Chapter 1: General Provisions

(Name and Location)

Article 1:
1. This association shall be called the Japan Section of the Regional Science Association International.
2. The location of the association shall be Tokyo.

Chapter 2: Objectives and Activities

(Objectives)

Article 2: The purpose of this association is to promote comprehensive and interdisciplinary academic research on regions, provide a forum for interaction among members and related organizations, and contribute to the advancement of regional science.

(International Character)

Article 3: The association shall actively promote exchanges with international related organizations, provide members with opportunities for international exchange of opinions and research, and offer opportunities for the publication of research results and research exchange to researchers in regional science and related fields worldwide.

(Activities)

Article 4:
1. To achieve the objectives in Article 2, the association shall conduct the following activities:
a) Holding annual conferences
b) Organizing or co-organizing research meetings and workshops
c) Publishing the association’s journal (“Studies in Regional Science”) and other occasional publications
d) Cooperating with related organizations in Japan and abroad
e) Promoting academic surveys and research
f) Other activities necessary to achieve the association’s objectives
2. The association’s business year shall begin on April 1 each year and end on March 31 of the following year.

Chapter 3: Membership

(Types of Members)

Article 5: The association shall consist of regular members, corporate members, and honorary members.

(Qualifications for Membership)

Article 6:
1. Regular members are individuals with specialized knowledge or experience in the fields covered by the association or related fields, who have completed the prescribed procedures.
2. Corporate members are corporations or equivalent organizations that support the association’s objectives and activities, and have completed the prescribed procedures.
3. Honorary members are individuals or organizations with special achievements in the fields covered by the association, who are recommended by the board of directors and have completed the prescribed procedures.

(Membership Fees)

Article 7:
1. Regular and corporate members must pay the prescribed membership fees.
2. Honorary members are exempt from paying membership fees.
3. Paid membership fees will not be refunded for any reason.

(Admission and Withdrawal)

Article 8:
1. Admission of regular and corporate members requires submission of an application form and approval by the board of directors.
2. Members wishing to withdraw must submit a withdrawal notice with reasons and obtain approval from the board of directors.

(Loss of Membership)

Article 9: Members lose their membership for the following reasons:
a) Withdrawal
b) Death, disappearance, or dissolution (for corporate members)
c) Expulsion
d) Non-payment of membership fees

(Expulsion)

Article 10: Members may be expelled by resolution of the board of directors if they:
a) Violate their obligations as members
b) Damage the association’s honor or act contrary to its objectives

Article 11: (Deleted)

Chapter 4: Officers

(Officers)

Article 12:
1. The association shall have the following officers: President, Vice President, Directors, and Auditors. Among the directors, three shall be executive directors.
2. Officers must be regular or honorary members.
3. The President, Vice President, and Directors may not concurrently serve as Auditors.

(Number of Officers)

Article 13: Number of Officers
a) President: 1
b) Vice President: 1 (may be increased to about 3 by board resolution)
c) Directors: 20 to 30
d) Auditors: 2

(Term of Office)

Article 14:
1. The term of office for officers shall be until the conclusion of the regular general meeting for the last business year ending within two years after election.
2. The term of office for directors elected as replacements or additions shall be until the expiration of the predecessor’s or incumbent’s term.
3. The term of office for auditors elected as replacements shall be until the expiration of the predecessor’s term.
4. If the number of directors or auditors falls below the prescribed number, those who have retired upon expiration of their term or resignation shall retain their rights and obligations as directors or auditors until their successors assume office.

(Reappointment of Officers)

Article 15:
1. The President, Vice President, and Auditors may be reappointed, but not for more than three consecutive terms.
2. Directors may be reappointed.

(Duties of Officers)

Article 16:
1. The President represents the association and oversees its operations.
2. The Vice President assists the President and acts on their behalf in case of accident.
3. Directors assist the President and Vice President and manage the association’s operations.
4. Executive directors share the association’s executive duties (general affairs, clerical work, finance) as determined by the board.
5. Auditors audit the association’s activities and accounts.

(Election of Officers)

Article 17:
1. The President, Vice President, and Auditors are elected by the board of directors.
2. Directors are elected by member vote and approved by the general meeting.
3. Executive directors are elected by mutual vote of the board.
4. If an auditor’s position becomes vacant, the board shall promptly elect a successor, who shall be commissioned by the President. The term of office shall be the remainder of the predecessor’s term.

(Board of Directors)

Article 18:
1. Regular board meetings are convened by the President at least three times a year.
2. If one-third or more of the current directors request a meeting in writing stating the purpose, the President must promptly convene an extraordinary board meeting.
3. Officers attend board meetings.
4. The President chairs regular board meetings.
5. The chair of extraordinary board meetings is elected by the attending directors (excluding auditors).
6. The board may commission several secretaries from among regular members to facilitate daily operations.
7. Persons deemed necessary by the Auditors, President, or Executive Directors may attend board meetings.
8. The board is established with the attendance of at least two-thirds of current directors. Directors who have submitted a written proxy in advance are considered present.
9. Board resolutions are made by a majority of attending directors unless otherwise specified. In case of a tie, the chair decides.
10. If an annual conference is held, the President must convene a regular board meeting within one week before the event.

Chapter 5: General Meeting

(General Meeting)

Article 19:
1. The regular general meeting is convened by the President, based on the advice of the board, within three months after the end of each business year.
2. Extraordinary general meetings must be convened within one month if deemed necessary by the board.
3. The President chairs regular general meetings.
4. The chair of extraordinary general meetings is elected by the board from among regular members for each meeting.
5. The following matters must be submitted to and approved by the regular general meeting:
a) Business plan
b) Business report and financial statements
c) Other matters deemed necessary by the board
6. Auditors must report on the association’s activities and financial statements at the regular general meeting.
7. The general meeting is established with the attendance of at least one-tenth of current members.
8. General meeting resolutions are made by a majority of attending members unless otherwise specified.
9. The summary and resolutions of the general meeting must be notified to members.

Articles 20–25: (Deleted)

Chapter 9: Amendments

(Amendment of the Constitution)

Article 26: Amendments to this constitution shall be decided by resolution of the general meeting.

Article 27: (Deleted)

Supplementary Provisions (Amended September 1, 1992)

(Effective Date)

Article 1: This constitution shall come into effect on September 1, 1992.

(Transitional Measures for Officers)

Article 2: (Omitted)
Supplementary Provisions (Amended October 16, 1993)

(Effective Date)

This constitution shall come into effect on the date of enactment.
Supplementary Provisions (Amended October 2, 1999)

(Effective Date)

This constitution shall come into effect on the date of enactment.
Supplementary Provisions (Amended October 8, 2006)

(Effective Date)

This constitution shall come into effect on the date of enactment.
Supplementary Provisions (Amended October 13, 2013)

(Effective Date)

This constitution shall come into effect on the date of enactment.
Supplementary Provisions (Amended October 12, 2025)

(Effective Date)

Article 1: This constitution shall come into effect upon enactment.

(Transitional Measures)

Article 2: As a transitional measure regarding the amendment of Article 10, for officers elected in fiscal year 2025, their term shall be deemed to have commenced at the conclusion of the regular general meeting for that year.