Japan Medical Abstracts Society

The Japan Medical Abstracts Society (Japanese: 医学中央雑誌刊行会, commonly abbreviated 医中誌 / Ichushi) is a Japanese non-profit organization that publishes and operates databases of domestic medical literature. Its English name is given as "NPO Japan Medical Abstracts Society." It is headquartered at 2-5-18 Takaidohigashi, Suginami-ku, Tokyo, and traces its origin to 1903, when the practicing physician Shiro Amako founded the abstract journal Igaku Chuo Zasshi (医学中央雑誌). The organization's core business is the indexing and abstracting of Japanese medical, dental, pharmaceutical, and nursing literature. Its flagship service is Ichushi-Web (医中誌Web), an internet-based literature search service offered in institutional and personal editions, alongside related products such as the Saishin Kango Sakuin Web (最新看護索引Web, a current nursing index), the Ichushi Members service, a journal-title search covering roughly 8,000 indexed journals, a clinical practice guideline database, and a free browser for the medical-term thesaurus used in Ichushi-Web. Historically the society published the printed abstract journal Igaku Chuo Zasshi, which ceased print publication in 2002; a CD-ROM edition ran from 1992 until 2006. Since 2000 the information has been delivered online through Ichushi-Web and Ichushi Personal Web. The organization has also undertaken large retrospective digitization projects, adding older Igaku Chuo Zasshi records in successive batches so that coverage now reaches back to the 1903 founding era. As a specified non-profit corporation (特定非営利活動法人), the society is not a listed commercial company; it operates as a mission-driven publisher and information service for the Japanese medical community, serving researchers, clinicians, healthcare professionals, and librarians.

The organization began in 1903 (Meiji 36), when Shiro Amako, a practicing physician, founded the abstract journal Igaku Chuo Zasshi (医学中央雑誌). The first issue appeared on March 26, 1903, with offices initially located inside the Nankodo branch in Hongo-ku, Tokyo, and later moved to Amako's home in Sendagi-cho. Amako was reportedly encouraged by Professor Inokichi Kubo of Kyushu University, and the journal was modeled on the German Centralblatt, aiming to contribute to the development of medicine in Japan. In 1928 (Showa 3), Amako's son Fujiro Amako succeeded to the business, continuing publication of Igaku Chuo Zasshi even through the difficulties of wartime. Shiro Amako died in 1930. In 1945, wartime damage forced the office to relocate to Fujiro Amako's residence within the Yokufukai company housing in Takaido, Suginami-ku. The organization took the form of a stock company in 1958, then changed to a voluntary association in 1964, adopting a direct-subscription membership system. Fujiro Amako died on March 17, 1972; he was also known as a pioneer of Japanese gerontology and received awards including the Japan Medical Association's highest merit award for medical literature. In 1973, Mototaka Murakami succeeded to the business. Computer-based editing was introduced in 1983, enabling electronic storage of information. The office building at the current location was rebuilt in 1988. Murakami died on January 20, 1989, and in February 1989 Tsuneki Shinohara became chairman. In January 1992, the CD-ROM edition of Igaku Chuo Zasshi began service. In 1995, office work was computerized (OA-ization). In April 2000, the online services Ichushi-Web and Ichushi Personal Web were launched. In July 2002, the organization was established as a specified non-profit corporation (特定非営利活動法人 医学中央雑誌刊行会), and in December 2002 the printed edition of Igaku Chuo Zasshi ceased publication. The CD-ROM edition ended in March 2006. Chairman Tsuneki Shinohara died on June 15, 2010, and in July 2010 Yosuke Seyama became chairman. From 2014 onward the society carried out successive retrospective additions of old Igaku Chuo Zasshi data: in November 2014 records from 1977 to March 1983 (about 920,000 items); in March 2017 records from 1970 to 1976 (about 810,000 items); in March 2018 records from 1964 to 1969 (about 450,000 items); in March 2019 records from 1959 to 1963 (about 380,000 items); in March 2020 records from 1946 to 1958 (about 490,000 items); and in March 2023 records from 1903 to 1944 (about 500,000 items), extending coverage back to the founding era.

• 2023

  Retrospective addition of 1903–1944 data (about 500,000 items).

• 2020

  Retrospective addition of 1946–1958 data (about 490,000 items).

• 2019

  Retrospective addition of 1959–1963 data (about 380,000 items).

• 2018

  Retrospective addition of 1964–1969 data (about 450,000 items).

• 2017

  Retrospective addition of 1970–1976 data (about 810,000 items).

• 2014

  Retrospective addition of old Igaku Chuo Zasshi data (1977–March 1983, about 920,000 items).

• 2010

  Yosuke Seyama becomes chairman after Shinohara's death.

• 2006

  CD-ROM edition service ends in March.

• 2002

  Established as a specified non-profit corporation in July; printed edition of Igaku Chuo Zasshi ends in December.

• 2000

  Ichushi-Web and Ichushi Personal Web services launched in April.

• 1995

  Office work computerized (OA-ization).

• 1992

  CD-ROM edition of Igaku Chuo Zasshi begins service in January.

• 1989

  Tsuneki Shinohara becomes chairman after Murakami's death.

• 1988

  Office building at current location rebuilt.

• 1983

  Computer-based editing introduced.

• 1973

  Mototaka Murakami succeeds to the business.

• 1972

  Fujiro Amako dies (March 17).

• 1964

  Organization becomes a voluntary association; direct-subscription membership system adopted.

• 1958

  Organization restructured as a stock company.

• 1945

  Office relocated to Takaido, Suginami-ku due to wartime damage.

• 1930

  Founder Shiro Amako dies.

• 1928

  Fujiro Amako succeeds to the publishing business.

• 1903

  Shiro Amako founds the abstract journal Igaku Chuo Zasshi; first issue published March 26.

A long-established non-profit provider of Japanese-language medical literature indexing and search services for healthcare professionals, researchers, and libraries.

• Ichushi-Web (医中誌Web)

  Internet-based search service for Japanese medical literature, offered in institutional and personal editions.

• Ichushi Personal Web (医中誌パーソナルWeb)

  Personal edition of the Ichushi-Web service.

• Saishin Kango Sakuin Web (最新看護索引Web)

  A current nursing index web service.

• Ichushi Members (医中誌メンバーズ)

  A membership service.

• Clinical Practice Guideline Database (診療ガイドラインDB)

  Database for searching clinical practice guidelines published mainly by Japanese academic societies (PC screen only).

• Medical Term Thesaurus Browser (医学用語シソーラスブラウザ)

  Free public browser for the thesaurus terms used in Ichushi-Web (PC screen only).

• Journal title search (収載誌検索)

  Search of information on roughly 8,000 journals indexed in Ichushi-Web by title or classification.

1. 1医学中央雑誌刊行会jamas.or.jp
2. 2医学中央雑誌刊行会のあゆみ | 沿革 | 当会について | 医学中央雑誌刊行会jamas.or.jp
3. 3歴代理事長 | 沿革 | 当会について | 医学中央雑誌刊行会jamas.or.jp
4. 4医学中央雑誌刊行会 概要 | 医学中央雑誌刊行会について | 当会について | 医学中央雑誌刊行会jamas.or.jp
5. 5Japan Medical Abstracts Societywikidata.org