The Institute of Oriental Studies (IOP) was founded in February 1962 for the sake of clarifying the relevance of Buddhism and other world religions in the modern world. In November of the same year, IOP launched The Journal of Oriental Studies, a scholarly publication of essays. The institute was recognized as a nonprofit foundation under Japanese law in December 1965, at which time the name was changed to the Institute of Oriental Philosophy (IOP). In 1986, the institute moved to its present location on the campus of Soka University and since 1987 has published an English-language version of its journal on an annual basis. At present, the IOP has a staff of three senior researchers, seven research fellows and some 40 research associates with offices and centers in France, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong and Russia. It has exchange and collaborative agreements with universities and research institutions throughout the world.

The IOP's ongoing research projects include critical scholarship on Nichiren Buddhism, the Lotus Sutra and the philosophy of value creation, as the linkages between religion and humanism, bioethics, the global environment, and women's issues. Work is carried out by research teams, and coordinated by a senior researcher or research fellow. In addition to ongoing research and publication efforts, IOP-affiliated researchers gather annually to share the results of their research and to confirm linkages with the work of other teams. In this way, all efforts are made to assure that research remains holistic and relevant to the realities of today's world. (See Research.)

The IOP also sponsors and participates in a wide range of conferences and colloquiums that encourage exchange among scholars from different countries, including interfaith dialogue. (See Activities.)

In an effort to preserve ancient texts and make them more widely available for study, the IOP has, with support from the Soka Gakkai, been involved in the publication of a Buddhist manuscript series in Sanskrit, with plans to produce facsimiles of sutras in Tangut (Xixia) and other languages. In this way, students and researchers have access to the near equivalent of direct exposure to original texts. (See Publications--Lotus Sutra Manuscript Series.)

The IOP also maintains a library of approximately 25,000 volumes that are computer-catalogued. (See Library.)

According to Dr. Yoichi Kawada, director of the IOP since 1988, the IOP's purpose is twofold: while focusing largely on research into a specific religious tradition, based on the premise that religion exists to serve humanity, the staff members also try to explore ways in which the insights of a particular tradition can help humankind better resolve the many severe problems it faces.