OrganizationInformation Resources Center (IRC)

Information Resources Center (IRC)

The Information Resources Center (IRC) is part of ILCAA and supports the academic community both in Japan and internationally. It is dedicated to collecting, compiling, storing, and disseminating information resources related to the languages and cultures of Asia and Africa.

Staff (AY2026)

YAMAKOSHI Yasuhiro (Center Director), OGURA Satoshi (Deputy Chief of Center), SHINAGAWA Daisuke (Deputy Chief of Center), SAWADA Hideo, TAKAMATSU Yoichi, ADACHI Mayumi, KOGURA Norikazu, KAWAI Aya, UETA Naoki, KHALILI Mostafa, HAYAKAWA Hideaki

Activities

The IRC consolidates and disseminates its research materials and the outcomes of joint research activities in accordance with the following policies.

(1) Publication of Materials and Joint Research Outcomes on the Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa

The IRC supports the digitization and publication of a wide range of language data and materials related to the languages and cultures of Asia and Africa—such as brochures, posters, films, 8-mm films, videotapes, and audiotapes—collected and held by ILCAA, as well as the results of joint research conducted at ILCAA. The Center also provides support for the processing and publication of relevant materials owned by researchers outside ILCAA.

(2) Development of International Joint Research

The IRC promotes international collaborative research by publishing and sharing resources such as databases, electronic dictionaries, and digital visual libraries. It assists researchers in developing projects to create such resources and in streamlining and enhancing international joint research activities.

(3) Parent Organization for Consolidating Basic Theory about Accumulation and Exchanges of Content

Theorization of areas such as character code (encoded character set) theory based on diachronic writing systems, multilingual language-processing theory, basic collation, formatting, and typesetting theory in multiple script systems. Sophistication of specifications for input methods in mixed multiple script systems, exchange protocol of formatting, and typesetting outcomes, etc. Maintenance of input methods and interfaces for multimedia systems, such as abstract searches of pictures, videos, and voices.

The outcomes of the IRC’s activities include electronic dictionaries (e.g., A Dictionary of the Tuvaluan Language and Culture, Database of Basic Vocabulary in Mongolic Languages), integrated multilingual databases on languages and cultures (e.g., Northeastern Eurasia, Tibet), and image databases (such as archives of Asia and Africa and Ottoman historical maps). Many of these resources are publicly accessible and available as online research tools. In addition, some teaching materials for ILCAA’s Intensive Language Courses are developed by the IRC.

Purpose

The Center was founded within ILCAA in 1997 by order of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology to accumulate, process, and publish information resources on Asian and African languages and cultures. IRC aims at collecting, compiling, storing, and disseminating information resources on languages and cultures of Asia and Africa, the development of joint research methods using them, and the promotion of international academic exchange. Since AY 2009, it has enhanced its collaboration with researchers from Japan and abroad to further establish research resources and facilitate their joint use.

Successive Center Directors

(Academic Year)

YAMAKOSHI, Yasuhiro

2025-present

WATANABE, Honoré

2023-2024

TAKAMATSU, Yoichi

2021-2022

WATANABE, Honoré

2019-2020

HOSHI, Izumi

2017-2018

NAKAYAMA, Toshihide

2013-2016

NAGAHARA, Yoko

2011-2012

MIO, Yuko

2009-2010

KURIHARA, Hirohide

2007-2008

MINEGISHI, Makoto

2004-2006

UCHIBORI, Motomitsu

2003

MACHIDA, Kazuhiko

1999-2002

IKEHATA, Setsuho

1997-1998

Regulations

Japanese version only.

情報資源利用研究センター規程（99.2 KB）

Event Information