From establishment to the present

The Phonetic Society of Japan was founded in 1926 under the name Onsei-gaku Kyokai. At the tenth anniversary (1935), its name was changed to Nihon Onsei-gaku Kyokai. Finally, right before its 25th anniversary (1946), it was renamed to its present name Nihon Onsei Gakkai (Phonetic Society of Japan).When the society was first established, its purpose was “to study the sounds of the Japanese language and languages spoken within Japanese territory” (from article 1 of the regulations of the society). Currently, the society’s purpose is “to promote the study of sounds in languages, and to foster communication and interaction among society members” (from article 2 of the regulations of the society).

List of past and present presidents of the society

1st president	Kazutoshi Ueda	October, 1926	-	October, 1937
2nd president	Izuru Shinmura	November, 1937	-	October, 1949
3rd president	Kaku Jinbo	November, 1949	-	October, 1957
4th president	Masao Onishi	November 1957	-	December, 1987
5th president	Teruo Hirayama	January, 1988	-	March, 1992
6th president	Miyoko Sugito	April, 1992	-	March, 1995
7th president	Tamotsu Koizumi	April, 1995	-	March, 1998
8th president	Hiroyuki Umeda	April, 1998	-	March, 2001
9th president	Ichiro Oshima	April, 2001	-	March, 2004
10th president	Shigeru Kiritani	April, 2004	-	March, 2007
11th president	Shosuke Haraguchi	April, 2007	-	March, 2010
12th president	Zendo Uwano	April, 2010	-	March, 2013

History of the combined journal Onsei Kenkyu (Journal of the Phonetic Society of Japan)

When the society was established in 1926, the first issue of Onsei-gaku Kyokai Kaiho (The Bulletin) was published. The No. 76 issue (1950) was named Onsei Kenkyu. From the No. 77 issue, the publication was renamed to Onsei Gakkai Kaiho (The Bulletin). Publication of The Bulletin continued for 70 years until the No. 213 issue in 1996. In the meantime, the first volume of Onsei no Kenkyu (The Study of Sounds) was published in 1927. In 1997, The Bulletin and The Study of Sounds were combined into a new journal, Onsei Kenkyu or Journal of the Phonetic Society of Japan. Through the journal, the society continues to disseminate society activities and phonetics research in Japan to the world. The journal preserves the serial number of The Bulletin and the serial volume of The Study of Sounds. For example, Vol. 11, No. 1 of Onsei Kenkyu, published in April, 2007, is No. 244 of The Bulletin and Vol. 54 of The Study of Sounds. The impressive calligraphy of the title Onsei Kenkyu was drawn by the late Dr. Izuru Shinmura.

Foundation anniversary conventions in the past

10th anniversary convention	Tokyo University of Foreign Studies (October 7, 1935)
25th anniversary convention	Tokyo YMCA (November 23, 1950)
30th anniversary convention	Aoyama Gakuin University (October 22, 1955)
40th anniversary convention	Gakushi Kaikan (October 2, 1965)
50th anniversary convention	Hotel New Otani (August 23 ,1976)
60th anniversary convention	Hotel Century Hyatt (October 5, 1985)
70th anniversary convention	Tokyo Metropolitan University (September 28-29, 1996)
80th anniversary convention	Juntendo University (September 22-23, 2006)

Past annual conventions of the Phonetic Society of Japan

1st annual convention	November 29, 1987	Sophia University (Tokyo)
2nd annual convention	October 1 – 2, 1988	Showa Women’s University (Tokyo)
3rd annual convention	September 30 – October 1, 1989	Komazawa University
4th annual convention	September 29 – 30, 1990	Chiba University (Chiba)
5th annual convention	September 28 – 29, 1991	Osaka Shoin Women’s University (Higashi-Osaka)
6th annual convention	October 3 – 4, 1992	Dokkyo University (Soka, Saitama)
7th annual convention	September 25 – 26, 1993	Gunma Prefectural Women’s University (Tamamura-machi, Gunma)
8th annual convention	September 24 – 25, 1994	Doshisha University Tanabe Campus (Tanabe-cho, Kyoto)
9th annual convention	September 30 – October 1, 1995	Meikai University (Urayasu, Chiba)
10th annual convention	September 28 – 29, 1996	Tokyo Metropolitan University (Tokyo)
11th annual convention	September 20 – 21, 1997	Kansai University of Foreign Studies (Hirakata, Osaka)
12th annual convention	September 26 – 27, 1998	Chuo University Surugadai Memorial Hall (Tokyo)
13th annual convention	September 25 – 26, 1999	Tohoku University (Sendai)
14th annual convention	September 30 – October 1, 2000	Reitaku University (Kashiwa, Chiba)
15th annual convention	September 29 – 30, 2001	Kobe Kaisei College (Kobe)
16th annual convention	September 28 – 29, 2002	Tokyo Woman’s Christian University (Tokyo)
17th annual convention	September 27 – 28, 2003	Kansai University (Suita, Osaka)
18th annual convention	September 25 – 26, 2004	Tokyo University of Foreign Studies (Tokyo)
19th annual convention	September 24 – 25, 2005	Prefectural University of Hiroshima (Hiroshima)
20th annual convention	September 30 – October 1, 2006	Juntendo University (Tokyo)
21th annual convention	September 22 – 23, 2007	Nagoya University (Nagoya)
21th annual convention	September 22 – 23, 2007	Nagoya University (Nagoya)
22th annual convention	September 14 – 15, 2008	Meikai University (Urayasu,Chiba)
23th annual convention	September 26 – 27, 2009	Kyushu University (Fukuoka)
24th annual convention	October 9 – 10, 2010	Kokugakuin University (Tokyo)