The Research Institute of Japanese Studies (RIJS) at BLCU was established on November 25, 2017, with its historical roots tracing back to the "Chinese Japanese Language Teacher Training Program" (commonly known as the "Ōhira Program"), a collaborative initiative between the Chinese and Japanese governments launched in 1980. This program trained a total of 594 university-level Japanese language teachers, marking a significant milestone in Sino-Japanese educational cooperation. Approved by the Department of International Cooperation and Exchanges of the Ministry of Education, the institute has long been dedicated to the systematic study of Japanese language, culture, society, and Sino-Japanese relations. Its core missions include: focusing on Japanese socio-cultural and economic policies to conduct critical and solution-oriented research that serves national strategic needs; simultaneously promoting the integration of research outcomes into teaching practices, leveraging the strengths of the nationally recognized first-class undergraduate program (Japanese Language) to enhance the quality of talent cultivation, with an emphasis on nurturing interdisciplinary professionals equipped with cross-cultural understanding and strategic thinking capabilities.
Currently, the center employs 12 full-time researchers, including 8 with senior professional titles, and has engaged 13 specially appointed experts and scholars from outside the university, forming a cross-institutional and interdisciplinary research network. Since its establishment, the center has secured multiple provincial and ministerial-level research projects, published numerous research papers, and produced several Japanese language textbooks, establishing a stable mechanism for academic output. Its research achievements include practically significant reports such as "An Investigation into Japan’s Foreign Language Education Policies" and "New Reflections on Cultural Dissemination to Japan Under the Belt and Road Initiative," along with targeted policy recommendations. The center has consistently organized the "Japan Country and Regional Studies Forum," bringing together Chinese and Japanese scholars to explore cutting-edge issues such as regional integration and public diplomacy, thereby enhancing its academic influence and public engagement.
The center actively promotes multifaceted international cultural exchanges and fosters mutual understanding and cooperation between China and Japan by leveraging the Tokyo branch of Beijing Language and Culture University and the Confucius Institutes established at Kansai Gaidai University and the University of Fukui in Japan.
At present, the center is gradually building a comprehensive platform integrating "teaching, research, think tank, and exchange." In the future, it will continue to deepen the China-Japan mutual trust mechanism and promote the development of East Asian civilizational exchanges to a higher level.
