Founded in 1986 at Columbia University, the Donald Keene Center of Japanese Culture was established in honor of Professor Donald Keene, internationally renowned scholar, teacher, and interpreter of Japanese literature and culture. The primary goals of the Center are to promote Japanese studies and to ensure a continuing exchange of ideas between Japan and the United States. In a larger sense, it seeks to encourage study of the interrelationships among the cultures of Japan and the other nations of the world in forming our shared global heritage. The Keene Center's operations encompass a variety of activities, including lectures, symposia, exhibitions, academic fellowships, visiting fellows, and a translation prize program.

On June 3, 2009, the Donald Keene Center was pleased to take part in a very special event in Tokyo. The day-long symposium, co-sponsored with other Columbia organizations, was entitled "Columbia and Japan: A Celebration of the 60th Anniversary of the Weatherhead East Asian Institute." The event drew approximately 200 participants from an array of backgrounds, including Columbia University alumni, politicians, students, and businesspersons. It highlighted the quality and depth of East Asian scholarship at Columbia University and its significant influence on the region and beyond. Similar events were also held in Beijing and Seoul.

At the Tokyo event, the Keene Center took charge of the morning program. One of the highlights was the presentation of the Third Annual Donald Keene Prize for the Promotion of Japanese Culture, which recognizes individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions toward expanding awareness of Japanese culture in the world at large. Mr. Seiji Tsutsumi accepted the award on behalf of one of Japan’s most innovative private-sector foundations, the Saison Foundation, which focuses on promoting the performance arts. Prof. Donald Keene sent a special video message to the Saison Foundation, congratulating it on decades of "bridging the gap between Japan and the rest of the world."

The award ceremony was followed by a panel entitled "Japan and Columbia: A Bridge to the Future." Audience members listened attentively as prominent cultural figures such as the novelist and critic Shimada Masahiko and Satô Takanobu, fourth-generation president of the historic publishing house Shinchôsha, debated the complexities of cultural production and intellectual exchange across geographic borders, linguistic boundaries, and difference of genre and medium. Another special guest was Dr. John Carpenter, Associate Professor at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), who flew in from London expressly to attend the panel. Dr. Carpenter was the first recipient of a Shinchô Graduate Fellowship.

Hosting the morning session gave the Donald Keene Center an opportunity to focus on achievements by notable individuals and organizations that have significantly contributed to the promotion of Japanese culture in areas such as literature and the arts. The session also provided a forum to reflect on the past and present of the Columbia-Japan relationship and explore new possibilities for future partnership.
 

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