●The Japan P.E.N. Club and International PEN
The Japan P.E.N. Club was established in 1935 and, with 1,900 writers currently participating, it is now one of Japan's foremost cultural organizations. Operating as a non-profit organization, we endeavour to promote international cultural cooperation and protect freedom of speech, freedom of expression and freedom of the press.
The Japan P.E.N. Club is also an International PEN member centre. Today International PEN has 144 centres in 102 countries, and as the world's only international writer's organization it acts based on the following principles: "the international exchange of literature and ideas," "freedom of speech, freedom of expression, and freedom of the press," and "contribution to world peace." Reflecting our belief that literature, by nature, serves to portray a wide range of phenomenon from the inner state and daily life of the individual to the current state of society and the world, The Japan P.E.N. Club has continued to act in accordance with the International PEN Charter.