The history of psychology in Japan

Abstract

In 1903, a new laboratory of psychology was established in Tokyo Imperial University (now University of Tokyo) by Professor Motora in collaboration with Matsumoto, one of Motora's students. The establishment of this new laboratory was one of the milestones of Japanese psychology. The 65th annual convention of the Japanese Psychological Association (JPA) was held in September 2003, in the University of Tokyo, to cerebrate the centennial anniversary of the laboratory. This special issue of Japanese Psychological Research also commemorates a century of psychology in Japan. Articles herein constitute a unique collection portraying the foundation and the development of "modern" psychology in Japan. The articles contained herein are not meant to constitute a comprehensive history of Japanese psychology. Nevertheless, there is a diverse collection of articles in this volume, so that readers can appreciate the milestones in the development of psychology in Japan described from different perspectives. Some papers are written from the standpoint of sociology of science, focusing on changes in institutional and methodological trends. Other articles are written from the perspective of the history of psychology, focusing on many researches and researchers, including the indigenous thought, such as Zen. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)