The Numazawa Memorial Museum

The Anthropological Institute was founded in accordance with the ideals of Dr. Wilhelm Schmidt, SVD, one of the giants of twentieth-century cultural anthropology. The focus is mainly on traditional cultures of Asia, particularly those of South and Southeast Asia. The English bi-annual journal Asian Folklore Studies, published by the Institute under the editorship of Peter Knecht, deals with the life, lore, and traditional arts and crafts of the peoples of China, Japan, the Philippines, India, Thailand, Turkey, Iran, and other Asian and Pacific areas. Housed in the same building as the Institute for Religion and Culture, the Institute aims to promote mutual understanding among the peoples of the world through a two-fold research emphasis:

• The study of individual, especially Asian, cultures with a special interest in the role religion and beliefs play in the life of these societies.
• Going beyond the specialized study of individual cultures in order to appreciate the richness of ideas and practices employed by many peoples to make life truly human.

For further enquiries concerning the Institute's activities, you may contact the Institute by e-mail at nuai@ic.nanzan-u.ac.jp or by other means at the address given on the left of this page.

Nanzan Anthropological Institute