A UCLA delegation that included Chancellor Julio Frenk recently attended the 50th anniversary celebration of the UCLA Japanese Alumni Association in Tokyo, where they also met with a broad range of officials and academic and nonprofit leaders.
UCLA International Institute, April 24, 2026 — In early March, UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk and Associate of the Chancellor, Distinguished UCLA Professor of Medicine Felicia Knaul, joined Cindy Fan, vice provost for international studies and global engagement, and Hitoshi Abe, director of the UCLA Paul I. and Hisako Terasaki Center for Japanese Studies, to attend the 50th anniversary ceremony of the UCLA Japan Alumni Association in Tokyo. The night prior to the ceremony, they enjoyed a private dinner with five generations of association leaders.
Additional members of the UCLA delegation included the Terasaki Center’s Associate Director Yusuke Tsugawa, Executive Director Noel Shimizu and Program Manager Christian Rodriguez. Founded in 1975, the UCLA Japan Alumni Association is the largest and oldest Bruin alumni network outside of the U.S.
The anniversary celebration was held at the Capitol Hotel Tokyu on March 6 and was well attended by Japanese Bruin graduates of multiple generations. Not only did Chancellor Frenk deliver remarks to the gathering, he joined in a very enthusiastic UCLA 8-clap onstage with a large group of attendees.
During his Tokyo visit, Chancellor Frenk also met with a broad range of officials, together with business, nonprofit and academic leaders. Topics of discussion ranged from the Japan-U.S. relationship, academic exchanges and the coming LA 2028 Olympic Games.
Among the many individuals with whom he had the pleasure of meeting were Japanese State Minister for Foreign Affairs Iwao Horii, U.S. Ambassador to Japan George Glass, Japanese Olympic Committee President Seiko Hashimoto, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science President Tsuyoshi Sugino and Asian Population and Development Association President Keizo Takemi.
Over 200 Japanese students are currently enrolled at UCLA. As an academic center dedicated to understanding Japan in global and historical context, the Terasaki Center awards an average of $250,000 annually in fellowships that support research and exchange programs in Japan for both UCLA undergraduate and graduate students.
Published: Friday, April 24, 2026
