The launch of this journal is cause for celebration by anyone interested in Japanese studies. "Contemporary Japan" (CJ) is a biannual, peer-reviewed interdisciplinary journal that provides a valuable forum for leading specialists to publish their findings.
The plan is to have individual volumes focus on particular themes. The German Institute for Japanese Studies (DIJ) in Tokyo deserves kudos for revamping their journal "Japanstudien," principally an outlet for German scholars who published in German.
By switching to a mostly English language format, and focusing on modern Japan, the DIJ has greatly broadened both its audience and potential pool of contributors. This is an invaluable resource for libraries and readers interested in what is happening in Japan.