Admission Guide
Admission Guide
The Japanese Association for Rural Studies introduced a cloud service called SMOOSY on April 1, 2020. If you wish to become a member, please refer to the SMOOSY User Manual and follow the procedures on the Membership Application page.
Help for membership applicants (opens SMOOSY help page)
Membership application page (opens SMOOSY's membership application page)
If you have any questions about the above procedures for membership application, please contact the Secretariat.
Annual membership fee: regular member 8,000 yen, graduate student member 2,000 yen
Regulations Governing Overseas Membership of The Association for Rural Studies (JARS)
(Revised 29 November 2025)
Article 1 (Purpose)
The present Regulations are established with the purpose of furthering international scholarly exchange within the Association for Rural Studies (hereinafter “the Association”) by conferring a limited form of membership upon members who return to their home countries or who take up residence outside Japan.
Article 2 (Eligibility for Membership)
1 In cases where a member of the Association returns to their home country following study abroad, or relocates to a foreign country for a period generally exceeding three years, Overseas Membership may be conferred upon payment of an amount equivalent to the membership dues for the subsequent fiscal year as a one-time lifetime fee applicable to Overseas Members.
2 Members desiring application under the preceding paragraph shall submit notification in advance to the Secretariat. At the time of notification, it is desirable that a domestic contact person be designated.
3 Individuals residing outside Japan who seek to obtain Overseas Membership may be granted such status, for the duration of their overseas residence, subject to deliberation and approval by the Board of Directors, in accordance with Paragraph 1.
4 Should circumstances arise that affect membership status—such as relocation back to Japan—the member shall immediately notify the Secretariat.
Article 3 (Applicable Provisions)
1 Overseas Members shall be entitled to the following:
(1) Attendance at assemblies organized by the Association, including but not limited to annual conferences, research meetings, and public lectures
(2) Presentation of research at such assemblies
(3) Submission of manuscripts to the Association’s journal, Journal of Rural Studies
(4) Receipt and transmission of research correspondence by electronic mail or other digital means
2 With respect to Paragraphs (1) and (3) above, namely presentation at the annual conference and submission to the Association’s journal, Overseas Members shall remit to the Secretariat an adjusted amount in lieu of the standard annual membership dues. The adjusted amount shall be determined by the Board of Directors. Moreover, where participation fees are levied for research meetings or other activities, Overseas Members shall be responsible for their payment.
3 Expenses incurred in connection with overseas remittance shall, in principle, be borne by the Overseas Member.
4 Overseas Members shall not receive the journal, membership directory, or other printed materials distributed by the Association, including newsletters, by postal delivery.
5 Overseas Members shall notify the Secretariat without delay of any changes to electronic mail addresses or other contact information. The Association shall not be held responsible for non-delivery of communications. In cases where non-delivery is determined to be ongoing, the individual concerned may be treated as having withdrawn from membership.
Article 4 (Procedures for Approval)
Upon receipt of an application, the Board of Directors shall consider the matter, and where found appropriate in light of these Regulations, shall approve and register the applicant as an Overseas Member.
Supplementary Provisions
1 Amendments to these Regulations shall be adopted with the approval of the Board of Directors and reported to the General Assembly.
2 These Regulations shall take effect as of 9 November 2019.