Interview with Professor Marie Anchordoguy: Can Japan return as a global innovation leader? In 2022, the Kishida administration announced its New Form of Capitalism concept, aimed at increasing stability within the Japanese economy and undoing some of the excessive effects of “shareholder capitalism,” while also nurturing the tech industries needed for Japan to once again

The May issue of The Hague Journal of Diplomacy Volume 18 (2023): Issue 2-3 (May 2023) has been devoted completely to the special topic of space diplomacy “The Final Frontier of Theory and Practice”, Mai’a K. Davis Cross and Saadia M. Pekkanen editors. In addition to the introduction by co-editors, S. Pekkanen has also written one

On April 19, Washin Kai presents a lecture by Professor Ken Tadashi Oshima of University of Washington’s Department of Architecture, with participation by Professor Paul Atkins, Department of Asian Languages and Literature, and Washin Kai member and architect, Hiroshi Matsubara. Sponsored by the Department of Asian Languages and Literature, University of Washington and Washin Kai,

Jackson School Professor Robert Pekkanen, an expert on Japan and electoral systems, has co-edited a new book, Japan Decides 2021: The Japanese General Election.  The essays in this volume analyze the October 31, 2021, national parliamentary election in Japan. Individual chapters focus on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the postponed Tokyo Olympics, monetary policy,

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.

Ghosts in the Neighborhood: Why Japan is Haunted by its Past and Germany is Not is now available for pre-order. In his newest book Walter Hatch debunks the conventional wisdom about why Japan remains haunted by its militarist past in Asia, but Germany does not face such ghosts in Europe. Read about it in his

Robert Pekkanen has recently received the “Outstanding Research Award” by JANPORA (Japanese Association of NPO Research), which is the nonprofit studies association of Japan, for a co-authored article titled, “Distinguishing Providing Public Services from Receiving Government Funding as Factors in Nonprofit Advocacy.” The article, authored by Itaru Yanagi, Yohei Kobashi, Robert J. Pekkanen, and Yutaka Tsujinaka was

The UW Japan Studies Program extends its congratulations to Azusa Tanaka who is recipient of the 2022 Distinguished Librarian Award. Through her expertise, creativity, and relationship-building with donors, she has not only greatly expanded the collections of Japanese language materials available from the UW Libraries, but also expanded access through offering information sessions to students

May 15, 2022 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the ‘reversion’ of Okinawa to Japan by the United States. To commemorate this historic event the UW Japan Studies Program has invited an interdisciplinary and international group of Okinawa Studies scholars to present research that reflects on the reversion movement and its aftermath at a two-day workshop

A new book by Robert and Saadia Pekkanen (editors) was published last month: the Oxford Handbook of Japanese Politics (Oxford University Press 2021). This handbook is the first / hardback edition. It’s also online through the UW libraries subscription to the Oxford Handbook Online platform. Robert authored a chapter on “Populism in Japan” and Saadia