Until World War II, Japanese language and culture were studied at few institutions outside Japan, and only a small number of scholars specialized in Japanese studies. Among the independent organizations devoted to promoting an understanding of Japan, its history and culture, two traced their origins to the late 19th century:
The Asiatic Society of Japan, founded shortly after the Meiji Restoration (1868). Famous scholars who added to the group's "transactions" included Ernest Satow, W.G. Aston and Basil Hall Chamberlain. The Asiatic Society continues to contribute to Japanese studies through its lectures and annual transactions.
The Japan Society of London, established in 1891 following a meeting of the Japan section of the Congress of Orientalists in London under the chairmanship of professor de Rosny of Paris.