About The Journal of Japanese Botany

The Journal of Japanese Botany is an international, peer-reviewed journal edited by The Editorial Board of The Journal of Japanese Botany and is published by TSUMURA & Co. The Journal has published as a platinum open access journal since 20 February 2025.
The Journal aims to promote research in the fields of systematic botany covering algae, fungi, and plants, pharmacognosy and related disciplines and welcomes submissions from all enthusiasts who have an interest in the fields.

The Journal of Japanese Botany aims to promote researches in the fields of systematic botany covering algae, fungi and plants, pharmacognosy and related disciplines. The Journal is an international, fully peer-reviewed and bimonthly open access journal. It is edited by The Editorial Board of The Journal of Japanese Botany and is published by TSUMURA & Co. The Journal is available online formats, and all articles are freely accessible to everyone simultaneously with publication.
The Journal publishes important and novel articles in the relevant fields, catering not only to researchers and students but also to enthusiasts. Articles on new names, taxonomy, morphology, anatomy, systematics, evolution, geography and ecology of plants (including algae and fungi) and articles on botanical origin, quality, characteristics and production and distribution of crude drugs are welcomed. Reports or news articles on new collection records and conferences or workshops related to the above-mentioned fields are also encouraged.
Six types of manuscripts are accepted for publication in The Journal: reviews, original articles, notes, news, book reviews and obituaries. All manuscripts except book reviews and obituaries will undergo a single-blind peer review process. Articles are published in accordance with a workflow based on the guidelines of COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics). The Journal provides a platform for the presentatiZon of novel insights and research achievements in the above-mentioned fields. The Journal welcomes submissions not only from researchers and students but also from all enthusiasts who have an interest in the above-mentioned fields. When submitting a manuscript, refer to the separately provided “Publishing Policy”, “Instructions to Authors” and “Submission Guidelines”. There are no submission fees or Article Processing Charges (APC) for manuscripts submitted to The Journal.

The Journal of Japanese Botany was first published in April 1916 by Tomitaro Makino, who is often referred to as the “Father of Japanese plant taxonomy.” Until 1933, The Journal was edited by Makino himself. After that, Editor-in-Chief was served by Yasuhiko Asahina (1933–1975), Hiroshi Hara (1975-1987), Shoji Shibata (1987-2006), and Hiroyoshi Ohashi (2006-present).
Since 1926, TSUMURA & Co. has been responsible for the Journal's publication.
Details of The Journal’s history are described in “History of The Journal of Japanese Botany” (J. Jap. Bot. 91(suppl.): 3–15. doi: 10.51033/jjapbot.91_suppl_10714).
In 2016, to commemorate the 100th anniversary, the “Centennial Memorial Issue” was published as Vol. 91 Supplement, and the digital archives (excluding the most recent three years) was made publicly available on this website.
In 2023, the digital archive was transferred to J-STAGE (https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/browse/jjapbot/-char/en) and the embargo was shortened from three years to two.
In 2025, The Journal transitioned to a Platinum Open Access model, eliminating the embargo period and making all articles freely accessible.

Editor-in-Chief

Hiroyoshi OHASHI	Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan

Vice Editor-in-Chief

Jin MURATA	The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

Second Vice Editor-in-Chief

Tomoyuki NEMOTO	Ishinomaki Senshu University, Ishinomaki, Japan
Tetsuo TOMA	Okayama University of Science, Okayama, Japan

Production Editor

Masashi NAKATA	Botanic Gardens of Toyama, Toyama, Japan

Associate Editors

David E. BOUFFORD	Harvard University, Cambridge, USA
Atsushi EBIHARA	National Museum of Nature and Science, Tsukuba, Japan
Andreas FRISCH	ISOP, NHM, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
Masanobu HIGUCHI	National Museum of Nature and Science, Tsukuba, Japan
Chang-Fu HSIEH	National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
Jer-Ming HU	National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
Hiroshi IKEDA	The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
Yuichi KADOTA	National Museum of Nature and Science, Tsukuba, Japan
Hiroyuki KASHIWADANI	National Museum of Nature and Science, Tsukuba, Japan
Gregory KENICER	Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
Hidetoshi NAGAMASU	Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
Hideaki OHBA	The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
Yutaka ORIHARA	The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
Hang SUN	Kunming Institute of Botany, CAS, Kunming, China
Jiro TANAKA	Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, Tokyo, Japan
Nobuyuki TANAKA	National Museum of Nature and Science, Tsukuba, Japan
Koji YONEKURA	Okinawa Churashima Foundation Research Institute, Okinawa, Japan
Xiang-Yun ZHU	Institute of Botany, CAS, Beijing, China

Managing Editor

Hiroki YAMAJI	Tsumura & Co., Ibaraki, Japan

The Journal of Japanese Botany is a fully online, platinum open access journal.
The journal does not receive any revenue from subscriptions, print sales, submission fees, article processing charges (APCs), or any other publication-related fees. Readers can access all published articles free of charge, and authors are not required to pay any fees at any stage of the submission, review, or publication process.
ll costs associated with the publication ofthe Journal are fully supported by Tsumura & Co. The journal operates without financial contributions from authors, readers, or external advertising.
This funding model ensures thatthe Journal remains freely accessible to the global research community while maintaining high editorial and ethical standards.