Journal profile · Ophthalmology
Japanese Journal of Ophthalmology
ISSN 0021-5155 · eISSN 1613-2246 · Springer Japan · JAPAN · Quarterly · Founded 2004
Japanese Journal of Ophthalmology: CAS Zone 4 · Medicine (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.7; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,790; median 134 days to acceptance (103 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: easy; 171 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Japanese Journal of Ophthalmology is published by Springer Japan and is in Zone 4 of Medicine in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Glaucoma and retinal disorders, Retinal Diseases and Treatments and Retinal and Macular Surgery, together about 31.3% of its articles. Its main subfields are Ophthalmology and Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The Japanese Journal of Ophthalmology (JJO) was inaugurated in 1957 as a quarterly journal published in English by the Ophthalmology Department of the University of Tokyo, with the aim of disseminating the achievements of Japanese ophthalmologists worldwide. JJO remains the only Japanese ophthalmology journal published in English. In 1997, the Japanese Ophthalmological Society assumed the responsibility for publishing the Japanese Journal of Ophthalmology as its official English-language publication. Currently the journal is published bimonthly and accepts papers from authors worldwide. JJO has become an international interdisciplinary forum for the publication of basic science and clinical research papers. We encourage authors to submit original papers in all fields of ophthalmology.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Ophthalmology
Editor-in-chief Yoshimune HiratsukaPublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named Japan 71, United States 3, South Korea 1, Singapore 1 (76 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Glaucoma and retinal disordersMedicine12.2%
- Retinal Diseases and TreatmentsMedicine10.8%
- Retinal and Macular SurgeryMedicine8.3%
- Corneal surgery and disordersMedicine7.2%
- Ophthalmology and Visual Impairment StudiesMedicine7.2%
- Ocular Diseases and Behçet’s SyndromeMedicine6.8%
- Ocular Surface and Contact LensMedicine5.5%
- Intraocular Surgery and LensesMedicine5.4%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Medicine Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Ophthalmology | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Medicine Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Ophthalmology | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Medicine Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Ophthalmology | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
MEDLINEEmbaseCASCAB AbstractsCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Baidu, Naver, OCLC, Portico, CLOCKSS, Semantic Scholar
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 2.7LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 2.7Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 2.5Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 3.3LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.87LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.37LetPub ·
- h-index
- 51LetPub ·
- h-index
- 80OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 1,762OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 2.37OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 11.1%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 29.11%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 168LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 300,700Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 4,030 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 107 | 56 | 26 |
| 2025 | 171 | 64 | 311 |
| 2024 | 89 | 37 | 534 |
| 2023 | 69 | 18 | 579 |
| 2022 | 75 | 13 | 625 |
| 2021 | 102 | 8 | 1,422 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with Crossref · to
134 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 96 days – 174 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 56 days (103 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 197 days
- Sample
- 103 articles with submission and acceptance dates (298 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Average review time (community reports)
- 6–12 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- EasyLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 10 daysPublisher website ·
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 3,790 / EUR 2,990 / GBP 2,590 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
Article types accepted8
- case report(1) Clinical or laboratory investigations The article should be no more than 6000 words in length (including references and tables), and should be arranged as f…Length not stated
- clinical or laboratory investigations(1) Clinical or laboratory investigations The article should be no more than 6000 words in length (including references and tables)Length not stated
- editorial(1) Clinical or laboratory investigations The article should be no more than 6000 words in length (including references and tables), and should be arranged as f…Length not stated
- original research(1) Clinical or laboratory investigations The article should be no more than 6000 words in length (including references and tables), and should be arranged as f…Length not stated
- readers’ comments(3) Readers’ comments In addition to full-length articles on original research, The JJO will also consider Readers’ Comments specifically pertaining to articles…Length not stated
- review(1) Clinical or laboratory investigations The article should be no more than 6000 words in length (including references and tables), and should be arranged as f…Length not stated
- review article(1) Clinical or laboratory investigations The article should be no more than 6000 words in length (including references and tables), and should be arranged as f…Length not stated
- review articles(2) Review articles Review articles are published generally by invitation of the Editor-in-Chief.Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review
- AI use
Use of generative AI or AI-assisted technologies in writing must be declared upon submission and disclosed in acknowledgments. Model summary
When authors use generative AI or AI-assisted technologies in the writing process, the authors must declare the use of these technologies upon submitting the paper.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship
No equal co-authorship; author list cannot be changed after submission. Model summary
The JJO does not permit two or more authors to be "equal contributors" to a manuscript and, once a manuscript has been submitted, changes or additions of authors are not permitted.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest
Conflict of interest disclosure required from all authors using the ICMJE form. Model summary
All authors are required to disclose conflicts of interest that may have influenced their research, or the preparation and writing of their manuscript, using the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form downloadable as a PDF file from http://www.icmje.org/coi_instructions.html.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics
Human studies require informed consent statements and IRB/Ethics Committee approval (or waiver) statements; Declaration of Helsinki must be followed where applicable. Model summary
When a study involves human subjects and/or human-derived materials, authors must adhere to the following and include appropriate statements in the Patients and Methods (or Materials and Methods) section.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright
Copyright retained by the Japanese Ophthalmological Society. Model summary
The Japanese Ophthalmological Society retains the copyright to all material published in the Japanese Journal of Ophthalmology.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access publishing
To find out more about publishing your work Open Access in Japanese Journal of Ophthalmology, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review
Originality: manuscripts must not have been published previously or be under consideration elsewhere. Model summary
Manuscripts must describe original data that have not been previously published in print or any format, and are not being simultaneously submitted for publication elsewhere.
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Springer Japan
- Country or region
- JAPAN
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Quarterly
- Founded
- 2004
- ISSN
- 0021-5155
- Electronic ISSN
- 1613-2246
- Society / sponsor
- Japanese Ophthalmological Society
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 70, Issue 4 (July 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Japanese Journal of Ophthalmology
What CAS zone is Japanese Journal of Ophthalmology in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Japanese Journal of Ophthalmology is in Zone 4 of Medicine, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Ophthalmology. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 4 of Medicine. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Japanese Journal of Ophthalmology?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.7; CiteScore 3.3, h-index 80.
How long does peer review take at Japanese Journal of Ophthalmology?
Based on the dates recorded on 103 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 134 days (interquartile range 96–174 days); authors report an average review time of 6–12 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “Easy”. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
Where are the editorial board members of Japanese Journal of Ophthalmology based?
Of the 76 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Japan (71), United States (3) and South Korea (1). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Japanese Journal of Ophthalmology?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Japanese Journal of Ophthalmology is indexed in SCIE and Scopus. The journal's website also lists MEDLINE, Embase, CAS, CAB Abstracts and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Japanese Journal of Ophthalmology open access, and what is the APC?
Japanese Journal of Ophthalmology is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,790.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, Publisher website; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-25). Last updated: .