First established in 1973 as the Japan Institute, the Edwin O. Reischauer Institute of Japanese Studies at Harvard University supports research on Japan and provides a forum for related academic activities and the exchange of ideas. It seeks to stimulate scholarly and public interest in Japan and Japanese studies at Harvard and around the world. The Reischauer Institute has a university-wide mandate to develop and coordinate activities concerning Japan among the various faculties at Harvard through the advancement of instruction and research in the social sciences and humanities. Moreover, the Reischauer Institute seeks to expand and coordinate Japan-related connections with other Harvard departments, centers and research institutes, and to respond to scholarly and public interest in Japan from outside Harvard through outreach activities such as lectures, conferences, symposia, exhibitions, and films.