Shutterstock/com/Rowfarn Elsevier and OASE+ (Open Access for Scholarly Empowerment +), Japan’s government-supported collective negotiating body for open access, have reached a three-year read-and-publish agreement covering 2027 to 2029.
The agreement builds on an existing framework established between Elsevier and the Japan Alliance of University Library Consortia for E-Resources (JUSTICE) for 2024 to 2026, which allows Japanese research institutions to expand open access publishing at a pace suited to their circumstances while retaining access to scholarly journals.
From 2027, researchers at participating institutions will be able to publish open access in eligible Elsevier Core Hybrid journals without an annual cap on article numbers, subject to the agreement’s terms. Researchers will retain the choice of whether to publish open access, with the arrangement intended to provide greater flexibility and support compliance with institutional and funder requirements.
A separate agreement covering Cell Press Hybrid journals will operate on the same basis. Institutions subscribing to these titles will receive reading access and uncapped open access publishing rights for their subscribed journals throughout the three-year period.
For the first time, eligibility will extend beyond universities to include national research and development agencies, broadening the agreement’s reach across Japan’s publicly funded research sector.
The deal supports the Japanese government’s National Policy on Promoting Open Access to Publicly Funded Scholarly Publications and Scientific Data, which seeks to increase access to publicly funded research outputs.
It follows extended negotiations between OASE+ and Elsevier, informed by institutional feedback and experience gained under the existing JUSTICE framework.
Professor Yasuteru Shigeta of the University of Tsukuba, Chair of OASE+, said: “In 2024, OASE was established under the Japanese government’s ‘National Policy on Promoting Open Access to Publicly Funded Scholarly Publications and Scientific Data’. Through collaboration with JUSTICE, OASE has since strengthened its framework as OASE+. This enhanced structure enabled constructive negotiations with Elsevier, building upon the achievements and experience gained through the pilot proposal implemented for JUSTICE through 2026.
“As a result, we are pleased that researchers will be able to publish open access in Core Hybrid journals without any cap on the number of articles, and that Cell Press Hybrid journals are now also available under a Read and Publish agreement. While there should be multiple valid approaches to advancing open access, we hope that this agreement will serve as one of those pathways and help enhance the visibility of research from Japan to create positive impact.”
Gemma Hersh, Senior Vice President, Sales and Commercial Director, Primary Research, Elsevier, said: “We are delighted that this new agreement with OASE+ will enable us to further develop our long-standing partnership with the Japanese research community.
“We are grateful to OASE+ and the institutions that expressed interest in the agreement for the collaboration and pragmatism they brought to our discussions, and for helping to establish a framework with broader reach across Japan’s research base. Japan’s research is of global importance, and this agreement will help ensure more of it is openly available to researchers around the world.”