(12 Jun 2026) A university in this western Japan city has set up a permanent bookshelf called the “Apple Shelf” in its library to create a place for people facing various difficulties in life. The Apple Shelf originated in a Swedish library in 1993 for children who had difficulty reading and the project has been…
In Japan, open access policy emerged in a unique economic context and evolved separately from the broader movement. The result? Turmoil. (11 Mar 2026) Globally, the open access (OA) movement has long sought to liberate scholarly communication from commercial publishers. But Japan pursues open access and open science from a unique context; that approach…
(23 Feb 2026) Thousands of early modern Japanese books and manuscripts from the libraries of UCLA, UC Berkeley and UC San Francisco are being digitized to create a resource that will be accessible to scholars around the world. The digital archive, which could ultimately be the largest of its kind outside of Japan, will encompass…
(3 Feb 2026) When someone is not sure what book to read, a librarian’s advice can lead them to a book that unexpectedly stays in their heart forever. The working environment for librarians, who play such a vital role, should be improved to enhance the appeal of libraries. An expert panel at the Education, Culture,…
(21 Jan 2026) The artificial intelligence ChatGPT earned perfect scores in nine subjects in this year’s unified university entrance examinations, marking its first full score, an AI venture said Tuesday. When LifePrompt Inc tested the generative AI chatbot for the weekend’s university exams, the chatbot’s latest version had an accuracy rate of 97 percent across…
(5 Jan 2026) With the December 31, 2025, retirement of Mr. YAMAJI Yasushi, Ms. KITO Junko has been named Deputy Director General of the National Diet Library, effective January 1, 2026. Since joining the National Diet Library in 1991, Ms. Kito has served as director general of the Kansai-kan of the National Diet Library,…
(23 Dec 2025) Japan has agreed to join Horizon Europe, becoming the biggest country yet to associate to the EU’s €93.5 billion research and innovation programme. The development confirms the EU’s emerging role as a leader in global science and technology cooperation. The deal, announced on December 22, is to be signed off officially in 2026, but…
(5 Dec 2025) In early November, STM CEO Caroline Sutton spent several days in Tokyo meeting with funders, government leaders, research agencies, and publishing groups — alongside delegates from STM’s Japan Chapter. As in last year’s visit, the conversations were productive, wide-ranging, and grounded in strong local partnerships. And while open science dominated the agenda in 2024, this year…
(4 Dec 2025) Springer Nature and OASE have signed a new agreement that expands open access publishing opportunities for institutions in Japan starting in 2026. The agreement will run from 2026 to 2028 and is intended to support universities and national research and development organizations that have expressed interest in participating in OASE’s transformative agreement framework. It will provide…
(23 Nov 2025) The stately main reading room of a Kobe University library that survived World War II as well as the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake is reminiscent of the world of “Harry Potter.” The university is home to nine libraries, with the oldest being the Library for Social Sciences located in Kobe’s Nada…