The is a Japanese research institute located in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. NII was established in April 2000 for the purpose of advancing the study of informatics. This institute also works on creating systems to facilitate the spread of scientific information to the general public. It oversees and maintains a large, searchable information database on a variety of scientific and non-scientific topics called Webcat. NII is the only comprehensive research institute in informatics in Japan. It is a major part of the Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI, and since 2002 has offered a Ph.D. program in informatics. History NII had its inception in a proposition from the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports, and Culture presented to the Science Council in October 1973, entitled "Improved Circulation System for Academic Information." In 1976 the Research Center for Library and Information Science was established at the University of Tokyo, paving the way for the institute that was to become the National Institute of Informatics. In 1983 the research center was reorganized and transformed into the Center for Bibliographic Information, but continued to operate under the aegis of the University of Tokyo. This center was then further restructured in 1986 and renamed the National Center for Science Information Systems (NACSIS). The NACSIS was the first incarnation of the institute to be independent of the University of Tokyo. The institute developed and grew in accordance with advances in computer and Internet technology, eventually outgrowing the initial vision behind the National Center for Science Information Systems. In April 2000 this center was overhauled and reformed as the National Institute of Informatics. NII is located in the Chiyoda district of Tokyo. It is a principal part of the National Center of Sciences building, along with the Hitotsubashi University Graduate School of International Corporate Strategy, and the Center for University Finance. Research The institute focuses on scientific research regarding information-gathering techniques and systems for information management in all scholarly disciplines. NII attempts to balance theoretical and practical research approaches, aiming to create new techniques for searching and organizing extremely high-volume databases using new opportunities presented by advancements in high-speed network capabilities. NII conducts research in partnership with numerous universities and other research institutions, both public and private. The institute's primary goal is enhancing the knowledge of informatics in Japan, but it also works closely with international and exchange researchers and institutes for the advancement of multiple goals, including