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IUC NEWSLETTER

Winter 2024 Issue

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FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR


Dear Friends,


I’ve just returned from a trip to Japan, where I had the opportunity to meet with IUC alumni and current students. Their stories highlighted the extraordinary impact of the IUC across generations and how the connections forged here continue to support careers, inspire new endeavors, and contribute to the study of Japan across so many fields.


In Yokohama, our 55 students are immersed in their second term of rigorous study. Their enthusiasm and determination was invigorating and reminded me of the vital role the IUC plays in preparing future leaders in academia, diplomacy, the arts, and other areas.


One of the IUC’s core strengths has always been its community—a bridge uniting generations of Japan experts and fostering collaboration across borders and disciplines. As Executive Director, I am committed to enhancing this unique role. 


Thank you for being part of this remarkable community, and wishing you all the best in the new year!


With warm regards,

Kiyoteru Tsutsui

IUC APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN!


Applications are now open through January 10th for the 202526 10-month program as well as the 2025 Summer and Kanbun Programs! Please help us spread the word, and visit our website for more information.

Learn More

SUPPORT THE IUC


Your support is critical to our students. To make your gift today, visit our website. To find out how to make a planned gift, please email Wen Chen at wenachen@stanford.edu.

Donate Today

CENTER NEWS

WELCOMING IUC EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR KIYOTERU TSUTSUI


Welcome to our new Executive Director, Kiyoteru Tsutsui! Kiyo is the Henri H. and Tomoye Takahashi Professor and Senior Fellow in Japanese Studies at the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center at Stanford University, where he is also Director of the Japan Program, a Senior Fellow of the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, and a Professor of Sociology. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Sociology from Kyoto University, as well as an additional master’s and PhD in Sociology from Stanford University. Kiyo is an accomplished academic and dedicated advocate for Japanese studies, and we’re thrilled to have him on board. Read the full announcement here.

INTRODUCING THE 202425 YOKOHAMA FACULTY AND STAFF


How many do you recognize? This year the Yokohama team includes ten full-time faculty members and eleven adjuncts, plus three staff members. We plan to add another full-time instructor in spring, further improving our already great student-teacher ratio!

CHECK OUT THE NEW IUC WEBSITE!

We recently launched our new website, so it’s now easier than ever to access program info, the latest IUC news, and ways to get involved. Take and look and let us know what you think, and stay tuned for the forthcoming Japanese version!


iuc.fsi.stanford.edu

STUDENT NEWS

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2024 SUMMER AND KANBUN STUDENTS!


Congratulations to the 34 students who successfully completed the IUC’s 2024 Summer Program (June 20–Aug 7) and the 4 who successfully completed the 2024 Summer Intensive Kanbun Program (June 21–July 11). Many thanks to the faculty and staff members who worked so hard to make these programs a success. 

WELCOME TO YOKOHAMA, CLASS OF 2025!


The 10-month regular program for 202425 began as scheduled on September 4 with a total of fifty-five students, about par for the course in recent years. December 20 is the last day of class before winter break, when many students will return home or take the opportunity to travel in Japan or elsewhere in Asia.

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: INAUGURAL INDRA LEVY SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT JIAYU GUI


We are pleased to share that the inaugural Indra Levy Scholarship has been awarded to Jiayu Gui (’25). Jiayu holds a BA in Japanese Language and Literature from Beijing Normal University, an MA in Regional Studies–East Asia from Harvard University, and plans to pursue a PhD in East Asian Studies after her year at the IUC. Her research interests include modern and contemporary Japanese literature, especially Japanese Bildungsroman, women’s writing (with a focus on Tamura Toshiko, Hayashi Fumiko, and Osaki Midori), literary mentorship, and magazine studies during the early Showa era. Learn more about Jiayu here, and thank you to the entire IUC community for your support of our students!


NIPPON FOUNDATION FELLOWS CONFERMENT CEREMONY


On October 9, The Nippon Foundation held a conferment ceremony at its headquarters in Akasaka for the 20 Nippon Foundation Fellows currently studying at the IUC. Congratulations, 2024–25 Nippon Foundation Fellows!

TOKYO CROSS-CITY ROTARY CLUB EVENT


On October 12, nine IUC students participated in a cross-cultural event for Japanese high school juniors at Tokyo City University Todoroki Junior and Senior High School in Setagaya. Many thanks to Tokyo Cross-City Rotary Club for the invitation.

NIJL MATERIALS WORKSHOP


On November 13, six IUC students participated in a workshop at the National Institute of Japanese Literature (NIJL), jointly sponsored by NIJL and IUC. The workshop was led by Prof. Satomi Yamamoto of Waseda University, who spoke on “Illustrated Buddhist Sacred Texts.” Participants were able to view actual premodern texts including a beautifully preserved sutra from the twelfth century AD.


Lavagna Verma (’25): Interacting directly with the scrolls…made the experience truly impactful. I was especially struck by the remarkable condition of the scrolls, which had only minor wormholes despite their age.”


Rada Kuznetsova (’25): Not only was it a great chance to learn something new…but it was the first time I attended an academic event held entirely in Japanese. This experience even inspired me to consider auditing a class with Professor Satomi Yamamoto, if the opportunity presents itself.”

IUC STUDENT RECEIVES COMMUNITY PHOTOGRAPHY RECOGNITION



Congratulations to current IUC student Cameron Peagler (’25) for being selected as Community winner in TELL Japan’s 2024 Step Up Challenge! TELL (Tokyo English Lifeline) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing world-class, effective support and counseling services to Japan’s international community as well as helping to address the country’s growing mental health care needs. Here is Cameron’s description of his project:


We are connected to others. Family, friends, even people we meet on the street. Usually, these connections are good; they create a world that is safer and more pleasant. On the other hand, these connections can also create societal pressure. Left unchecked, this societal pressure can lead to tragedy.


Our project uses white cords to represent the negative pressure generated by society. The hands that pull the cords belong to each of us; it is our responsibility to accept them as our own for our part in society. With these cords, we exert pressure on one another.



In the picture's foreground are two hands covered in glowing dots. Each dot represents 10 people lost to suicide in Japan last year. Our project hopes to honor their lives by creating an image in which their loss might inspire us to break free of negative societal pressures. By remembering those we lost, we might be able to bring light into the darkness.


Photo credit Cameron Peagler / hirolabel.com

EVENTS

UPCOMING EVENTS

AAS ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2025


Are you planning to attend the Association for Asian Studies Annual Conference next year in Columbus? Let us know—we’d love to see you there!

NIPPON FOUNDATION LECTURE SERIES: APRIL 11, 2025


The next Nippon Foundation Lecture will be given by Timothy George (’85) on April 11, 2025. Stay tuned for further details and learn more about Prof. George below!


Timothy S. George is Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Rhode Island, where he taught courses on the history of East and Southeast Asia from 1998 to 2021. He has also taught at Harvard University as a visiting professor. His research specialty is modern Japanese history, particularly environmental history. He has degrees from Stanford University and the University of Hawai‘i, and received his PhD from Harvard. He received Fulbright grants in 1993–1995 and 2012–2013 to study responses to the mercury pollution in Minamata and to the arsenic pollution in Toroku, and during both of those periods he was affiliated with the Institute of Social Science at the University of Tokyo. He has spent 17 years in Japan since 1962.

RECENT EVENT: TOKYO ALUMNI RECEPTION



We were excited to host 60+ alumni and current students at our Tokyo Alumni Reception at Roppongi Hills Club on November 22! Thanks to all those who were able to join and celebrate the wonderful IUC community!

ALUMNI-HOSTED EVENTS

JAPANESE READING GROUP


Daniel Morales (’22) organizes a monthly Japanese reading group in collaboration with USJETAA, which is open to all—and several fellow IUC alumni regularly participate as well! Learn more about the series and this month’s December 14 meeting here.


TOKYO HAPPY HOURS


The first Happy Hour of the 2024–25 academic year took place on Friday, September 6 at Hobgoblin Roppongi British Pub. About 60 alumni and current students participated—the biggest turnout yet! The Tokyo Events Committee also organized a post-reception Happy Hour on November 22, which over 40 alumni and students attended. Many thanks to Sabrina Lau (’20), Grace Lim (’23), Richard Sleboda (’03) and Kai Wasson (’19) for organizing these events!

KANSAI HAPPY HOUR


A big thank you to Daniel Morales (’22) and Travis Seifman (’08) for organizing the IUC Kansai alumni reunion on November 14! They met up with fellow alumni at Dig the Line Bottle & Bar in Kyoto along with Stanford staff members Alice Kada and Kelsey Reardon.


They have organized another get-together for the Kansai community on January 16 in Osakalearn more and register here!

ALUMNI NEWS

SPOTLIGHT: MARIE ANCHORDOGUY RECEIVES FOREIGN MINISTER'S COMMENDATION FOR WORK ON US-JAPAN RELATIONS

Marie Anchordoguy (’83), Professor Emerita at the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies, University of Washington, was honored with the 2024 Foreign Minister’s Commendation for her 35-year career advancing the study of Japan and US-Japan relations. The commendation was presented at a ceremony in Seattle on September 24, 2024, by Consul General Makoto Iyori. Congratulations to Prof. Anchordoguy on this recognition!

Learn More

ALUMNI CENTER VISITS


We’ve been delighted to welcome several alumni visitors to the IUC in Yokohama. Newlyweds Andrew Fischer (’22) and Joanna Henney paid us a visit on their way to Kumamoto, where Andrew will conduct dissertation research for his Cambridge PhD with funding from the Japan Foundation. Visitors Taranee Cao (’19) and Tatiana Sulovska (’19) were part of the last pre-pandemic class to finish the program. Eboni Goar (’23) also paid us a very welcome visit on July 22.

MEDIA APPEARANCES & ONLINE EVENTS

The IUC is proud to have so many alumni making valuable contributions in diverse fields, from the arts and humanities to technology, international relations, and more. Below is a small sampling of recent IUC alumni projects:


MJHA Book Talk: Dream Super-Express: A Cultural History of the World’s First Bullet Train

Jessamyn R. Abel (’98)


NHK World Japan TV Series: Face to Face

Robert Campbell (’80)


AAS Book Launch: Eco-Disasters in Japanese Cinema

Rachel DiNitto (’93), Laura Lee (Summer ’03)


AAS Book Launch: Murakami on Film

Aaron Gerow (Summer ’89)


MJHA Book Talk: Border of Water and Ice: The Yalu River and Japan’s Empire in Korea and Manchuria

Joseph Seeley (Summer ’13)

HOT OFF THE PRESS

The IUC community consistently publishes new works about Japan, including academic publications, translations of creative works, and more. Some recent works include the translation of Yoko Ogawa’s novel Mina’s Matchbox (Stephen Snyder ’83), an exploration of post-Fukushima artistic responses in Germany and Japan (Michele M. Mason ’96), and a deep dive into the world of Japanese care robots (Shawn Bender ’98).

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES


Thank you to the IUC community for sharing the below job and internship opportunities! If you would like to share a job with IUC alumni, feel free to post on our LinkedIn or Facebook groups, or reach out to Kelsey Reardon at kreardon@stanford.edu.


SHARE YOUR ALUMNI NEWS


Are you working on a Japan-related project, publication, opportunity, or event? Wed love to feature you and your work in our next newsletter! Contact Kelsey Reardon at kreardon@stanford.edu to share your story.

ALUMNI BENEFITS


IUC ALUMNI COMMUNITY

The IUC maintains two social media accounts specifically for alumni networking and community-building. The IUC Facebook and LinkedIn groups are great places to look for or share career and Japanese study opportunities, let others know about your Japan-related work or passions, and keep up with old friends.

BENEFITS

HOLIDAY SHOPPING


Did the holidays sneak up on you, and you’re still searching for a gift for that special someone? Well, look no further than Kasumisou Gallery’s online store for a vast selection of accessories, home decor, and more! This gallery, which is run by IUC alum Mark Rosasco (IUC ’98), gives a portion of proceeds from sales to IUC alumni and supporters back to the IUC. Thank you, Mark!


IUC PROFESSIONAL TUTORIALS


The IUC offers a custom-designed tutorials program in advanced Japanese for scholars and professionals at a lower rate for graduates of the IUC. Visit our program page for more information.


MIIS SCHOLARSHIP



IUC alumni enrolling in degree programs at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies (MIIS) are eligible for a scholarship!


The Middlebury Institute educates professionals to advance understanding, promote peace, and drive change in pursuit of a more just world. For details, contact Jill Stoffers, Senior Director of Partnerships at MIIS, by email at jstoffer@middlebury.edu or by phone at (831) 647-6571.

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

The Toshizo Watanabe Foundation

The Nippon Foundation

City of Yokohama

Shoyu Club

Fred and Ann Notehelfer


Tokyo Club

Ito Foundation, USA

The Sato Foundation

SMBC Global Foundation

Toshiba International Foundation


Mitsubishi UFJ Foundation

Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University

IUC MEMBER INSTITUTIONS

Brigham Young University

Columbia University

Harvard University

Princeton University

Stanford University

University of British Columbia

University of California, Berkeley


University of California, Los Angeles

University of Chicago

University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa

University of Michigan

University of Washington

Yale University


In Association With:

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign