Mr. Yoshikazu Kitahara

Terasaki Center For Japanese Studies

Established in 1991, the UCLA Terasaki Center has been a platform for research on Japan. Our distinguished faculty, students, postdoctoral fellows, visiting scholars, and the board of advisors have been contributing to the field of Japanese studies for over 20 years.

Faculty Board of Advisors Chair in US-Japan Relations Postdoctoral Fellows Alumni

Students Visitors Staff Supporters Dr. Paul I. Terasaki

The Terasaki Center sponsors a vast array of events throughout the year. With its colloquium series, the Center brings academics from diverse fields to UCLA each year. Special workshops and annual conferences bring leading scholars to discuss topics relating to Japan.

Center News Annual Newsletter

Center Events Community Events Past Events

The Center is proud to support our faculty, current and prospective students, and the local community through a variety of grants and fellowships.

Internal Funding
Learn more and apply for Center funding here.

External Funding
Funding sources in this section are not administered by the Center.

Center programs were established with strong support from the local community to promote research and instruction in Japanese studies, with a recent focus on the profound transformations unfolding in contemporary Japanese society.

UCLA Japanese Studies
Programs by Faculty and Students

Global Japan Initiative
Understanding Japan/Japanese culture within a global context.

The Terasaki Center is actively expanding support for faculty and graduate students, building relationships with other universities as well as Japan and Japanese Studies related organizations, and enhancing its role in the community.

Mission & History
Digital Archive

Global Hub
The Center is dedicated to connecting Japanese communities around the world with those engaged in the study of Japan and the Japanese.

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global japan initiative Understanding Japan/Japanese
culture within a global context

Mr. Yoshikazu Kitahara

Board Advisor

Representative Director, Chairman and CEO, Tokyo Dome Corporation

Mr. Kitahara joined Mitsui Fudosan in 1980, upon his graduation from Waseda University. He was first engaged in the development of suburban new towns in the Greater Tokyo Area, and then in a major public water reclamation project in Hiroshima. Returning to Tokyo after the collapse of the 1990s bubble economy, he was largely responsible for staving off a crash in the office property market, defending real estate prices against the buying out of bad debts by US investment banks. His initiatives in the securitization of real estate led to the creation of Japan’s first REIT and helped to grow Japan’s REIT market to the world’s second largest, behind only the US. He also launched Mitsui Fudosan’s venture development business, establishing the ecosystem for business incubation. He currently promotes Smart Cities in both urban and suburban areas. Nihonbashi Smart City, Central Tokyo’s first smart city, features a self-supporting decentralized power source which can withstand emergencies such as earthquakes and typhoons, and contributes towards both energy-saving and CO2 reductions. One of Mitsui Fudosan’s latest projects, Kashiwanoha Smart City, is located 40 km outside of Tokyo and pioneers a vision for cities of tomorrow through a partnership between public, private, and academic sectors; there, a major focus is the challenge to build data platforms which promote the utilization of big-data while maintaining control and sovereignty of personal data. Other projects encouraged by Mr. Kitahara include practical renewable energy modules, including geothermal and offshore wind power. In addition, he is a key player in the establishment of LINK-J, which aims to promote life science innovation in medical care and pharmaceuticals through the collaboration of industry, academia, and government; LINK-J has been pivotal in fostering the creation of new industries and interaction between various sectors.