Part I - Institute of Social Science: Present Situation and Prospects

1. History

2. The Institute Today

1. Flexible Research Fields Under the Division System
2. Comprehensive Empirical Social Science Research from an International and Comparative Perspective and Its Central Topic of Japanese Society
3. Three-tiered Research System
4. International Network Node for Social Science Research on Japan
5. More Media for Transmitting Research Information and Results
6. The Role of the Information Center for Social Science Research on Japan
7. The ISS Library
8. The Institute's Educational Activities
9. Research Associates and Research Support Structure
10. Self-review and Self-evaluation

3. Future Prospects

1. Promotion of International Research Projects
2. Node Linking Western and Asian Research on Japanese Society
3. Accumulation, Development, and Analysis of Empirical Data, and Dissemination of Results
4. Development and Improvement of Educational and Training Functions
5. Toward a New Dimension in Comprehensive Empirical Social Science Research from the Perspective of International Comparison