The Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus is an open-access journal providing critical analysis of the forces shaping the Asia-Pacific and the world. Since 2002, APJJF—also known as Japan FocusSelden, Mark. 2004. “Japanese Resources for Teaching about Japan”. Education About Asia: Online Archives, Association for Asian Studies. Retrieved 30 April 2024.—has published over 3,500 articles in English focusing on new research, commentary, interviews, and translations that explore the geopolitics, economics, history, society, culture, international relations, and environment of the modern and contemporary Asia-Pacific region. In 2008, the journal received the Ryukyu Shimpo's first Ikemiyagushiku Shui Memorial Prize, recognizing its outstanding worldwide contribution to proposing solutions to "problems confronting Okinawa."On 17 September 2008, the Ryukyu Shimpo presented the inaugural Ikemiyagushiku Shui Memorial Prize to The Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus, see the ceremony on YouTube. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
Founded by Mark Selden, the journal is governed by a nonprofit board, and has an editorial board composed of specialists in a broad range of subjects related to the Asia-Pacific. The current coeditors are Tristan R. Grunow and Mary M. McCarthy. At the 2026 Association for Asian Studies (AAS) conference, APJJF organizes a "Critical Asian Scholarship in a Time of Global Crisis" roundtable.McCarthy, Mary M. and Tristan Grunow. 2025. "Critical Asian Scholarship in a Time of Global Crisis", Special Collections. The Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
The APJJF Course Readers (2012–2016) provide educational resources on 15 selected topics with explanatory introductions by scholars.The Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus Course Readers are accessible online. Laura Hein is Series Editor of the 15 APJJF Course Readers (2012–2016). For a concise review of the first four APJJF Course Readers, see Peter K. Frost, 2013, “The Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus Course Readers”, Education About Asia: Online Archives, Association for Asian Studies. Retrieved 30 April 2024. APJJF also showcases winning submissions of the Kyoko Selden Memorial Translation Prize in Japanese Literature, Thought, and Society (2014–2022).Kyoko Selden Memorial Translation Prize in Japanese Literature, Thought, and Society (2014–2022), Department of Asian Studies, Cornell University. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
APJJF publishes under a Creative Commons license, and articles are abstracted and indexed in Scopus,The Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus, Scopus. Emerging Sources Citation Index (Web of Science),The Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus, Clarivate Web of Science (WoS) Core Collection: Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI). EBSCOhost Political Science Complete,The Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus, Political Science Complete Database Coverage List (Core). and Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ).The Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus, Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ).
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