LOS ANGELES—Japanese billionaire Tadashi Yanai has pledged to donate $31 million to the UCLA College Division of Humanities, marking the largest gift in the division’s history, the university disclosed on Thursday.
The donation will be allocated to the Yanai Initiative for Globalizing Japanese Humanities, which was established at UCLA in collaboration with Tokyo’s Waseda University in 2014 with an initial $2.5 million contribution from Yanai. In 2020, Yanai donated an additional $25 million to the initiative.
Yanai, known as one of the wealthiest individuals in Japan, is the founder and CEO of Fast Retailing, the parent company of the popular Uniqlo clothing brand.
The majority of the recent donation will support “Japan Past & Present,” housed within the UCLA Department of Asian Languages and Cultures. This initiative aims to revolutionize the field of Japanese humanities by enhancing access to research and teaching resources and fostering collaboration among scholars globally.
“I am honored to champion the study of Japanese humanities at UCLA and worldwide because I believe in the importance of sharing and appreciating the traditions and art forms that shape our society,” Yanai stated. “The humanities and arts define our identities and enable us to connect and empathize with one another. I am excited to witness the growth and enrichment of Japan Past & Present through this essential work.”
Michael Emmerich, director of the Yanai Initiative and Japan Past & Present, highlighted the challenges faced by Japanese humanities scholars in collaborating with colleagues due to logistical barriers. The creation of the Past & Present website aims to bridge these gaps and promote collaboration on a global scale.
“Our goal is to promote equity among scholars globally, ensuring equal access to resources and visibility for the work we are engaged in,” Emmerich stated. “We aspire for this digital platform to become a go-to resource for researchers, offering a wide range of valuable resources.”
“Establishing such a space for scholars worldwide is crucial for the evolution of Japanese humanities as a truly global discipline,” Emmerich added.
The Japan Past & Present website was launched in March.
In a statement, Interim UCLA Chancellor Darnell Hunt expressed gratitude for Yanai’s contribution, emphasizing that the gift will significantly advance the study of Japanese humanities at UCLA, reinforce the university’s position as a leading center for this field of study, and enhance its global influence.
“Thanks to Mr. Yanai’s generosity, UCLA will continue to serve as a hub for scholars from around the world to collaborate, explore ideas, and transcend political, linguistic, and cultural boundaries,” Hunt remarked.
