West LA Times

Japanese executive Tadashi Yanai has committed $31 million to the UCLA College Division of Humanities, marking the largest gift in its history. The funds will primarily support the "Japan Past & Present" initiative, designed to enhance Japanese humanities by fostering global scholarly collaboration.

Yanai, who is also the chair, president, and CEO of Fast Retailing and founder of Uniqlo, established the Yanai Initiative for Globalizing Japanese Humanities at UCLA in 2014 with a $2.5 million donation. In 2020, he further endowed the initiative with $25 million.

“Adding to his already considerable past support, Mr. Yanai’s new gift will substantially advance the study of Japanese humanities,” stated UCLA Interim Chancellor Darnell Hunt. He emphasized that this contribution would solidify UCLA's role as a hub for global scholarly exchange.

The Japan Past & Present project aims to improve access to research and teaching resources and foster international academic collaboration. “I am proud to support the study of Japanese humanities at UCLA and around the world,” said Yanai.

Michael Emmerich, director of both the Yanai Initiative and Japan Past & Present at UCLA, highlighted challenges faced by scholars in connecting globally due to logistical issues. The initiative seeks to bridge these gaps by providing resources across institutional boundaries.

Haruo Shirane from Columbia University praised Japan Past & Present as a “pathbreaking” resource. Alexandra Minna Stern, dean of the UCLA Humanities Division, noted that Yanai’s gift positions UCLA at the forefront of Japanese humanities studies.

The program includes a website offering diverse linguistic resources and funding for various projects. It aims to be an indispensable tool for scholars worldwide interested in Japanese studies.

The gift was facilitated through a designated donations program by the Japan Foundation which promotes cultural exchange with Japan.