The JAAH (Japan Association for American History) was officially founded on September 18, 2004, at the 29th General Meeting of the Summer Seminar for Researchers in American History (General Meeting for the Foundation of the JAAH) held at Hitotsubashi University. The establishment came after more than five years of continuous debate on the formation of an official organization for American history research in Japan. (The Society of American Historical Studies was the predecessor of JAAH.) The JAAH was established under a collective agreement to inherit the principles and tradition of the Summer Seminar for Researchers in American History.
The membership of the JAAH is comprised of specialists in the Americas, including the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, and South America. To facilitate further research and cooperation among its members, JAAH organizes an annual conference and several regular colloquia throughout the year, and publishes its own journal, American History.