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The Crown Prince Akihito Scholarship is awarded to 1) graduate students in Japan for study at the University of Hawaii at Manoa; and 2) an American graduate student at the University of Hawaii at Manoa for study in Japan who is pursuing a subject area leading to better understanding between Japan and the United States.
The Crown Prince Akihito Scholarship Foundation (CPASF) was established in 1959 to commemorate the wedding of then Crown Prince Akihito and Crown Princess Michiko. The purpose of the CPASF is to promote understanding between the U.S. and Japan by offering scholarships for study in Hawaii and Japan. A grand total of 129 scholarships have been awarded since 1973. The Japan-America Society of Hawaii administers the scholarship.
For American students:
The scholarship covers one or two years of study in Japan and provides a $30,000 scholarship award in addition to a $15,000 annual allowance which covers tuition and one-time round-trip airfare from Honolulu to Japan. Any amount of this $15,000 allocation remaining after tuition and airfare reimbursements are made will be paid out to the recipient as a Cost of Living Allowance.
Applications for the 2010-2011 academic year are now available. Deadline to submit applications to the following address is November 6, 2009:
Crown Prince Akihito Scholarship Foundation
P.O. Box 1412
Honolulu, HI 96806-1412
For more information, please contact the Crown Prince Akihito Scholarship Foundation at (808) 524-4450 or the Center for Japanese Studies at (808) 956-2665.
Download application for the 2010-2011 academic year.
Request an application by mail (above P.O. Box address), email: myokomichi@jashawaii.org or phone: (808) 524-4450.
For Japanese students:
The CPA Scholarship is for one or two years of study at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and provides $25,000 per year (plus a full tuition scholarship) and up to $1,500 for one-time round-trip economy class airfare from Japan to Honolulu. In addition to these CPASF scholarships, two $25,000 scholarship grants with an additional $20,000 for living expenses will be available from the Shidler School of Business.
For Japanese graduate students interested in applying, please contact Mr. Yasuhiru Ohashi, Social Affairs Bureau 1, Nippon Keidanren, 9-4 Otemachi 1-chome, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-8188 Japan. He may be reached via e-mail at ohashiy@keidanren.or.jp
Please click here for the Japanese Language Version.
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The year 2009 is a very special anniversary for the Crown Prince Akihito Scholarship and the Scholarship Foundation. It has been 50 years since the creation of the Scholarship named in honor of the current Emperor of Japan, Akihito. It was in 1959 that then Crown Prince Akihito wed Michiko Shoda and the community leaders of Hawaii searched for a way to honor this marriage with a gift from the people of Hawaii. Instead of a usual marriage gift, the leaders led by the late Ralph Honda suggested a scholarship named in honor of the Crown Prince, with the thought that a scholarship would be a lasting gift that would benefit scholars from both Japan and America and continue to enhance relations between the two countries. An endowment was created with initial contribution from the Crown Prince himself, and since then 129 scholars from Japan and the United States have become Akihito scholars. As a unique aspect of the scholarship, the scholars are given a personal audience with the Emperor and Empress at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. It is through this connection that the bonds between the Emperor and Empress and the scholars, and with the Scholarship and the Foundation, have remained alive and strong. It is for this very reason that Their Majesties attended the 50th Anniversary of the Scholarship here in Honolulu.
Planning for this 50th Anniversary began years ago during the tenure of Ralph Honda as Chairman of the Foundation. Ralph passed away in 2004 but his vision was taken on by the new Chairman, Howard Hamamoto. Through those years, Ralph Honda, followed by Howard Hamamoto, engaged with the Japanese Government and the Imperial Household Agency that handles the affairs of the Royal Family to invite the Emperor and Empress to Hawaii for the 50th Anniversary Celebration. An opportunity was provided when the Japanese Government planned a state visit of Their Majesties to Canada in 2009, informing the Foundation that a stop in Hawaii to attend the Scholarship’s Anniversary Celebration would be possible. With this decision by the Japanese Government, the stage was set to welcome the Royal Couple to Hawaii and to include them in the Scholarship’s 50th Anniversary Celebration. The Royal Couple arrived in Honolulu on July 14, 2009 following their state visit to Canada. They engaged in various activities involving the community during their visit, highlighted by attending the 50th Anniversary Banquet of the Scholarship on the evening of July 15 at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Coral Ballroom.
Although the theme of the banquet was to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Crown Prince Akihito Scholarship, it was truly a community affair with attendance by over 1,600 guests representing major Japanese-American and community organizations to include the Japan-America Society of Hawaii, Honolulu Japanese Chamber of Commerce, Honolulu Japanese Junior Chamber of Commerce, Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii, Japanese Women’s Society Foundation, Nippon Club, United Japanese Society of Hawaii, University of Hawaii, and the University of Hawaii Foundation.
Emperor and Empress arrive at the Anniversary Banquet, greeted by CPASF Chairman Howard Hamamoto and Nobuko Zecha; Nainoa Thompson presents a replica model of the voyaging canoe Hokulea as Their Majesties rise to view it.
In keeping with the theme of the banquet, special awards were presented to two Scholars, one Japanese (Dr. Ritsuko Kikusawa) and one American (Dr. Carl Becker), named in honor of the late Ralph Honda for their outstanding scholarship and commitment to the mission of the scholarship—to enhance U.S.-Japan relations. Another scholar, Dr. Sharon Minichiello, former Director of University of Hawaii’s Center for Japanese Studies, was recognized with a Distinguished Service Award for her outstanding service to all the scholarship alumni as well as her work with the Foundation. American Scholars received their awards from Japanese Ambassador to the United States Ichiro Fujisaki and the Japanese Scholar received her award from Charge d’Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Japan James Zumwalt as both the Emperor and Empress watched.
Remembering also that this visit to Hawaii is a celebration of the Royal Couple’s 50th Wedding Anniversary, two special gifts were presented to Their Majesties on this occasion. The first was a Milo bowl (Milo is wood reserved for Royalty) designed in the shape of the Royal Chrysanthemum by spouse of Foundation Trustee Mrs. Nobuko Nagura Zecha and carved by master carver Scott Hare. The second was a model of the Hokulea voyaging canoe (the Hokulea made a voyage to Japan last year as a gesture of friendship and ties between Hawaii and Japan) made by artist Kaili Chun and presented by Master Navigator Nainoa Thompson of the Polynesian Voyaging Society. In keeping with the Hawaiian theme, the evening’s performance featured a keiki hula performed by Hula Halau Olana, singing of the Hawaiian Wedding Song by Nalani Olds, as well as a royal processional and recessional led by the Royal Order of Kamehameha I carrying the royal kahili standards and blowing of a unique conch shell melody by Richard Bell.
The evening concluded with a kampai and congratulatory toast from the Emperor himself, "for the future of the scholarship students, for the continued development of this scholarship to meet the expectations of future students, and for the further strengthening of the friendly relations between Hawaii and Japan." Following the banquet, the Emperor and Empress held a special reception in an adjoining room for the scholars and their spouses.
His Majesty The Emperor of Japan offers a congratulatory toast on occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the Crown Prince Akihito Scholarship, at the head table from left are Yoshio Nakamura (Director General of the Nippon Keidanren, Japan Committee of the CPASF), Mrs. Yoriko Fujisaki, Charge d’Affaires James Zumwalt (U.S. Embassy, Japan), Mrs. Joanne Hamamoto, Howard Hamamoto (Chairman, CPASF), Emperor Akihito, Empress Michiko, Governor Linda Lingle (State of Hawaii), Yasuo Fukuda (former Prime Minister of Japan and head of the Japanese Delegation), Ichiro Fujisaki (Japanese Ambassador to the United States), Ms. Ann Kambara (spouse of Charge Zumwalt), Toshio Kunikata (Consul General of Japan at Honolulu), Dr. Ritsuko Kikusawa (Akihito Scholar and recipient of the Ralph Honda Award for Outstanding Scholarship)
Click here to download the full script of the toast given by His Majesty The Emperor of Japan.
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