The Hamako Ito Chaplin Memorial Award will again be conferred in 2025, administered through the Association for Asian Studies. In accordance with the wishes of the Chaplin family, each year a prize of $1,000 will be awarded to either a current graduate student or a full-time instructor of Japanese for excellence in Japanese language teaching at the college-level. A full-time instructor who has completed graduate study within the last 3 years in an area that directly involves Japanese language teaching is eligible to apply. Possible academic fields of specialization include Japanese language pedagogy, linguistics, anthropology, and literature. Current graduate students must demonstrate their intention to enter the teaching field in a North American university. Professor Junko Tokuda Simpson (University of California, San Diego) serves as Chair of the Selection Committee, Professor Colleen Laird (University of British Columbia) serves as representative of the Northeast Asia Council of AAS for the committee, and Professor George Chaplin serves ex-officio. View information about the award.
Individuals interested in applying (self-nomination) and faculty members interested in nominating an eligible graduate student or instructor (nomination) should download an application form at the following link:
Hamako Ito Chaplin Award Application 2025
You may also request the application form via email by contacting Dr. Junko Tokuda Simpson (jtsimpson@ucsd.edu).
Completed applications must be submitted to the following email address by January 24, 2025: jtsimpson@ucsd.edu.
The award will be announced in the AAS #AsiaNow Blog.
