This Institute is one of the leading institutes in Japan conducting research on issues related to the history, societies and cultures of the United States and Canada.

The Institute conducts interdisciplinary research on the United States and Canada; it currently has 13 full members, who come from several disciplinary areas. The Institute is well-known in Japan and overseas as one of Japan’s major research institutes in this field.

• The Institute organizes and sponsors symposia, lectures and meetings of research groups.
• In liaison with Japanese and American associations (including the Organization of American Historians, the Japan-U.S. Educational Commission, American Studies Association, the University of Tokyo and other domestic institutions), the Institute promotes various research and academic exchange activities.
• As part of its work to train younger scholars, the Institute organizes regular colloquia, hosts visiting scholars, and provides a research environment to encourage academic exchange.

• The Institute maintains a library on American-Canadian studies and makes its collections available to researchers.
• The Institute publishes a journal, the Journal of American and Canadian Studies.