Justin Jesty, associate professor of Japanese language and literature, was recently awarded the 2019 ASAP (Association for the Study of the Arts of the Present) Book Prize for his book titled Art and Engagement in Early Postwar Japan (2018). In assessing the work, ASAP wrote “A virtuosic study of the intersection of art and politics,

Onur Kanan (MA 2017) participated at the 2019 Y20 Summit, which is a youth summit of G20 countries, in Tokyo May 25 – 30. He was elected as one of two Turkish delegates to attend. Forty delegates from 20 countries gathered to discuss three topics: “The Future of Work”, “International Business”, and “Business and the

Read Architect’s Newspaper article by Professor Ken Tadashi Oshima, co-chair of the UW Japan Studies Program.  Prof. Oshima was in Versailles, France for the 2019 Pritzker Architecture Prize award ceremony where Arata Isozaki was honored for his lifetime achievement in architecture.  “When I was old enough to begin an understanding of the world,” writes Isozaki,

With the melting of the snows, we see the cherry trees of the Quad begin to bud. Watch the UW Quad cam for live viewing of the changing of the yoshino cherry trees. Read Michelle Ma’s article through the link below and follow the link therein to a full report on the history of UW

Congratulations to Don Hellmann on the selection of his dissertation for republication in the Voices Revived series from the University of California Press.  Japanese Foreign Policy and Domestic Politics: The Peace Agreement with the Soviet Union is now available in on-demand paperback. “UC Press Voices Revived commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and

As an international relations scholar who studies space law and policy, I have come to realize what most people do not fully appreciate: Dealing with space debris is as much a national security issue as it is a technical one. Considering the debris circling the Earth as just an obstacle in the path of human

Mark your calendars! The 71st Japan-America Student Conference (JASC) will begin accepting delegate applications on Tuesday, October 2, 2018.  Students from all academic backgrounds are welcome to apply, and no previous experience in Japan studies or Japanese language is required. 2019 Application Information The 71st JASC will bring together Japanese and American college students from

Griffith Way, a lawyer in both the United States and Japan and a long-time collector of Japanese art, passed away on July 27, 2018. Griff was for decades a friend to the Japan Studies Program. His work as Trustee for the Blakemore Foundation, and his service on the Jackson School’s Visiting Committee were just two

Jackson School Professor Saadia Pekkanen is interviewed for the cover story “The US-Japan Space Alliance — the Most Critical Bilateral Relationship for Peace & Prosperity” of Japan Spotlight, a Japan Economic Forum journal. In her interview, Professor Pekkanen, an expert in outer space security, law, and policy, says that as the most important bilateral space relationship, the United

We are happy to share the news that today, July 17, 2018, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan announced the recipients of the Foreign Minister’s Commendation for 2018. The Japanese Language and Literature Program, Department of Asian Languages and Literature at the University of Washington, Seattle was among those selected for this honor. Since