It is with great sadness that the Reischauer Institute notes the passing of John J. Stephan, historian of Japan, Russia, and the Pacific Rim, and Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa.

Professor Stephan graduated from Harvard College in 1963 and received his A.M. from the Regional Studies–East Asia Program at Harvard in 1964.

In 2023, he and his wife, Barbara, established the Albert and Teruko Craig Fellowship in Japanese Studies to support A.M. candidates in the Regional Studies–East Asia Program.

The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Department of History’s announcement can be read here: https://manoa.hawaii.edu/history/news/2026/09/rest-in-aloha-prof-emeritus-john-stephan.php 

The Reischauer Institute extends its deepest condolences to Barbara and to Professor Stephan’s family and friends, and remains grateful for his generosity, which will support generations of students in Japanese studies at Harvard.