2025 Noma-Reischauer Prizes in Japanese Studies
Established by Kodansha Publishers in 1995 and named in honor of Edwin O. Reischauer, the Noma-Reischauer Prizes in Japanese Studies are given annually to the best essays on Japan-related topics written by a Harvard undergraduate and graduate student. In early December 2025, the Reischauer Institute will award the following two individuals at the annual ceremony and reception held at the Japanese Language Program on 5 Bryant Street.
Read MoreGavin Whitelaw quoted in The New York Times about Japanese-style convenience stores in the US
Reischauer Institute Executive Director Gavin H. Whitelaw was recently quoted in two articles in The New York Times "Is America Ready for Japanese-Style 7-Elevens?" and "Why 7-Eleven and Other Convenience Stores in Japan Are So Special." Both September 9th articles, in response to the developing efforts of 7-Eleven to adopt Japanese food options in US stores, featured scholarly opinions from Dr.
Read MoreQiaoyan Li Rosenberg (2025-26 RIJS Postdoctoral Fellow) named inaugural recipient of United States-Japan Foundation Scholar Dissertation Award
Qiaoyan Li Rosenberg was selected by the United States-Japan Foundation (USJF) as the inaugural recipient of the United States-Japan Foundation Scholar Dissertation Award, a new annual competition recognizing the best social sciences doctoral dissertation on Japan produced in the United States.
Read MoreXiaolu Ma (Ph.D. 2017, Comparative Literature) wins Honorable Mention for 2025 AILC-ICLA Balakian Prize
Xiaolu Ma (Harvard Ph.D. '17, Comparative Literature) has received an Honorable Mention in the 2025 competition for the International Comparative Literature Association's Anna Balakian Prize for her book Transpatial Modernity: Chinese Cultural Encounters with Russia via Japan (1880–1930), published in 2024 through the Harvard University Asia Center Publications Program.
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