Contemporary Japan was a quarterly English‑language magazine published in Japan from June 1932 until March 1970. The periodical was issued by the Foreign Affairs Association of Japan, an organization founded in 1931 by Japanese politicians and intellectuals to promote awareness of Japanese affairs abroad.
The magazine’s stated purpose, expressed in the editorial preface of its first issue, was “to know and to make known what is going on in Japan and in the minds of the Japanese.” Each issue primarily presented English translations of articles, speeches, and essays by Japanese writers, scholars, and politicians, offering foreign readers insight into contemporary Japanese political, economic, and cultural developments.
Publication details
- Frequency: Quarterly
- Language: English
- Country of publication: Japan
- Base of operations: Tokyo
- Publisher: Foreign Affairs Association of Japan
- First issue: June 1932 (price 1 yen + 50 sen)
- Final issue: Volume XXIX, number 2, March 1970 (price 1 500 yen)
Editorial and governmental connections
Although the magazine claimed no formal party affiliation, its editorial board and contributors included prominent figures linked to the Japanese government. The 1932 administrative council featured individuals such as Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal Nobuaki Makino, former prime minister Kosai Uchida, future prime minister Fumimaro Konoe, and former foreign ministers Kijūrō Shidehara and Kikujiro Ishii. The first issue opened with a message from Foreign Minister Kenkichi Yoshizawa, defending Japan’s actions in Manchuria and Shanghai.
During the 1930s and 1940s the magazine supported Japanese imperialist policies and was aligned with the Cabinet Information Bureau, the official propaganda organ of the Imperial Japanese government. In 1938 the Foreign Affairs Association of Japan registered as an agent of the Japanese government under the United States’ Foreign Agents Registration Act.
Reception and legacy
John W. Dower described Contemporary Japan as “a valuable semi‑official Japanese publication.” The periodical was praised by the Financial Times for facilitating a better understanding of Japan among foreign audiences. After World II, the magazine continued publication, providing a platform for a range of Japanese viewpoints, until it ceased abruptly with its March 1970 issue.
Contemporary Japan is now referenced by scholars studying Japan’s diplomatic outreach and media strategy during the mid‑twentieth century.
