Contemporary Japan (CJ) is the biannual journal of the German Institute for Japanese Studies Tokyo (DIJ) published by de Gruyter, Berlin and New York.
We are currently calling for papers for the Spring 2014 issue. At the same time we are inviting proposals for a special issue in Fall 2014. Both, article submissions and proposals for special issues, should be submitted by 30 April 2013.
For details see below (see also
contemporary-japan.org). For inquiries contact the managing editor at me@contemporary-japan.org.

Contemporary Japan publishes original research from all disciplines as they relate to contemporary Japan or its recent historical development.

Manuscripts which cross disciplinary boundaries and raise larger issues of interest are also welcome, as are approaches rooted in traditional disciplines to under-researched topics.

All submissions are peer-reviewed in a double-blind process by established scholars in the field.

The following points set CJ apart from other peer-reviewed journals on Japan:
(1) Contrary to the recent upsurge of studies rooted in quantitative research, CJ is open to all kinds of methods in all disciplines.

(2) CJ promotes the publication of recent empirical findings and fresh theoretical perspectives into Japan-related topics. Therefore, CJ also welcomes preliminary empirical results as well as innovative theoretical approaches, given that their contribution to the field of research as well as their place in the relevant literature is presented thoroughly.

(3) Compared to other Japan-related journals CJ maintains a fast review process and promises a timely publication after acceptance.

(4) Being a German research institute located in Japan the DIJ sees it as an important part of CJ's role to introduce high quality research in Japanese studies to an English-reading audience.Therefore, manuscripts in German and Japanese are also accepted.
Submissions are judged purely for content.CJ offers extensive language support for accepted articles, which may be translated into English free of charge, given that (a) the material is original research which has not been published in either language and that (b) the material demonstrates a familiarity with the international literature in the field.

(5) From spring 2013 on CJ will also be available as an OPEN ACCESS journal, meaning that, apart from the hardcopy version of the journal, articles can be read free of charge online. Though CJ is not an online only journal, the reach it has within the academic community will be greatly enlarged by this step.

Guidance for special issue proposals:
Special issue proposals should be submitted as a draft call for papers. The call for papers should include: i.
A provisional title and theme of the special issue.

ii. The special issue's objective and how it will add to the existing literature.

iii. Examples of questions that would meet the objective of the special issue.

Interested authors should be aware of the requirement that special issues must be truly open to any researcher working on the addressed topic. This requirement means that special issuescannot be restricted to researchers participating in specific workshops, symposia or small group meetings.

All papers will be subject to peer-review. Apart from their own manuscript, authors can suggest up to four papers to be included in the special issue. If too few papers reach the required standard for publication, CJ's managing editor may publish a themed issue also containing regular papers.

German Institute for Japanese Studies
(DIJ) Tokyo
www.dijtokyo.org