# National Institute of Informatics

> Japanese research institute

**Wikidata**: [Q4346622](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4346622)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Institute_of_Informatics)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/national-institute-of-informatics

## Summary
The National Institute of Informatics (NII) is a Japanese research institute focused on advancing information science and technology. It operates as an inter-university research institute corporation and serves as a central hub for academic research in informatics across Japan.

## Key Facts
- Founded as an inter-university research institute corporation in Tokyo, Japan
- Coordinates research activities across multiple universities and research institutions
- Maintains the JAIRO database system for academic information sharing
- Operates Cultural Heritage Online, a Japanese database launched in 2008
- Has over 19,900 social media followers on YouTube as of May 2025
- Uses the DOI prefix 10.2201 for publishing purposes
- Member of ORCID, Inc., Confederation of Open Access Repositories, and Japan Consortium for Open Access Repository
- Located at coordinates 35.69246111° N, 139.75810278° E in Tokyo
- Has 8 Wikipedia language editions including English, Japanese, and Chinese

## FAQs
### Q: What is the National Institute of Informatics?
A: The National Institute of Informatics is a Japanese research institute that advances information science and technology through collaborative research across universities and institutions. It operates as an inter-university research institute corporation and maintains various databases and publishing systems.

### Q: Where is the National Institute of Informatics located?
A: The National Institute of Informatics is located in Tokyo, Japan, at coordinates 35.69246111° N latitude and 139.75810278° E longitude.

### Q: What databases does the National Institute of Informatics operate?
A: The National Institute of Informatics operates JAIRO, a database system launched in 2008, and Cultural Heritage Online, another Japanese database also launched in 2008.

## Why It Matters
The National Institute of Informatics plays a crucial role in advancing Japan's position in global information science research and technology development. As an inter-university research institute corporation, it serves as a central coordinating body that enables collaboration between multiple academic institutions, preventing duplication of efforts and maximizing research efficiency. The institute's work in developing and maintaining databases like JAIRO and Cultural Heritage Online has created essential infrastructure for academic information sharing and preservation in Japan. Its membership in international organizations like ORCID and the Confederation of Open Access Repositories demonstrates its commitment to global research standards and open science principles. By providing DOI services and maintaining publishing capabilities, NII helps ensure that Japanese research outputs are properly identified, accessible, and integrated into the global scholarly communication system.

## Notable For
- Serves as Japan's central coordinating body for informatics research across universities
- Operates JAIRO, one of Japan's major academic information databases
- Maintains Cultural Heritage Online, a specialized database for Japanese cultural assets
- Provides DOI prefix services for Japanese academic publishing
- Active member of major international research organizations including ORCID and COAR

## Body
### Research Focus and Structure
The National Institute of Informatics operates as an inter-university research institute corporation, coordinating research activities across multiple Japanese universities and research institutions. This structure allows for collaborative projects that leverage expertise from various academic disciplines and institutions.

### Database Operations
NII maintains several important database systems, including JAIRO (launched October 22, 2008) and Cultural Heritage Online (launched March 26, 2008). These platforms serve as critical infrastructure for academic information sharing and cultural heritage preservation in Japan.

### Publishing and Identification Services
The institute provides DOI prefix services using the prefix 10.2201, enabling Japanese researchers to properly identify and share their scholarly outputs. This service is essential for modern academic publishing and research visibility.

### International Collaboration
NII maintains active memberships in several international organizations, including ORCID, Inc., the Confederation of Open Access Repositories, and the Japan Consortium for Open Access Repository. These memberships demonstrate the institute's commitment to global research standards and open science principles.

### Digital Presence and Outreach
The institute maintains an active digital presence through its website (available in both Japanese and English), Twitter account (@jouhouken, active since March 19, 2010), and YouTube channel (UCqnWxgOhtmQbgM_ivpSn5Yw, active since May 20, 2013). As of May 2025, the YouTube channel has over 19,900 followers.

### Research Leadership
Notable researchers affiliated with NII include Masaru Kitsuregawa (Japanese computer scientist, born July 13, 1955), Gabriel Synnaeve (machine learning researcher), and Zhenjiang Hu (computer scientist and researcher).

## Schema Markup
```json
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  "@type": "ResearchOrganization",
  "name": "National Institute of Informatics",
  "description": "Japanese research institute focused on information science and technology",
  "url": "https://www.nii.ac.jp/",
  "sameAs": [
    "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q328",
    "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Institute_of_Informatics"
  ],
  "location": {
    "@type": "Place",
    "name": "Tokyo, Japan",
    "geo": {
      "@type": "GeoCoordinates",
      "latitude": 35.69246111,
      "longitude": 139.75810278
    }
  },
  "memberOf": [
    {
      "@type": "Organization",
      "name": "ORCID, Inc."
    },
    {
      "@type": "Organization",
      "name": "Confederation of Open Access Repositories"
    },
    {
      "@type": "Organization",
      "name": "Japan Consortium for Open Access Repository"
    }
  ]
}

## References

1. Japan Search
2. CiNii Research
3. [Source](https://orcid.org/members/001G000001CAm9qIAD-national-institute-of-informatics-nii)
4. [Source](https://jpcoar.repo.nii.ac.jp/page/40)
5. Czech National Authority Database
6. [Source](http://www.nii.ac.jp/about/overview/history/)
7. [Source](http://viaf.org/)
8. [Source](http://api.crossref.org/members/1022)
9. [Source](https://www.nii.ac.jp/#footer)
10. GRID Release 2015-12-14
11. GRID Release 2016-12-06
12. Aligned ISNI and Ringgold identifiers for institutions
13. [Source](https://orcid.org/signin)
14. Microsoft Academic Knowledge Graph
15. National Library of Israel Names and Subjects Authority File
16. YouTube API
17. [OpenAlex](https://docs.openalex.org/download-snapshot/snapshot-data-format)