Dear Colleagues and Friends,
It is with great sadness that I inform you that Donald Keene, leading scholar and translator of Japanese literature, long-time faculty member of EALAC, and university professor, passed away yesterday in Tokyo on February 24th at the age of 96. He was a pioneer and towering giant in the field and major cultural figure in Japan. The Donald Keene Center of Japanese Culture was established at Columbia in 1986. Most of all, Donald will be remembered by many of us as a teacher, friend, and close colleague.
A memorial service will be held in the fall.
Haruo Shirane, Chair, EALAC
Click here to read the obituary by the Donald Keene Center of Japanese Culture. NHK’s obituary in Japanese is also available here.
