Japanese Cultural Events
& Fellowship Programs at Columbia

Our fellowships aid scholars continue their research in Japan and allow them to delve deeper into their field of expertise in Japanese Studies.
Students

Conference Matching Travel Fund for Columbia Graduate Students

The Donald Keene Center of Japanese Culture provides matching funds for travel to conferences or workshops by graduate students in Japanese Studies. Students who receive funds from EALAC (or another department such as History or Religion) that are matched by GSAS are eligible to have those funds matched again by the DKC. Information on the GSAS matching program is available on their website:

GSAS Conference Matching Travel Fund
Fellowships

The Shinchо̄ Graduate Fellowship for Study in Japan

Established in 1992 with the support of the Shincho Foundation for the Promotion of Literature, the Shinchō Graduate Fellowship is awarded each year to up to two graduate students in Japanese cultural studies at Columbia University (all affiliated Columbia University institutions) for conducting advanced graduate study or research in Japan. Fellowships are for a period of one year. Graduate students in any field of Japanese cultural studies at Columbia University are eligible. Graduate students engaged in doctoral dissertation research are particularly encouraged to apply.
Faculty

The Ichirо̄ Shirato Fund for Japanese Language Study

In honor of Ichirō Shirato, one of Columbia’s finest teachers of Japanese, the Donald Keene Center of Japanese Culture established in the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures an endowed fund bearing his name. The Shirato Fund provides supplemental support for Japanese language study and teaching. For 2026-2027 the Shirato Fund provides fellowships for the study of the Japanese language during the summer of 2027. We are deeply grateful for specific support to maintain and grow the Shirato Fund.
DETAILS ON THE SHIRATO FUND