Japan Office

Arthur Stockwin, the first Professor and Director of the Nissan Institute of Japanese Studies has died aged 90 on 7th January 2026.

Professor Stockwin was instrumental in embedding Japanese Studies into numerous undergraduate and graduate programmes in Oxford. He established the weekly Nissan Institute seminar series, founded the Nissan Institute/Routledge Japanese Studies publication series, and also wrote a number of extremely successful books on the politics of Japan. A full biography of his life can be found on the Nissan Institute website here.

Professor Stockwin was a legend in the field of Japanese Studies and will be sorely missed by his very many friends and former students here in Japan.