History

History of the Association[PDF]

GOTŌ Kōichirō and TAMARU Noriyoshi, The Fifty-Year Journey of the Japanese Association for Religious Studies.
ŌHATA Kiyoshi, Memories of the 9th Tokyo-Kyoto International Congress for the History of Religions
TAKEUCHI Yoshinori, Memories of the 12th Stockholm International Congress for the History of Religions
Japanese Association for Religious Studies Awards (A list of awarded publications and statements from the Awards Committee)
(translated by Dylan Luers Toda, edited by Satoko Fujiwara. Originally published in 1980. See the last page of the pdf file for bibliographical details)

Chronology

1930

Establishment of the Japanese Association for Religious Studies (JARS). On May 10 and 11 an academic congress is held to commemorate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the establishment of a chair in Religious Studies at Tokyo Imperial University. On the second day of the congress, the Japanese Association for Religious Studies is formally established and the congress is denominated the Association’s 1st annual meeting. Anesaki Masaharu is named as the first president of the Association.

1931

A special issue of Journal of Religious Studies(JRS) is published on the theme “Studies in Contemporary Buddhism.”

1932

The 2nd annual meeting of the JARS is held at Taisho University.

1933

Special issue of JRS 10/1: “Japanese Culture and Buddhism.” Special issue of JRS: “Religious Studies in Japan” (included with the proceedings of the 2nd annual meeting of the JARS).

1934

The 3rd annual meeting of the JARS is held at Rissho University. Special issue of JRS 11/6: “Examining Japanese-Style Religion.”

1936

The 4th annual meeting of the JARS is held at Komazawa University.

1938

The 5th annual meeting of the JARS is held at Rikkyo University.

1939

Inaugural issue of Religious Studies Periodical appears. Special issue of Religious Studies Periodical 1/4: “Issues in Japanese Religions.”

1940

The 6th annual meeting of the JARS is held at Ryukoku University.

1941

Special issue of Religious Studies Periodical 3/4: “Culture and Religion.”

1942

The 7th annual meeting of the JARS is held at Tokyo Imperial University. Special issue of Religious Studies Periodical 4/2-3: “Essays in Honor of Dr. Anesaki on his Seventieth Birthday.”

1943

Special issue of Religious Studies Periodical 5/4: “Religious Faith and the Life of the People.”

1948

After six years of interruption due to World War II, the 8th annual meeting of the JARS is held at the University of Tokyo and publication of JRS resumes. The JARS participates in the Association of Academic Societies (later known as “The Council of Nine Learned Societies”). Special issue of JRS 121: “Issues in Contemporary Religious Studies.” Special issue of JRS 122: “Religion and Humanity.” Special issue of JRS 123: “In Memoriam Dr. Anesaki: Death and Religion.”

1949

The 9th annual meeting of the JARS is held at Tohoku University.

1950

The 10th annual meeting of the JARS is held at Kokugakuin University. Kishimoto Hideo, professor at the University of Tokyo, is elected as president.

1951

The 11th annual meeting of the JARS is held at Tenri University. The general assembly votes to establish a Committee on Religion and Education.

1952

The 12th annual meeting of the JARS is held at Rikkyo University. The general assembly endorses a statement expressing the “desire for a systematic diffusion of religious knowledge in our educational institutions.”

1953

The 13th annual meeting of the JARS is held at Doshisha University.

1954

The 14th annual meeting of the JARS is held at Waseda University. Ohata Kiyoshi, professor at Tokyo University, is elected president.

1955

The 15th annual meeting of the JARS is held at the University of Tokyo.

1956

The 16th annual meeting of the JARS is held at Kyoto University. Ishizu Teruji, professor at Tohoku University, is elected president.

1957

The 17th annual meeting of the JARS is held at Taisho University.

1958

The 9th International Congress of the International Association for the History of Religions is held in Tokyo (27 August-4 September) and Kyoto (5-9 September) with nearly 500 persons from Japan and abroad in attendance.

1959

The 18th annual meeting of the JARS is held at Kwansei Gakuin University.

1960

The 19th annual meeting of the JARS is held at Aoyama Gakuin University. Kishimoto Hideo, professor at the University of Tokyo, is elected president.

1961

The 20th annual meeting of the JARS is held at Taisho University.

1962

The 21st annual meeting of the JARS is held at Nihon University. Ishizu Teruji, professor at Tohoku University, is elected president.

1963

The 22nd annual meeting of the JARS is held at Toyama University.

1964

The 23rd annual meeting of the JARS is held at the University of Tokyo. Masutani Fumio, professor at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, is elected president.

1965

The 24th annual meeting of the JARS is held at Hokkaido University. The Anesaki Memorial Award, instituted at the time of the establishment of the JARS, is discontinued and in its place the Japanese Association for Religious Studies Award is established.

1966

The 25th annual meeting of the JARS is held at Toyo University. Ishizu Teruji, professor at Tohoku University, is elected president.

1967

The 26th annual meeting of the JARS is held at Ryukoku University. Special issue of JRS 191: “Methods in the Study of Religion.”

1968

The 27th annual meeting of the JARS is held at Musashino Women’s University. Hori Ichiro, professor at the University of Tokyo, is elected president.

1969

The 28th annual meeting of the JARS is held at Osaka City University.

1970

The 29th annual meeting of the JARS is held at Waseda University. Ishizu Teruji, professor at Tohoku University, is elected president.

1971

The 30th annual meeting of the JARS is held at Hiroshima University.

1972

The 31st annual meeting of the JARS is held at Komazawa University. Oguchi Iichi, professor at Aichi Gakuin University, is elected president.

1973

The 32nd annual meeting of the JARS is held at Kanazawa University.

1974

The 33rd annual meeting of the JARS is held at Taisho University. Furuno Kiyoto, professor at Komazawa University, is elected president.

1975

The 34th annual meeting of the JARS is held at Tenri University.

1976

The 35th annual meeting of the JARS is held at Sophia University. Oguchi Iichi, professor at Aichi Gakuin University, is elected president.

1977

The 36th annual meeting of the JARS is held at Aichi Gakuin University.

1978

The 37th annual meeting of the JARS is held at Kokugakuin University. Wakimoto Tsuneya, professor at the University of Tokyo, is elected president.

1979

The 38th annual meeting of the JARS is held at Tohoku University.

1980

The 39th annual meeting of the JARS is held at the University of Tokyo. Yanagawa Keiichi, professor at the University of Tokyo, is elected president.

1981

The 40th annual meeting of the JARS is held at Tsukuba University.

1982

The 41st annual meeting of the JARS is held at Kyushu University. Wakimoto Tsuneya, professor at Komazawa University and professor emeritus of the University of Tokyo, is elected president.

1983

The 18th annual meeting of the JARS is held at Taisho University.

1984

The 43rd annual meeting of the JARS is held at Kogakkan University. Tamaru Noriyoshi, professor at the University of Tokyo, is elected president

1985

The 44th annual meeting of the JARS is held at Rissho University.

1986

The 45th annual meeting of the JARS is held at Kwansei Gakuin University. Wakimoto Tsuneya, professor emeritus of the University of Tokyo, is elected president. Special issue of JRS 268: “Proselytizing and Edifying.”

1987

The 46th annual meeting of the JARS is held at Rikkyo University.

1988

The 47th annual meeting of the JARS is held at Bukkyo University. Tamaru Noriyoshi, professor at the University of Tokyo, is elected president.

1989

The 48th annual meeting of the JARS is held at Dokkyo University.

1990

The 49th annual meeting of the JARS is held at Otani University. Ueda Shizuteru, visiting professor at Hanazono University and professor emeritus of Kyoto University, is elected president.

1991

The 50th annual meeting of the JARS is held at Waseda University.

1992

The 51st annual meeting of the JARS is held at Shukutoku Junior College.

1993

The 52nd annual meeting of the JARS is held at Hokkaido University. Tamaru Noriyoshi, professor at the University of Tokyo, is elected president.

1994

The 53rd annual meeting of the JARS is held at Rissho University. Special issue of JRS 300: “Scriptures, Myths, and Tales.”

1995

The 54th annual meeting of the JARS is held at Okinawa International University. Special issue of JRS 304: “Religion and Nature.”

1996

The 55th annual meeting of the JARS is held at Kokugakuin University. Ikado Fujio, professor emeritus of Tsukuba University, is elected president. Special issue of JRS 308: “Healing and Salvation.”

1997

The 56th annual meeting of the JARS is held at Keio University. Special issue of JRS 312: “Okinawan Religion.”

1998

The 57th annual meeting of the JARS is held at Ryukoku University. Special issue of JRS 316: “Religion and Language.”

1999

The 58th annual meeting of the JARS is held at Nanzan University. Miyake Hitoshi, professor at Kokugakuin University and professor emeritus of Keio University, is elected president. Special issue of JRS 321: “Cumulative Table of Contents of Journal of Religious Studies: 1916-1999.”

2000

The 59th annual meeting of the JARS is held at Komazawa University. Special issue of JRS 325: “The Study of ‘Folk Beliefs’ in the Last Hundred Years.”

2001

The 60th annual meeting of the JARS is held at Kurume University. Special issue of JRS 329: “Religious Pluralism in the Modern and Post-Modern World.”

2002

The 61st annual meeting of the JARS is held at Taisho University. Ikado Fujio, professor of Tsukuba University, is elected president. Special issue of JRS 333: “Buddhism in Practice.”

2003

The 62nd annual meeting of the JARS is held at Tenri University. Special issue of JRS 337: “Christianity in Practice.”

2004

The 63rd annual meeting of the JARS is held at the University of University. Special issue of JRS 341: “Islam and Religious Studies.”

2005

The 64th annual meeting of the JARS is held at Kansai University. The 19th World Congress of the International Association for the History of Religions is held in Tokyo.