Editor's Note

This has been a challenging year at Monumenta Nipponica, one involving significant changes both in personnel and in our production process. This issue, 65:2, begins the publication of the journal under a new editorial team. As noted on the masthead, a new advisory board and a group of associate editors have been formed to guide the journal into the future. Two veteran members of the previous advisory board have stayed on, and Kate Nakai, my predecessor, has kindly joined them. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have agreed to serve MN in these positions.

The journal has also undergone a major shift in the use of technology. After many years of sending manuscripts to our printer for layout and design, we have moved to in-house production with InDesign. This change would not have been possible without the generosity of our colleagues at the Nanzan Institute of Religion and Culture. Jim Heisig, in particular, spent a great deal of time preparing templates for the journal and patiently answered numerous questions as we attempted to use this software for the first time. The change has not been easy, but we are convinced that it will be worthwhile in the long run. We are grateful to everyone at the Komiyama Printing Company for their cooperation throughout this transition and for their willingness to continue with us under these new circumstances.

I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the hard work and professional expertise of others who worked behind the scenes to prepare this issue for publication. In addition to the authors and reviewers whose names appear on these pages are the referees who, unfortunately, must remain anonymous here, but whose time-consuming efforts are crucial. I would also like to offer special thanks to Lynne Riggs and her team at the Center for Intercultural Communication for editorial and proofreading assistance and to Andrew Pothecary for his helpful advice on design-related matters and assistance in preparing the figures and images for this issue.

I would like to reassure readers that, in spite of the changes this year, the new editorial team is committed to preserving the vision and features that have characterized Monumenta Nipponica since its beginning in 1938. In the early years, the journal carried the subtitle "Studies in Japanese Culture, Past and Present," and it is this broad historical perspective that will continue to shape MN. The journal was also defined from the outset as an academic venture that welcomed contributions by scholars from diverse fields, with particular attention given to studies based on original Japanese sources and data. This interdisciplinary orientation—clearly reflected in the diversity of members who make up the associate editors' group and the advisory board—is also a feature that will be maintained.

The journal's founding editor, Johannes B. Kraus, SJ, explained in the very first issue of MN that "large space will be given to the translation of valuable sources and texts, particularly of such as are suited to convey the more essential and typical features of Japanese tradition." While many of us today may be less certain about what is "essential" to or "typical" of Japanese culture and society, the journal will continue to publish translations of texts recognized as important by scholars in their respective fields. The current issue contains one such piece, and several more are being prepared for publication in upcoming issues. In addition to these materials, we hope to include more translations of contemporary Japanese scholarship on important topics of current debate. It is in this context that I wish to acknowledge a generous translation grant recently received from the Tokyo Club (社団法人東京倶楽部), which will allow us to include more articles and reviews by Japanese scholars in the future.

These are hard times for academic publishing houses and journals owing to widespread budget cuts by many universities and libraries. In this difficult environment, we are fortunate to have the steady support of Sophia University, which provides the office space and staff needed to maintain this publication. Our contributors might be interested to know that despite the challenges facing academic publishing...