Japan Institute of International Affairs

JIIA is a private, nonprofit research organization founded through the initiative of former Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida. After World War II, Yoshida felt that Japan needed to deepen its knowledge of international relations in order to prosper harmoniously in the international community. Driven by this conviction, he steered the institute in its formative years as the first president. In 1960, JIIA received accreditation as a foundation from the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 1976, it took over the activities of the Europe-Asia Association (Oh-A-Kyokai), which was conducting important research on communist countries. Since its foundation, the institute has been guided by the five basic goals stipulated in its charter: 1) to foster the scientific study of international politics, economics and law; 2) to provide the means for examining and researching international affairs; 3) to promote the exchange of information, knowledge and views on international affairs; 4) to encourage research on international affairs at universities in Japan; and 5) to promote exchanges with universities and research institutes in other countries.