Call for Guest Editors

The Japanese Journal of Analog Role-Playing Game Studies (JARPS) is an online-only Gold Open Access, bilingual, peer-reviewed journal published by the Japanese Association for Role-Playing Game Studies. JARPS publishes articles about (primarily) non-digital ("analog") forms of role-playing, with a focus on table-top/table-talk role-playing games (TRPG) and live-action role-play (larp) in and from Japan but in a global context; articles about producers and users; and articles about the educational, political, or therapeutical application of such games.

The journal is inviting guest editors for future special issues from 2026 and beyond.

Each issue would cover a certain aspect of current role-playing game related research and practice, such as educational applications, player-character relations, or the human body in play.

Potential guest editors are asked to submit their ideas for a possible issue via email to guest_issue@jarps.net (Please put “Guest Issue” in the subject line). Please provide the date for which you seek to apply (2024 or later; please specify at least one year). 

As submission file please attach your potential call for submissions, describing the theme, and specifying the kinds of contribution you expect. Please see calls from previous years here as reference. You do not have to provide the call in both languages, English or Japanese suffices. If you can, however, do not hesitate to submit the call in both.

In the email itself, please include the title and subtitle and summarize the topic in less than 300 words (“abstract”) and include the name of all co-guest-editors. Keywords are welcome but not necessary.

What we offer: A distribution platform for a broader collection of research and practice related papers in a designated field of your choice related to analog role-playing games. The journal editors will support you with the actual call for application, the peer-review process, copy-editing, layouting, and distribution. We ask you to adhere to our styleguide and conventions but leave the content up to you.

Deadline for submissions is August 25 of the previous year.

If you seek to edit the 2026 issue, for example, please submit your proposal until August 25, 2025. If your topic is selected, we kindly ask you to participate in an academic symposium in September, where you would announce your call for submissions and the topic of your guest issue.

Please address any questions to guest_issue@jarps.net