Inter-University Center for Japanese Language Studies

Learn About IUC's 60-Year Legacy The history of the IUC traces back to the Stanford Center for Japanese Studies in Tokyo, which launched in April 1961 with the express purpose of producing “a substantial group of young men and women with exceptional linguistic and cultural preparation for careers in teaching, government, law, business, and other fields.” Stanford University President J.E. Wallace Sterling attended the opening ceremony in Tokyo, where Minister of Education Araki Masuo presented him with the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays. Housed in facilities of the Wakeijuku Men’s Dormitory near Waseda University, the Stanford Center welcomed an inaugural class of 14 undergraduates and eight graduate students. The program differed from Stanford’s European campuses in that most students went to Japan for a full year, lived in Japanese dormitories, and attended lectures in both Japanese and English. The value of the Center was quickly recognized beyond the Stanford community. In 1963, nine North American universities with leading Japanese studies programs joined Stanford to establish the Inter-University Center for Japanese Language Studies. Stanford continued to house the Center’s administrative headquarters in the U.S., as it does today. The IUC consortium is governed by scholars deeply committed to advancing the field of Japanese studies. Consortium members know that the greatest challenge to producing future leaders capable of negotiating the intricacies of Japanese culture and society is the Japanese language itself. The IUC is their unique and highly effective solution to this challenge. Throughout its six decades, the IUC has been home to a long line of extraordinary teachers. They have innovated cutting-edge pedagogical techniques and teaching materials, designed Japanese language courses in specialized subjects, and dedicated countless hours to raising students capable of interacting in Japanese at the highest levels needed for academic and professional careers. Their impact is best measured by the accomplishments of their students. The ranks of American scholars in Japanese Studies began to swell with IUC graduates within a few years of its founding, a trend that has continued for six decades. IUC graduates have gone on to leadership roles in academia, business, cultural exchange, diplomacy, fine arts, journalism, law, literary translation, and numerous other fields. Their accomplishments have been recognized with countless awards and honors, including the prestigious Order of the Rising Sun conferred by the Government of Japan. The IUC itself has also received many accolades. In 1982, the IUC was awarded a Japan Foundation Special Prize for “its great achievement in the improvement of mutual understanding between Japan and the United States.” In 1987, the IUC moved to Yokohama at the city’s invitation and in 1999 became the first foreign organization to receive the Yokohama Yutaishô from Yokohama no kai for its contributions to the city’s internationalization. In 2012, the Government of Japan awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon, to former IUC Executive Secretary Peter Duus for his “contribution to Japan Studies in the United States and the promotion of mutual understanding between Japan and the United States,” which included 15 years leading the IUC. In 2022, former IUC Executive Director Indra Levy received the inaugural Irene Hirano Inouye award from the UCLA Terasaki Center for Japanese Studies for “her unflagging support of the IUC and her work to preserve it.” In 2023, the IUC was awarded a Foreign Minister’s Commendation from the Government of Japan for its exceptional contributions to Japanese Studies in the United States. Former U.S. ambassador to Japan Edwin O. Reischauer stated that the IUC “serves as the single most important means of providing advanced training in Japanese language for American students with a serious professional interest in Japan.” Former U.S. ambassador to Japan and Vice President Walter Mondale called it “imperative for the sake of America's future relations with Japan,” and former ambassador and Speaker of the House Thomas Foley noted that its graduates play a “central part” in the U.S.-Japan relationship. Today, the IUC boasts a vibrant alumni network and community of supporters who continue to inspire each other to reach ever higher in their work with and understanding of Japan. The Center’s founders would be proud to see how far-reaching and consequential their vision has been.