About Us

ABOUT THE CENTER

The Edwin O. Reischauer Center for East Asian Studies was established at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in 1984 with the explicit support of the Reischauer family. Its mission is to support research on trans-Pacific and inter-Asian relations while promoting mutual understanding between Northeast Asia, particularly Japan, and the United States.

The Reischauer Family

Edwin O. Reischauer, the first Japanese-born and Japanese-speaking U.S. ambassador to Japan (1961-1966), started his career teaching at Harvard University, where he eventually became director of the Harvard-Yenching Institute. In this role, he paved the way for the establishment of East Asian studies in American universities. In 1961, President John F. Kennedy chose Reischauer to serve as the United States Ambassador to Japan. He was an unusual choice, given his strictly academic background. However, he embraced the ambassadorship and sought to strengthen the alliance between the two countries. Following his time at the embassy in Tokyo, Reischauer returned to academic life at Harvard University and spent his remaining years giving lectures, writing, and promoting U.S.-Japan relations.

Those interested in learning more about Amb. Reischauer should consult his autobiography, “My Life Between Japan and America” (1986, Harper & Row), or a recent biography, “Edwin O. Reischauer and the American Discovery of Japan” (2010, Colombia University Press), by Dr. George R. Packard, president of the United States-Japan Foundation and former dean of Johns Hopkins SAIS, where he founded the Edwin O. Reischauer Center for East Asian Studies.

Amb. Reischauer served as Honorary Chair of the Edwin O. Reischauer Center for East Asian Studies from its founding until 1990. Haru Matsukata Reischauer, his wife, followed as Honorary Chair from 1991 to 1998. They both exemplified the deep commitment to public service and trans-Pacific communication that the Reischauer Center aspires to perpetuate in its scholarly and cultural activities.

The Center’s Activities

The Reischauer Center conducts a variety of activities to promote high-quality research on topics related to our mission and to support students within the Japan Studies concentration at Johns Hopkins SAIS. More detailed information on the Center’s research, programs, and events can be found throughout the site, but a sampling of its diverse activities includes:

Research

• Asia-Pacific Policy Papers
• Emerging Issues in Eurasian Research
• Occasional Papers
• U.S.-Japan Relations in Global Context

Programs

• Visiting Scholars Program
• Reischauer Policy Research Fellows Program
• Summer Internship Program

Events

• Reischauer Center Seminar Series
• Visiting Scholar Brown-Bag Luncheons
• Reischauer Memorial Lecture Series
• Annual Conference in partnership with the Japan Foundation CGP