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.

THE CENTER FOR JAPANESE STUDIES is a coordinating unit of the University of Hawai'i at Manoa, the flagship campus of the University of Hawai'i, which fosters the study of Japan across academic disciplines. It is housed among other area studies units within the School of Asian & Pacific Studies (SAPS), which focuses on the international, intercultural, and multidisciplinary education of UH Students.

THE MISSION is to promote a deeper understanding of Japan within a global context. The Center pursues this goal in the following ways:

• by supporting and encouraging excellence in research, teaching, and the language curriculum for the training of future Japan scholars and specialists with an interdisciplinary and international expertise
• by providing opportunities for enrichment through publications, student exchanges, research grants and scholarships; access to special library collections and international conferences; and exposure to visiting scholars
• by fostering a deeper awareness of Japanese culture overall through the establishment of the Dr. Sen Soshitsu International Way of Tea Center, and
• by reaching out to the broader communities locally, in collaboration with community groups such as the Japan-America Society of Hawai'i, the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai'i, and the Crown Prince Akihito Scholarship Foundation; in close cooperation with the federally funded East-West Center; and in representation in national and international organizations and activities.