

Congratulations to the Tanaka and Green Class of 2024!
Adam Gruner – University of Maryland (Waseda University)
Connor Iorio – Montana State University (Kwansei Gakuin)
Joseph Lind – American University (Ritsumeikan University)
Eliana Pisons – American University (Ritsumeikan University)
Praharshitha Thumati – University of California, San Diego (Hitotsubashi University)
About

In 2014 JASWDC established the Tanaka and Green Academic Scholarships to support short-term academic study (one semester or one academic year) at colleges and universities in Japan. The scholarships are made possible thanks to the Society’s H. William and Lily Tanaka Scholarship Endowment and the Marshal and Lispenard Green Educational Endowment.
The Society will give up to $4,250 for one academic year and up to $3,000 for one academic semester for the 2023-2024 academic year. The scholarship may be used for any combination of tuition and other academic fees, room and board, travel and transportation (including travel within Japan), and other approved expenses.
Featured Essays

My Semester in Matsuyama
Benjamin Wolstein 2022/2023 Tanaka & Green Scholarship Recipient
My Time in Kyoto
Mariana Salas, 2022/2023 Tanaka & Green Scholarship Recipient


My Semester at Hitotsubashi University
Mina Mori, 2021/2022 Tanaka & Green Scholarship Recipient
Requirements for Applicants
- Must be enrolled full-time in an undergraduate or graduate school in the United States.
- Must provide proof of acceptance at a college or university in Japan as a full-time foreign exchange student for either one semester or one academic year.
- Must provide proof that the program in Japan is an approved student exchange program of the applicant’s home college or university in the US.
- Must intend to return to the college or university in the United States.
- May be majors in any subject, but must demonstrate that they have taken or plan to take academic courses related to Japan, whether in the US or at the college or university in Japan.
- Must be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States
Application Procedure for 2023-2024
Applicants should submit the online application form before the deadline of Monday, July 31st, 2023, at 11:59 PM EDT. All applicants will be requested to submit the following supplemental documents through the online application form:
- School transcripts from the past academic year.
- (A) Proof of acceptance at a college or university in Japan and (B) certification that the proposed academic study is an official student exchange program of the college or university you attend in the US. This can be a letter or notice from either the home institution in the US or the Japanese college or university.
- One letter of recommendation from a professor or academic advisor.
- A 1-page essay (Times New Roman, 12pt font) telling us about your connection to Japan – past, present, and future. You may want to consider the following when writing your essay.
- Why did you become interested in Japan?
- How have you pursued your interest in Japan, both inside and outside the classroom?
- Tell us about your study of Japan’s language, culture, history, and society.
- What Japan-related courses have you taken in college/university, and how did they affect you?
- What do you plan to study during your time in Japan, and how do you think that will benefit your plans for the future?
- What kind of “Japan connection” do you hope to establish for yourself in the future, after you receive your degree?
You do not need to submit these documents separately from your application. Failure to submit all required documents or to fully complete the application will render the applicant ineligible. JASWDC will not follow up if an application is incomplete.
Selection and Announcement
The Scholarship Committee will review all applications in accordance with the requirements, priorities, and preferences listed above. JASWDC will inform scholarship awardees by August 24th, 2023.
Payment will be made in two allotments. An initial payment of up to $3,000 (one semester) or up to $4,000 (one academic year) will be made before the academic study in Japan commences, and a second payment of $1,000 will be made after the study in Japan is over and the required report has been submitted to JASWDC. The required report (1-2 pages) should describe the student’s experience in Japan, both academic and non-academic, and how that experience has affected their thinking and knowledge about Japan and their plans for the future.
Inquiries
Any questions about the JASWDC Tanaka and Green Scholarships Program should be submitted in writing to JASWDC at [email protected] for response by the Scholarship Committee. Please do not call.
Priorities and Preferences for Reviewing and Screening Applications
In reviewing applications, the JASWDC Scholarship Committee will give priority and preference to applicants who can demonstrate a combination of any of the following factors:
- Are legal residents of the District of Columbia, Maryland, or Virginia (i.e., you may be studying at a college or university anywhere in the US, but your home/parents’ home is in DC, MD, VA)
- Are members or are children of members of the Japan-America Society of Washington DC
- Have interned with the Japan-America Society of Washington DC
- Have volunteered with the Japan-America Society of Washington DC
- Have participated in the National Japan Bowl®
- Have studied and/or are currently studying the Japanese language
- Have studied and/or are currently taking academic courses on Japanese history, culture, society, politics, arts, literature, etc.
- Have participated in extra-curricular activities related to Japan outside the academic classroom (for example, ikebana, tea ceremony, or Japanese cooking lessons; Japanese martial arts; Japan culture clubs, etc.)
Recipients for 2022-2023
Congratulations to the 2022-23 recipients of the Tanaka & Green Scholarship!
Mariana Salas – American University (Ritsumeikan University) (report)
Adriel Perez – Georgetown University (Keio University)
Kai Thompson – Drexel University (Sophia University) (report)
Rebekah Blume – University of Maryland (Waseda University) (report)
Benjamin Wolstein – Columbia University (Doshisha University) (report)
Charity McLaughlin – Temple University (Temple Japan) (report)
Kaitlyn Yuan – George Washington University (Akita International University) (report)
Recipients for 2021-2022
Congratulations to the 2021-22 recipients of the Tanaka & Green Scholarship!
Franchesca Johnson – The College of William and Mary (Keio University)
Lauryn Mcmeans – Randolph-Macon College (Kansai Gaidai University) (report)
Mina Mori – University of Virginia (Hitotsubashi University) (report)
Recipients for 2020-2021
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, no scholarships were awarded.
Recipients for 2019-2020
The study abroad reports written by the recipients of the Tanaka and Green Academic Scholarship for the 2019-2020 school year can be viewed by clicking the links below.
David Austin Aguilar – University of Texas-Austin
Kyoto University
Rachel Flatt – Middlebury College (report)
International Christian University
Peri Johnson – University of Maryland, Baltimore County (report)
Nanzan University
De-Jia Long-Hillie – University of Maryland, Baltimore County (report)
Nanzan University
Jacqueline Marquis – George Mason University (report)
Aoyama Gakuin
Alice Perrine – University of Virginia
Waseda University
Kelly Shea – The College of William & Mary (report)
Keio University
Recipients for 2018-2019
The study abroad reports written by the recipients of the Tanaka and Green Academic Scholarship for the 2018-2019 school year can be viewed by clicking the links below.
Dair Cruz- University of Maine (report)
Waseda University
Heather Heimbach- Columbia University (report)
Doshisha University
Tatem Hughes- University of North Texas at Denton (report)
Kwansei Gakuin University
Rowena Kobrak- American University (report)
Waseda University
Gabriel Lovejoy- Saint John’s University (report)
Bunkyo Gakuin University
Recipients for 2017-2018
The study abroad reports written by the recipients of the Tanaka and Green Academic Scholarship for the 2017-2018 school year can be viewed by clicking the links below.
Gabriela Trimble-Quiz- University of Texas at Austin
Sophia University
Jenna Reed- California State University, Chico (report)
Shinshu University
Hannah Jeong- George Mason University (report)
Sophia University
Gabrielle Oliver- Howard University (report)
Kansai Gaidai University
Maya Rao- University of Maryland (report)
Waseda University
Hayley Snowden- The College of William & Mary (report)
Keio University
Lendell Williams- George Washington University
Waseda University
Recipients for 2016-2017
The study abroad reports written by the recipients of the Tanaka and Green Academic Scholarship for the 2016-2017 school year can be viewed by clicking the links below.
Crystal Brooks- Shepherd University (report)
Akita International University
Emily Howard- The George Washington University (report)
Waseda University
Elizabeth Thorne- American Univeristy (report)
Waseda University
Amy Wei- Johns Hopkins University (report)
University of Tokyo
Kevin Yuan- Georgetown University (report)
Waseda University
Recipients for 2015-2016
The study abroad reports written by the recipients of the Tanaka and Green Academic Scholarship for the 2015-2016 school year can be viewed by clicking the links below.
Phoebe Bui- George Washington University (report)
Waseda University
Amanda Buker- University of Maryland (report)
Nanzan University
Emily Markley- University of West Florida (report)
Kansai Gaidai University
Mia Saidel- American University (report)
Waseda University
Frank Pallone- Kenyon College (report)
Waseda University
Kima Sluchansky- University of Hawaii at Manoa (report)
Chuo University