Read the annual newsletter of the UW Japan Studies Program! We are excited to share what our faculty, alumni, and students have been doing over the past year. We wish you a safe and healthy holiday season, and appreciate you being a part of our community.

The Japanese government made the decision this week to close its borders to foreign travelers. This is a set-back of huge proportions for Japan, but travelers — students in particular — as well.  The decision was made out of concern about new COVID-19 variants spreading in other parts of the world and intended to prioritize

On Oct 27th, Ken Tadashi Oshima (UW) joined Hitoshi Abe (UCLA) to host Prairie Stuart-Wolff for the third event of JAPAN HOUSE LA’s lecture series on the application of MA (time/space consciousness) in a variety of cultural spheres.  If you missed the event, a recording is now available, along with previous lectures in this series!

Explore your options to study in Japan The UW has over 30 programs and exchange opportunities with institutions in Japan – more than any other country in the world. And the  Study Abroad office is on top of travel, restrictions, and funding options to get you there.  See the resources they have to help you

We are saddened to announce that Kyoko Tokuno, one of the longest serving senior lecturers at the Jackson School with Comparative Religion and Japan Studies, passed away on September 28, 2021, in Seattle. She was 77 years old. Tokuno joined the University of Washington and the Jackson School nearly 20 years ago, and taught courses on Buddhism and world

The needle is moving back to the normal range. Suzzallo/Allen library is set to reopen September 22. Odegaard is opening on September 20.  See other library reopening dates as they are posted throughout the summer at the UW Library Blog. The University of Washington is committed to a safe return to campus. Get helpful information

UW Japan Studies professor of architecture Ken Tadashi Oshima will join Hitoshi Abe (UCLA) to host the second event of JAPAN HOUSE LA’s lecture series on the application of MA (time/space consciousness) in a variety of cultural spheres. This webinar in the Rethinking of MA Webinar Series will examine MA in Japanese contemporary architecture. Manabu Chiba, Professor of Tokyo University and Principal

Wanting to begin or deepen your language skills? UW Summer Sessions classes are open to all, including members of the public and high school students.   The department of Asian Languages and Literature at the University of Washington will be offering several Japanese language and Japan-related courses remotely (online) Summer 2021: Japan 343: Japanese Language in Society

The UW American Ethnic Studies program has launched a four part series titled the Asian American and Pacific Islander Women Lecture Series. This series brings four scholars from various fields whose work delves deep into the issues Asian/American women face today.  Next in the series:  A Refugee Critique of Representations: On Criticality and Creativity May 28, 2021

The new Kenneth B. Pyle Prize for Best Article in the JJS honors the founding editor of the Journal of Japanese Studies.  The prize —  accompanied by $250 — will be awarded annually for a JJS research article published in the previous year.  The winner of the 2020 prize will be announced in the summer