UH Mānoa Center for Japanese Studies

UH Mānoa Center for Japanese Studies The Center of Japanese Studies at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa is a coordinating unit which fosters the study of Japan across academic disciplines.

The University of Hawai’i pioneered the study of Japan in the U.S. starting with the appointment of Dr. Tasuku Harada as the first professor of Japanese Studies in 1920. Since that time, UH has developed one of the most comprehensive Japanese Studies programs in the country and offers courses unparalleled in its breadth, depth and variety. The commitment to the field is strengthened by the university’s current ten-year strategic plan that makes excellence in Asian and Pacific Studies a high-profile university-wide priority.

Join us for the CJS Seminar with Dr. Kiriko Takahashi! Dr. Kiriko Takahashi is an Associate Specialist at the Center on ...
10/01/2026

Join us for the CJS Seminar with Dr. Kiriko Takahashi!

Dr. Kiriko Takahashi is an Associate Specialist at the Center on Disability Studies and a Project Associate Professor at the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology (RCAST), The University of Tokyo. Her work focuses on improving access, participation, and inclusion for students with disabilities in higher education.
~~~
CJS Seminar: Higher Education and Disability Landscape in Japan
📆October 15, 2026
🕜1:30 PM - 3:00 PM
📍Tokioka Room (Moore Hall 319)

High school students, teacher, and administrators from Ehime Prefecture visited UHM campus on Friday, September 25, 2026...
10/01/2026

High school students, teacher, and administrators from Ehime Prefecture visited UHM campus on Friday, September 25, 2026. This year, eight students participated in the short exchange program with local high schools.

One of the activities of their program was a lunch and conversation with CJS Director Mark Levin and the 2026 Ehime Prefectural International Center (EPIC) summer interns, Ms. Leilah Eusebio and Mr. Taiga Ikeda. Over lunch, Director Levin shared with the Ehime students about Japanese studies at UHM and how our Center partners with the Japan-America Society of Hawaiʻi (JASH) to send two UHM students to intern at EPIC since its program launch in 2006.

After lunch, the former EPIC interns (Leilah, Taiga, and 2025 intern Mr. Jeffrey Toko), led the Ehime group around campus, on a short tour. The last agenda item on their campus visit was a meeting with Director of the Ehime Maru Memorial Association, Mr. Ken Saiki, and JASH Board Members, Mr. Stephen Dyer and Mr. Alexander Jampel.

Last Saturday, the CJS students, faculty members, staff, and former EPIC interns (Allie St. Sauveur, Jeffrey Toko, Leila...
09/24/2026

Last Saturday, the CJS students, faculty members, staff, and former EPIC interns (Allie St. Sauveur, Jeffrey Toko, Leilah Eusebio, and Taiga Ikeda) gathered for the bi-annual community service maintenance of the Ehime Maru Memorial in Kakaʻako Waterfront Park. We are grateful to hear from Mr. Ken Saiki, Director of the Ehime Maru Memorial Association, who shared the historical context of the Ehime Maru Memorial.

The volunteers diligently cleaned up the memorial site and maintained the Mikan trees. We are very appreciative of your time and commitment. Our next community service will be in January 2027!

The Fall 2026 Bento Box presentations were shared by 2026 Japan Collection Library Travel Award recipients: Dr. Daryl Ma...
09/23/2026

The Fall 2026 Bento Box presentations were shared by 2026 Japan Collection Library Travel Award recipients: Dr. Daryl Maude (University of Colorado Boulder) and Tamane Takehara (University of California, Los Angeles).

The Bento Box Series offer presenters an informal setting for discussion and open engagement. The Japan Collection Library Travel Award provides funding for faculty and graduate-level students of Japanese studies/East Asian studies at U.S. institutions outside of Hawaiʻi, who will use materials onsite at the UHM Library’s Japan Collection.

The Fall 2026 CJS Graduate Student Mixer welcomed new and returning graduate students from 12 different UHM departments ...
09/11/2026

The Fall 2026 CJS Graduate Student Mixer welcomed new and returning graduate students from 12 different UHM departments and disciplines on September 4, 2026 (Friday).

Director Levin shared welcome remarks, scholarships and other opportunities from the Center. Associate Director Joan Pan and Administrative and Fiscal Support Specialist Sachiko Roos hosted a fun icebreaker activity with UHM swags for the students. We hope you enjoyed the activity and light refreshments.

Please stay tuned for upcoming CJS seminars, co-sponsored events, and Bento Box events this semester!

CJS faculty members, Mitsutaka Nakamura (UHM Hamilton Library's Japan Collection Librarian) and Lynette Teruya (UHM Hami...
08/27/2026

CJS faculty members, Mitsutaka Nakamura (UHM Hamilton Library's Japan Collection Librarian) and Lynette Teruya (UHM Hamilton Library's Okinawan Collection Librarian), will be part of a team-instructed graduate student seminar in the Library Information Science and Asian Studies programs this Fall 2026 semester - LIS 645/ASAN 705: Research Resources for Asian Studies Collections (CRN: 80679). Weekly sessions of the area studies librarianship course will cover Asia General, Russia in Asia, China, Japan, Okinawa, the Philippines, South Asia, Korea, and Southeast Asia, each led by a librarian with expertise in the area collection. Mr. Nakamura will instruct the September 23 and 30 classes. For more information, please visit:
https://manoa.hawaii.edu/library/news/asian-studies-librarians-teach-grad-seminar/

The Crown Prince Akihito Scholarship Foundation (CPASF) is now accepting scholarship applications for the 2027-2028 acad...
08/26/2026

The Crown Prince Akihito Scholarship Foundation (CPASF) is now accepting scholarship applications for the 2027-2028 academic year. The award is open to American (U.S.) graduate students enrolled at UH Mānoa pursuing study in subject areas leading to better understanding between Japan and the U.S. (see attachments for the application). The deadline to apply is Friday, October 30, 2026.

There will be an orientation session via Zoom on Friday, October 2 from 2:00pm to 3:00pm for those interested in applying for the scholarship. RSVP to [email protected] to receive the Zoom link.

WELCOME BACK! We'd like to invite UHM graduate students who are interested and doing research in Japanese Studies to the...
08/24/2026

WELCOME BACK!
We'd like to invite UHM graduate students who are interested and doing research in Japanese Studies to the CJS Graduate Student Mixer.

🔵September 4, 2026 (Friday)
🟡5:00-7:00 pm
🟢Tokioka Room (Moore Hall 319)
🟠RSVP by Sept 1, 2026: bit.ly/4wvLSR

Please stay tuned for upcoming seminars and CJS activities!

As we get ready for the Academic Year 2026-27, we look back on our accomplishments and activities from Spring and Summer...
08/14/2026

As we get ready for the Academic Year 2026-27, we look back on our accomplishments and activities from Spring and Summer 2026 with our J-Current Vol. 35. You will find much in the report that we are excited to share, including the wonderful news of a transformative endowment gift from the estate of Ina Goodwin Tateuchi to support undergraduate student scholarships for years to come.

We appreciate your continued support and hope you enjoy our newsletter.

🌟J-Current Vol. 35 [Spring / Summer 2026]: https://bit.ly/4wr0tgT

We are delighted to pass on to you an announcement of a book discussion by CJS faculty and Professor of Sociology at UHM...
08/11/2026

We are delighted to pass on to you an announcement of a book discussion by CJS faculty and Professor of Sociology at UHM, Aya H. Kimura, on her new book, "Fermenting for the Future: Japanese Pickles and Microbial Foodways" at the Japanese Cultural Center for Hawaiʻi on Saturday, August 15, 2026. The discussion will be moderated by CJS affiliate faculty and Professor Emerita of Anthropology, Christine Yano.

The event will be free and open to the public.

🌸Date: Saturday, August 15, 2026
🌸Time: 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM
🌸Venue: Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaiʻi (2454 S Beretania St., Honolulu, HI)
🌸Register: bit.ly/jcchpanel

Address

Honolulu, HI

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when UH Mānoa Center for Japanese Studies posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The University

Send a message to UH Mānoa Center for Japanese Studies:

Shortcuts

Share

Category