About JSTS

About the Japanese Society for Time Studies

The purpose of the Japanese Society for Time Studies (JSTS) is to establish new areas of academic research pertaining to the formal study of Time. Certainly, Time has been a topic of many studies conducted in various individual academic disciplines. However JSTS’s goal is to promote research that breaks down the barriers in Time studies that exist between the Humanities & the Sciences, and foundational theory & practical theory.

There are a variety of ways in which Time manifests itself, for example time related mechanisms in biology; the relation between lifestyle-related body rhythms and health; social policy governing the keeping of time; and the ways various cultures measure past and future time using calendars. By connecting research across such varied fields, JSTS thus attempts to organize Time as it relates to both societal norms as well as to individual experiences. In this manner, JSTS is able to weave together a variety of research themes related to Time. Some issues that JSTS has addressed in the past have been how the millions of years during which the Earth’s environment and living creatures have evolved are to be measured. Or, comparing/contrasting the various manners in which Time is traditionally measured in East Asia and the West. Or, to what extent are humans able to make clocks that precisely keep track of time? And related to that, what gaps are there with human Time-conscious and Time measured with timepieces that exist today? Another important issue fundamental to JSTS research is tackling the question, “What is Time?” which calls for an understanding of both philosophy and physics.

The first JSTS conference was held on June 13^th-14^th, 2009. At that time JSTS had the opportunity to establish its goals as an organization. Upon approval of those goals, JSTS and its members were able to bring together researchers from across disciplines and vigorously move the study of Time forward, as they had hoped.

Signed,

Doctor Tsuji Shōji

Representative of The Japanese Society for Time Studies Establishment and Planning Committee

 

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