People walking across the Harvard University campus. Massachusetts, USA (©AP/Kyodo)
The number of faculty specializing in Japanese diplomacy and Japan-United States relations at American universities is rapidly declining.
In a November report, Professor Adam Liff of Indiana University sounded the alarm, noting that many of the leading "Japan hands" in the US have passed away in recent years. The community of Japan specialists risks becoming even smaller in the years ahead, as few scholars are entering academia to fill their ranks.
In 2025, former US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage and former Assistant Secretary of Defense Joseph Nye, who was also Emeritus Professor at Harvard University, passed away in quick succession in April and May, respectively.
These prominent figures had long dedicated themselves to strengthening the bilateral alliance, and their loss underscores the ongoing erosion of Japan-leaning voices.
Shrinking Faculty and Hiring Trends
Liff's report for the United States-Japan Foundation noted that, since around 2010, major American universities have all but stopped hiring new faculty in fields such as Japanese diplomacy.
The survey examined the hiring practices for tenure-track assistant professors at the top 100 universities in the US, as ranked by a well-regarded American magazine.
Between 1994 and 2004, at least 12 faculty members specializing in Japanese diplomacy or Japan–US relations were hired. That number fell to five between 2005 and 2014, and no new hires were made from 2015 to 2024.
Overall, since 2009, only a single tenure-track scholar has been hired in these fields.
Moreover, while roughly eight universities continued hiring faculty in related fields in the late 1990s, none are doing so as of 2024. Of the 17 individuals hired between 1994 and 2014, eight eventually left their positions, but their universities did not appoint replacements.
Age and Geographic Concentration
Adding to this, the average age of faculty in Japanese diplomacy now exceeds 60. Liff says that the pool of specialists could "dramatically shrink over the next decade or so."
Geographic concentration is another issue. Japan specialists are largely based at leading universities on the West Coast, particularly in California, and along the East Coast, from Boston, Massachusetts, to Washington, DC.
Meanwhile, in regions such as the Midwest, the report suggests young people have limited opportunities to receive specialized education on Japan.
Liff stressed that the sharp decline in Japan specialists "risks creating a vicious cycle that could seriously impact overall US–Japan relations if left unaddressed."
Endowments as a Solution
He believes the key countermeasure lies in expanding "endowment funds," which use donations from external sources to generate and manage resources.
In the US, endowments serve as a major source of funding for universities, alongside tuition and donations. By generating stable investment returns, endowments can reliably support expenditures for specific educational and research programs.
A fund supported by corporations, foundations, and philanthropists could create faculty positions specializing in particular areas. It could also establish research and educational facilities, fostering a long-term commitment to Japanese studies and education.
There are precedents whereby major Japanese automakers and heavy industry companies joined together to create just such a fund. In 2016, under then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the Japanese government contributed $5 million to the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto in Canada to establish a professorship in Japanese studies.
Since then, the school has actively hosted Japan-related events and strengthened its role as a hub for Japanese studies.
Need for Long-Term Funding
"Young people across the US still show a strong interest in Japan," Liff said, with demand for lectures and research opportunities in the field remaining very high.
He described supporting the hiring of faculty specializing in Japan and the creation of new courses through endowments as "an ideal and highly effective approach."
Late Professor Emeritus James E Auer of Vanderbilt University, for instance, built a research center specializing in US–Japan relations, training numerous students who went on to careers in both the public and private sectors in the two countries.
The center closed in 2021, following Auer's retirement.
Liff lamented that if the center led by his friend, Auer, had been supported by a permanent endowment, the university might have hired a successor, and it could still be active today.
The Stakes for the Future
The rise of Japanese studies in the United States coincided with Japan's period of rapid economic growth from the 1970s to the 1990s.
Some suggest that the prolonged economic stagnation that followed contributed to a corresponding decline in the "research fever" surrounding the country.
Among academic and political circles, however, recognition of the Japan–US relationship as one of America's most critical bilateral partnerships is growing.
Young American scholars can serve as bridges between the two countries. If they are denied an opportunity for specialized education due to a shortage of teachers and courses, it would be a significant loss for Japan.
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Author: Nagahisa Shiobara, The Sankei Shimbun
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