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, and how our program has adapted during the pandemic. We wish you a safe and healthy holiday season, and appreciate you being a part of our community.

Join us on October 28th at 5:00 pm (US-PDT) for the Griffith and Patricia Way Lecture 2020! Leading Japan historian Dr. Richard J. Samuels of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology will talk about his 2019 book, “Special Duty: A History of the Japanese Intelligence Community,” and how Japanese intelligence has transformed through the 20th Century

The pandemic of 2019-20 continues to reshape our daily lives. In-person visits, public events, and academic research have all been hampered.  In response, Harvard has created a database which is a crowd-sourced digital resource commons created in response to the Covid-19 pandemic and the shift to online event programming undertaken by institutions and programs worldwide.  UW

Spring Break in Japan 2021 The UW Study Abroad office is cautiously optimistic about travel restrictions being lifted for students wanting to study in Japan next year. With that in mind, UW Prof. David Goldstein will be leading a UW study abroad trip to Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture, Japan, over Spring Break 2021.  Space is limited. Students at any of the

For everyone connected to the UW community starting the academic year safely is a top concern. The UW has many resources available related to academics, finances, health and wellness, and combating stigma caused by the pandemic.  See all of these plus FAQ, testing, and other resources on the UW Novel Coronavirus information page.

On August 21, 2020, Mr. Hisao INAGAKI arrived in Seattle to assume the post of Consul General of Japan in Seattle. Consul General Inagaki joined the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1985.  After serving as Director of Internet Public Relations Division, Minister’s Secretariat, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), he was appointed as Consul General of

Professor Emeritus Kenneth B. Pyle recently wrote an essay for the National Bureau of Asian Research as part of its “The New Normal in Asia” series. The series explores ways in which the Covid-19 pandemic might shape or reorder the world across multiple dimensions. Professor Pyle writes that: We are in the thrall of driving forces.

With the pandemic has come a break in most everyone’s routine. We reached out to some of our students and alumni to see what that break looks like in their part of the world. As expected, people are responding to the evolving situation with flexibility and adaptation.  Not only the UW is teaching coursework on-line,

On April 28, 2020, Artist Kota Takeuchi screened and spoke about his short film “Blind Bombing, Filmed by a Bat” (32 min., 2019), which explores how balloon bombs were created, propagandized, and used in Japan during World War II. The film addresses the uses of remote technology for military purposes and proposes contrasts and continuities between

The Japan Studies Program continues to pursue its mission to foster greater understanding of Japan and its relationship with the global community.  Spring quarter classes are being taught remotely, operations have moved online, and staff are working remotely as of March 9, 2020. For the most up-to-date information about the UW’s COVID-19 response, please consult