Ritsumeikan University's Art Research Center (ARC) in Kyoto has been a leading center for the development of the digital humanities in Japan since it was established in 1998. This year we are proudly celebrating its 20^th anniversary. At ARC we create digital archives of Japanese art and culture, both tangible and intangible. At the same time, we conduct advanced research that integrates various academic disciplines in the humanities and the sciences. Additionally, we disseminate the results of our research globally. The ARC's digital archives are entirely constructed by our own researchers. Many of these archives are open to the public. The archives have contributed greatly to the study of print culture in early modern Japan, as they are particularly rich in ukiyo-e single-sheet prints, early-modern Japanese woodblock-printed books, and woodblocks themselves. Additionally, the archives are rich in resources relating to kabuki and other Japanese performing arts, and Kyoto's historical geography and regional industry.

In 2014, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan, designated ARC as a Joint Usage/Research Center. With the establishment of the Digital Archive Research Center for Japanese Cultural Resources, we invite researchers in and outside of Japan to submit joint research applications to facilitate research and/or utilization of Japanese cultural resources through digital archiving and database building.