Studies, and public lectures in partnership with institutions such as the British Library, Library of Congress, and the Tokyo National Museum. Outreach initiatives deploy digital exhibitions inspired by the Europeana platform and community workshops akin to those of the National Folk Museum of Korea and the Shanghai Museum of Arts and Crafts. The Centre's internships follow precedents set by programs at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Longstanding collaborations include joint projects with the National Palace Museum (Taiwan), the Tokyo National Museum, the National Museum of Korea, Peking University, Seoul National University, Kyoto University, the Mori Art Museum, the Getty Research Institute, the Asia Art Archive, and the Prince Claus Fund. International projects engage multilateral partners such as the UNESCO, the World Monuments Fund, the Tate Modern, the Museum of East Asian Art (Bath), Yale University, Columbia University, Stanford University, University of Oxford, and the Australian National University. Collaborative fieldwork has proceeded with teams associated with the Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and the Korean National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage.
Category:Research institutes in Japan Category:Asian studies