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Universities in Japan are now experiencing drastic changes as educational and research institutions, in consequence of social transformation. In undergraduate schools, the teaching methods must be modified owing to the students' incompetence and unwillingness to learn. The policy "enhancement of graduate schools" has resulted in increase the number of students, whose academic performance is in the wider range. It also makes more difficult for graduate schools to train researchers, which was an implicitly given function. On the other hand, researchers are asked to be advanced and leading contestants in their fields, and often do not have enough knowledge of their neighbouring subjects even in the same fields, because the individual subjects are too subdivided.

Under these circumstances, it is inevitable to review the way of academic resource supplies, which has been contributed for the academic development. Today all kinds of media, such as academic books, journals, bulletins, and news magazines, are piled up in libraries day by day. It is very much doubtful whether these abundant materials are fully appreciated in such academic environment as accelerated subdivisions of subjects, disparities in research development by subjects and floods of varied information in internet. The overall quality of materials seems rather poor, as well. Needless to say, the academic evolution is a sequence of certain steps - starting from achievements of predecessors, adding new findings and frameworks, publishing a deduction and reaching the goal only when widely accepted after examination and evaluation, which becomes a new starting point. Taking this process of academic evolution into account, it is time we reconsidered how to supply academic resource.

Kyoto University Press (KUP) has four schemes for coping with the recent situations, to produce publications, such as comprehensive introductory books over subdivided subjects, textbooks adequate to the undergraduate and graduate schools, English books in cooperation with overseas university presses, especially with ones in Asian and pan Pacific area, and research books uniquely presented by new media. KUP also started to take it as a new task to release research done in the Kyoto University outside the academic society. Since the University was incorporated in 2004, it should positively act to share the information with the communities. KUP, even though on a small scale but ambitiously, intends to devote itself to fulfil these challenging tasks.

I would very much appreciate your further understanding and cooperation for Kyoto University Press.


Corporate profile

Name Kyoto University Press
Initiation July, 1989
Establishment September,2005
Location Yoshida South Campus, Kyoto University, 69 Konoe-cho Yoshida, Sakyo, Kyoto 606-8315, Japan
Fund 58,350,000 JPY
Annual business 178,508,230 JPY (account year of 2020)
Number of publication items 1381
Business description
  1. Publication and distribution of academic books and journals
  2. Development, publication and distribution of educational books and teaching materials
  3. Publication and distribution of introductory books
  4. Operation of lecture meetings and symposia for promotion of science and culture
  5. The other business needed to accomplish above purposes
Bank of account Mizuho Bank, Ltd. MUFG Bank, Ltd.
President Nagahiro Minato ( President, Kyoto University )
Chairman of the board Yoshihiro Adachi ( Professor, Kyoto University )
Employee number 12

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