Triangle Center for Japanese Studies

The Triangle Center for Japanese Studies (TCJS) was established by faculty from Duke University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and North Carolina State University to encourage inter-institutional collaboration in Japanese Studies and Japan-related education throughout the Triangle and the Southeast U.S.

With the aim of strengthening the well-established Japan studies community in the Triangle, the TCJS administers a number of programs, including research groups and a monthly forum, that encourage further interaction between faculty and students of Duke, UNC, and NCSU.

Graduate work in Japanese studies at Duke is thriving, and UNC has the capacity for more. The Duke and UNC campuses have by far the strongest combined library holdings in Japanese studies in the Southeastern US. Duke has 60,000 Japanese-language volumes, a comprehensive English-language collection, almost 400 serial subscriptions, 10,000 microfilm materials, a number of full-text databases including the Yomiuri and Asahi newspaper collections, and a substantial collection of primary source and archival materials, while UNC has 6,000 volumes (historically, Duke has focused on its Japanese language collection while UNC has focused on Chinese materials).

Graduate students, in particular, are encouraged to participate in the Center’s initiatives and take advantage of the opportunity to conduct research alongside their peers and professors. The Center also actively promotes continued faculty and student achievement by providing grants that fund individual research efforts and ensuring that library resources meet current needs and interests. Reaching beyond the university campus, the Center engages the wider Triangle area through speakers, film series, and other events that are open to all.

The Triangle region of North Carolina has been recognized as a distinct metropolitan region with a unique academic community for more than half a century. Raleigh, the state capital, is home to NCSU. Durham, 30 minutes to the northwest, is home to Duke. Chapel Hill, located 20 minutes southwest of Durham, is home to UNC. Also found in the area are the Research Triangle Park, the National Humanities Center, and numerous other research and education institutions.

Faculty

Christopher Nelson, Associate Professor of Anthropology, UNC
Simon Partner, Professor of History, Duke University
Morgan Pitelka, Professor and Chair of the Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, UNC
Leo Ching, Associate Professor of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, Duke University
David Ambaras, Associate Professor of History, NCSU
Jennifer Smith, Associate Professor of Linguistics, UNC

Mailing Address:

Triangle Center for Japanese Studies
John Hope Franklin Center
2204 Erwin Road
Box 90411
Duke University
Durham, NC 27708-0411

TCJS Website: http://trianglejapan.org