History

Chronicle

     
Year/Month Main events and activities Remarks, Link
1951 Nov. Cultural Center Preparatory Committee organized  
1952 Aug. 27 International House of Japan officially incorporated
Kabayama Aisuke became the first Chairman of the International House (passed away in October 1953)
 
Oct. Government passed the old Iwasaki estate to the International House  
Intellectual Interchange Program started terminated in 1996
Nov. Fund Raising Committee organized  
1953 May Visit by Mrs. Eleanor D. Roosevelt
1954 Distinguished Visitors Program started terminated in 1958
May Visit by Dr. Walter Gropius, architect
1955 June 11 Grand Opening of the International House  
Nov. Foreign Relations Dinner Address started terminated in 2003
1956   Indo-Japanese Interchange started  
May I-House awarded an Architectural Institute
of Japan Prize (Architectural Work)
 
1957 Oct. Special Lecture by Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru
1960 Mar. U.S.-Japan Studies Project started terminated in 1970
1962 Nov. Tenth Anniversary Dinner of the International House  
1964 May Visit by Prof. George Frost Kennan, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton  
1965 Assistance for Exchange of Persons Program by other organizations started terminated in 2000
May Matsumoto Shigeharu became the second Chairman of the International House (passed away in January 1989)  
June Tenth Aniversary of the Opening of the House: Special Lectures by Tange Kenzo, Howard Hibbett, and Ronald P. Dore  
1967 Dec. Fifteenth Anniversary: Special Lectures by Ito Sei, Kato Shuichi, and Hugh Borton  
1968 Oct. Asian Intellectual Cooperation Program started terminated in 1995
1972 Dec.
-Jan.
Twentieth Anniversary: Special Lectures by Roger Caillois, John Fairbank, Soedjatmoko, and Harold Isaacs  
Apr. Visit by Saul Bellow, novelist  
1973 Mar. Twentieth Anniversary: Round-Table Conference of Asian Intellectuals  
Oct. I-House was awarded the Japan Foundation Award  
Dec. Physical Plants closed for expansion and renovation  
1976 Jan. Renovation completed  
Mar. Japan-Soviet Union Scientist Exchange started terminated in 1995
Nov. Social Science International Fellowship
(aka Nitobe Fellowship Program) started
terminated in 2007
1978   US-Japan Creative Artists Program started US-Japan Creative Artists Program
1982 Mar. Japan-China Intellectual Interchange started terminated in 1995
Visit by Mr. Fei Xiaotong, sociologist  
Oct. Thirtieth Anniversary: Conference on Japan-U.S. Cultural Relations  
  Ph.D.Kenkyukai started terminated in 2002
1984 Feb. Reciprocal Agreement signed with the Cosmos Club of Washington D.C. Overseas Affiliated Institutions
Apr. Visit by Dr. Clifford Geerz, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton  
1986 Jan. Chinese Social Science Forum started terminated in 2004
Apr. Lecture by Dr. Claude Lévi-Strauss, anthropologist  
1987   American Friends of International House of Japan, Inc. incorporated in New York  
1988 May Reciprocal Agreement signed with the University House (Canberra, Australia) Overseas Affiliated Institutions
1989 Feb. Nagai Michio became the third Chairman of the International House (resigned in June 1996)  
Apr. Asian Cultural Forum started terminated in 1992
1992 Oct. Fortieth Anniversary Programs including a conference on the Postwar Development of Japanese Studies in the United States with keynote speaker Donald Keene  
1993 Mar. Edwin O. Reischauer Lecture Series started terminated in 2001
1996 Sept. Asia Leadership Fellow Program (ALFP) started ALFP
Kaji Motoo became the fourth Chairman of the International House (resigned in March 2004)  
1999   Reciprocal Agreement signed with the India International Centre (New Delhi, India) Overseas Affiliated Institutions
2000 Aug. Operations of LTCB International Library transferred to I-House LTCB Library
2001 Dec. Jansen Memorial Conference: "Japan and Its Worlds: The Internationalization of Japanese Studies" I-House Press
2003 Sept. I-House Building designated as one of Docomomo 100 Selections in Japan DOCOMOMO Japan
2004 Apr. Takagaki Tasuku became the fifth Chairman of the International House (passed away in March 2009)  
2005 Apr. Renovation of the East Wing started  
Oct. I-House garden designated as Site of Scenic Beauty of Minato-ku, Tokyo  
2006 Apr. Renovation of the East Wing completed  
July Commemorative Programs Celebrating the IHJ New Hall
"The International House of Japan as Modernist Masterwork—The Rebirth of an Architectural Icon"
 
Special Lecture "Japan's Gateway to the World: What the I-House Can Do" by Dr. Sadako Ogata I-House Academy
International Seminar "Questioning from the Borderline: Cross-Cultural Dialogue in Tackling a Global Agenda" Text (I-House Press)
Public Symposium "Globalization and Cultural Exchange"  
Aug. East Wing designated as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property  
  I-House Press established I-House Press
2007 Apr. I-House-Shochiku Grand Kabuki Performance commemorating the 120th anniversary of "Tenran Kabuki"  
May I-House awarded an Architectural Institute of Japan Prize (Specific Contributions Division)  
June I-House Ushiba Fellowship started Ushiba Fellowship
2008   I-House awarded a BELCA (Building and Equipment Long-life Cycle Association) Prize(Best Reform Division)  
Feb. I-House Lunchtime Lecture started I-House Lunchtime Lecture
June Nitobe Kokusai Juku started Nitobe
2009 June japan@ihj started japan@ihj
Akashi Yasushi became the sixth Chairman of the International House (resigned in December 2018) Footprints of Former Chairman Akashi Yasushi
2011 Dec. Japan-India Programs re-started Japan-India Program
2012 Apr. I-House designated a Public Interest Incorporated Foundation  
Sept.- Program in commemoration of the sixtieth anniversary of the I-House "Japan in the World" Sixtieth Anniversary Program
2013 Apr. [I-House Ushiba Fellowship] Dialogue and Symposium in commemoration of Mr. Antonio Negri's first visit to Japan Dialogue in Japan with Antonio Negri
Memorial Service and Reception For Donald Richie Memorial Service and Reception
Sept. Reading about Japan at I-House Library started Library Activities
Nov. Strategic partnership with the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation established Notice
Dec. Reciprocal Agreement signed with the Cornell Club-New York Overseas Affiliated Institutions
2014 Apr. IUC Lecture Series started terminated co-sponsorship in 2019
IUC Lecture Series
I-House Quarterly inaugurated publication terminated in 2019
I-House Quarterly
Sept. Nichibunken-IHJ Forum started Nichibunken-IHJ Forum
Nov. Delve into Japanese Culture@I-House started Delve into Japanese Culture
2015 Jan.
-Dec.
IHJ Artists’ Forum-JUSFC 40th Anniversary IHJ Art Programs/ Concerts 2015
Oct. Cooperative Agreement of Mutual Exchange with the Portland Japanese Garden established Notice
2016 Apr. Architalk~Seeing the World through Architecture started Architalk
June I-House Library received the Award for Organizations of Distinguished Services 2016 from the Japan Special Libraries Association Notice
Nov. Reciprocal Agreement signed with the Reform Club (London, U.K.) Overseas Affiliated Institutions
2017 Apr. History Archive Project started  
Oct. I-House Lecture series started terminated in 2019
I-House Lecture
2018 Mar. Strategic Partnership with the Asia Society established Notice
Asia Pacific Young Leaders Program (APYLP) started APYLP
May ALFP e-magazine Voices of Asia launched ALFP e-magazine Voices of Asia
2019 Jan. Kondo Masaakira James became the seventh Chairman of the International House From the Chairman
June Special Lecture Series for I-House Members started Special Lecture Series for I-House Members
Aug. Strategic Partnership with the Japan-India Association established Notice
2020 Mar. Reciprocal Agreement signed with the The Indus Club (Mumbai, India) Overseas Affiliated Institutions
Reciprocal Agreement signed with the The Tanglin Club (Singapore) Overseas Affiliated Institutions
June Reciprocal Agreement signed with The Australian Club (Melborne, Australia) Overseas Affiliated Institutions
Dec. Reciprocal Agreement signed with The Union Club of Boston (Boston, U.S.A.) Overseas Affiliated Institutions
2021 Mar. Reciprocal Agreement signed with the International Club Berlin (Berlin, Germany) Overseas Affiliated Institutions
Reciprocal Agreement signed with The National Liberal Club (London, U.K.) Overseas Affiliated Institutions
2022 Feb. Merger with Asia Pacific Initiative announced Notice
Apr. I-House 70th Anniversary Programs started I-House 70th Anniversary Programs
May Strategic Partnership with the India International Centre established Notice