BAJS has administered the Ivan Morris Memorial Prize since 1979. This annual prize is awarded in commemoration of the late Professor Ivan Morris to a student submitting an outstanding piece of work in the field of Japanese Studies. Professor Ivan Morris was a many-sided author and teacher in the field of Japanese Studies. See below for an indication of the range of his writings.

In memory of Professor Morris, a sum of up to £400 is available as Prize money.

The competition is open to any student undertaking an undergraduate or postgraduate degree at a higher education institution in the U.K. who would like to present for consideration an extended essay, thesis or dissertation in the field of Japanese Studies. Work already published is not eligible. The text should not exceed 20,000 words. Candidates are advised to append a one-page statement spelling out, for the benefit of the assessor, why their topic is interesting and important beyond a very narrow group of specialists.

The submitted work should be no more than eighteen months old at the closing date, and students must submit it to bajs@bajs.org.uk as an electronic pdf version only, together with a nominee’s / supervisor’s letter of support. The letter of support should discuss the work done by the candidate and the value of the piece submitted.

The total number of entries per institution is restricted to a maximum of 2. Please note that should more than 2 students from the same institution apply we will write to all supervisors involved and ask them to put forward only two applications.

The deadline for submission of entries is 15 July.

The committee has decided to alternate submissions by postgraduate and by undergraduate students to make the Prize fairer to all. Please note that we will only accept submissions by undergraduate students in 2024, and only by postgraduate students in 2025. Thereafter, the competition will be open to undergraduates in even-numbered years and postgraduates in odd-numbered years.

Nationalism and the Right Wing in Japan: A Study of Postwar Trends, London, OUP (RIIA), 1960 (edited)

Japan, 1931-45: Militarism, Fascism, Japanism?, 1963 (edited)

The World of the Shining Prince: Court Life in Ancient Japan, 1964 (edited)

Pillow Talk of Sei Shonagon, 1967

The Pillow-Book Puzzles, 1969 (edited)

The Tale of Genji Scroll, 1971

Dictionary of Selected Forms in Classical Japanese Literature, 1966

Modern Japanese Stories, 1961 (edited)

Ihara Saikaku, Life of an Amorous Woman, 1964

Translated novels by Mishima Yukio, Ooka and Osaragi Jiro.