On Friday, January 9, 2015, Waseda University will open its new worldwide hub for Japanese culture studies.

The Ryusaku Tsunoda Center of Japanese Culture at Waseda University is dedicated to the educator and 1896 alumnus who created and led the Japanese Culture Center at Columbia University for over thirty years. Known as the father of Japanese studies in the United States, Professor Tsunoda mentored generations of scholars, including the eminent Donald Keene.

The January 9 press event launches the latest piece of Waseda University's major effort to globalize the study of Japanese culture, also supported by Fast Retailing (UNIQLO) Chairman and Waseda alumnus Tadashi Yanai. Responding to broad and growing worldwide interest in Japanese culture as well as the globalization of academic pursuits, the Tsunoda Center will also link to partner institutions such as Columbia and UCLA as the hub for teaching and research collaboration and personnel exchanges. Japanese culture studies at Waseda has earned a reputation for excellence worldwide*1, and is also one of the six focus areas for Waseda's Super Global University program.

Please take this opportunity to attend with the Waseda University leadership and very important guests listed below and learn about the global era of Japan studies and Japanese academia's place in the world.

*1: #36 in QS World Rankings

Date/time: Friday, January 9, 2015, 13:20-14:10

Place:  Rhiga Royal Hotel Tokyo, 2F Sapphire Room (Totsukamachi 1-104-19, Shinjuku)

Speakers:  Kaoru Kamata (Waseda University President), Sungsi Lee (Waseda University Vice President for Cultural Affairs),

           Donald Keene (Columbia University Professor Emeritus), Haruo Shirane (Columbia University Professor)