The Edwin O. Reischauer Institute of Japanese Studies (RIJS) at Harvard University is one of the oldest centers in the world supporting research activities concerning Japan and Japanese Studies. Its mission is to advance teaching and research on Japan, to promote a wide-ranging exchange of ideas on social, cultural, economic, and political issues, to stimulate scholarly and public interest about Japan and U.S.-Japan relations, and to strengthen ties between Harvard University and Japan and between Japan and the United States.