The Japan-Center was created in its current structure by the fusion of two preexisting institutions (the Department of Japanese Studies within the Institute for East Asian Studies and the previous Japan Center) in 2002. It is part of the Faculty of Cultural Studies (Faculty 12).
The Japan-Center coordinates research and teaching on Japanese literature, history, culture, religion, philosophy, society, politics, and economy at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in Munich. It cooperates with other East Asian studies, cultural studies and economics departments at LMU. The Japan-Center is integrated into a national and international network for research in the field, facilitating contacts and cooperation between scholars at LMU and their colleagues at universities in Japan.
The Japan-Center supervises bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in Japanese studies. It also hosts regular public lectures and works closely together with German, Japanese, and other international institutions to promote the spread of knowledge of Japanese culture, politics, and business.