The Japan Institute of Architects (JIA; 日本建築家協会, Nihon kenchikuka kyōkai) is the most established Japaneseprofessional body of free and autonomous architects as well as the Japanese section of the Union Internationale des Architectes (UIA). The institution was founded in May 1987 and includes round about 4,800 members today.
The former Japanese architect associations, the Japan Architects Association (JAA) and the Japan Federation of Professional Architects Association (JFPAA) were merged into the JIA in 1987. The JIA's principal aim is to define and promote the social and legal status of professional architects in Japan. The association consists of the ten regional chapters Hokkaidō, Tōhoku, Kantō-Kōshin'etsu, Tōkai, Hokuriku, Kinki, Chūgoku, Shikoku, Kyūshū and Okinawa.
