Sophia Magazine vol.4 / WINTER 2016

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The development of the internet has brought various changes to Monumenta Nipponica’s relationship with its readers. In 1999, the entire run of back issues was digi-talized and included in JSTOR, and since 2005, each issue has been available electronically through Project MUSE as soon as it appears in print. The scale of JSTOR and Project MUSE’s subscription base means that Monumenta Nippon-ica reaches a much larger readership than it did when it was available solely in paper form.“The fact that Monumenta Nipponica is available through Project MUSE and JSTOR means that its articles attract at-tention from new sorts of readers. Formerly, readers were primarily people already interested in Japan who found the journal at a relatively limited number of libraries that fo-cused on Asian studies or who subscribed individually. Now the search functions built into Project MUSE and JSTOR or simple Google searches lead the academic community at large — regardless of disciplinary area or geographical lo-cation — to articles, translations, and reviews published in the journal. This results in a dissemination beyond the field of Japanese studies that was previously unimaginable,” says Professor Gramlich-Oka.Professor Nakai points to another benefit of online access: “It also facilitates using the journal for new kinds of research. For instance, because of Monumenta Nipponica’s centrality to the field of Japanese studies over the last eight decades, some-one could do an interesting research project on the field’s evolution by ex-amining what kinds of articles have appeared over the years and the ap-proaches they have taken.”At the same time, in that many readers now find their way to the journal’s articles through an online search for a particular topic, they are not necessarily aware of the other articles or reviews appearing in the same issue. One of the chal-lenges for the future is how to build on the greater availabil-ity and focus that comes with internet access without losing the advantages of the more holistic perspective afforded by the traditional paper format. The renewal of the journal’s website this year is one of the first steps taken to enhance the journal’s visibility as a whole.Since Monumenta Nipponica articles are used frequently in classes and seminars, one would be hard pressed to find a Japanese studies scholar or student who has not come across a translation, article, or book review from it. Through its sponsorship of the journal, Sophia has made a major contribution to the expansion and deepening of research on Japan overseas. Monumenta Nipponica’s presence has in turn brought the university many benefits as well. Not only is it an important factor in Sophia’s international reputation, it also helps support the university’s English-language pro-grams on Japan, now among the most extensive anywhere.Monumenta Nipponica’s editors are determined to up-hold the journal’s legacy while also meeting the challenges of the rapidly evolving publishing environment. Committed to the journal’s longstanding goal of providing a rigorously ed-ited “common platform” for scholars both within Japan and abroad, they look forward to seeing Monumenta Nipponica continue to stand at the forefront of the Japanese studies field.Strengthening Research Networks andReaching New AudiencesContinuing Its Legacy as One of the World’s Top Japanese Studies JournalsThe rst issue of Monumenta Nipponica and the preface on its rst pageBettina Gramlich-OkaCurrent Chief Editor and Professor at the Faculty of Liberal ArtsFor many decades Monumenta Nipponica also published Eng-lish-language monographs on Japan9Approach

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