MONUMENTA NIPPONICA. - A semi-annual publication of high Japanese culture, founded and edited in 1938 by the Sophia University of Tokyo, established and directed by the Society of Jesus.
It aims to disseminate, through scientific method, the rich treasures of the culture of the Far East, giving particular emphasis to the typical values of Japanese tradition in all fields: literature and arts, prehistory, ancient and recent history, ethnology, comparative religions. Special consideration is given to the period of the first century of Christianity (1551-1650) and to the relations between Japan and the West. In addition to monographic articles (studies and documents based on original research), each issue contains translations of primary Japanese sources and texts of importance for the various fields covered by M.N. These are followed by reviews of books relevant to the subject matter and a survey of cultural periodicals. The publication, which was suspended for eight years, resumed (for the time being in a single annual issue) with vol. VII in 1951. It accepts the principal European languages and also publishes articles in Japanese. M.N. also publishes separately a series of more extensive monographs and studies.