The Human Geographical Society of Japan (HGSJ) was founded in 1948. It is one of the most important and influential geographical societies in Japan. The HGSJ is an organization of geographers from various universities and research institutions, graduate and undergraduate students, teachers from elementary and secondary schools, and other devotees of geography who share a fascination with the subject and recognize its importance. It is committed to the dissemination of human geographic research and its promotion as a key discipline in education, research, and in the public and private sectors in Japan. 

Jimbun Chiri or Japanese Journal of Human Geography (JJHG) is the official journal of the HGSJ (ISSN: 0018-7216). The journal has long been respected for its rigorous peer review system and the resultant high quality of published papers. A notable feature of the JJHG is that geographers from foreign countries (particularly East Asian countries) also have contributed their papers to the journal, which has been widely circulated in East Asian countries including Japan. Therefore, the JJHG is becoming an internationally important journal. In addition, we are proud to announce that the JJHG is indexed in Elsevier’s Scopus. 

The aim of the JJHG is to achieve the key objectives of the HGSJ by publishing cutting-edge research papers and systematic reviews in the field of human geography. Papers that challenge the status quo, address important scientific and technical issues, and promote social justice are also welcomed. The journal publishes peer-reviewed papers across the whole spectrum of human geography.

The JJHG has been published quarterly (end of March, June, October, and December) since 2016, although it had been published bimonthly until 2015. The journal’s paper categories consist of articles, research notes, reviews, and focuses. The “annual review” section, appearing in every third issue, contains very detailed reviews of human geographical studies published mostly by Japanese geographers in the preceding year. This section has been highly appraised as featuring critically important bibliographic essays unique to the JJHG. 

Every member of the HGSJ has the right to submit a paper in either Japanese or English. The editorial board often invites non-member geographers to submit their papers for special issues. Although the JJHG is basically a Japanese journal, the submission of English papers is also welcomed.

If you wish to submit your manuscript to JJHG, please prepare it according to the following submission guidelines and publication standards.

-Submission guidelines and publication standards:
  Notes for contributors of English papers (revised on 19 December 2020, PDF)
  Cover letter for paper submission (as of 24 June 2024, Excel)
  Peer review process (revised on 19 December 2020, PDF)
  Grades of peer review results (revised on 19 December 2020, PDF)
  Ethical Code for Publishing (enacted on 8 April 2023, PDF)

-Publication charges:
 We do not charge a submission fee for articles in our journal. However, at least one of the authors must be a member of the HGSJ and have paid the annual membership fee.

-Additional notes for contributors:
 When reproducing figures or tables of others, please attach a copy of the permission to your manuscript. 
 When preparing your manuscript for submission, please refer to the Ethical Code for Publishing, Code of Ethics, and other relevant guidelines available on our website. Please also make sure you do not violate the copyrights of others or cause problems related to libel. If the work you published in this journal violates the copyrights of others, you shall bear full responsibility.

(You can read the same information about submission on 'For contributors' page on the website of HGSJ) 

Published by The Human Geographical Society of Japan