Japan's Ambassador Will Give $1 Million to Harvard Today

Takeshi Yasuka, Japan's ambassador to the United States, will present $1 million to Harvard University today in support of the planned institute for Japanese studies.

President Bok, who will formally accept the gift from the ambassador, yesterday called the donation "farsighted and generous." He said Harvard hopes to use the grant in order to bring about "a broad dissemination of knowledge and understanding of Japan among the American people."

Tanaka and Nixon

Gifts like that to Harvard have been received by nine other universities as part of a $10-million package announced this summer by Japanese Prime Minister Tanaka and President Nixon.

Harvard plans to use proceeds from the endowed grant to develop the proposed $15 million Japan Institute. Edwin O. Reischauer, university professor and former U.S. ambassador to Japan, is heading the drive to fund the institute.

In addition to research and teaching, the institute will include space for displays about Japan and for meetings of groups connected with Japan from both inside and outside Harvard.

As American involvement with Japan increases, so does the necessity for a greater understanding of Japan, Reischauer said yesterday. "The time has come when we must achieve much understanding of east Asia as we have sought to bring to our relations with Europe."

'A Coordinating Organ'

The Japan Institute at Harvard is planned as a visible symbol of Harvard's desire to raise the Japanese studies to the same level as its studies of the major industrial countries of Europe, and as a coordinating organ to promote and develop Japanese studies throughout the University," he said.

The Japanese government grant follows a $1-million gift to the Law School from the Mitsubishi companies and $1 million donation to the institute from both the Nissan and Toyota automobile companies.