In 1986, in order to coordinate its many activities concerning Japan and the international community, Earlham created the Institute for Education on Japan (IEJ). The Institute is responsible for all Japan-related outreach activities conducted by the College. In addition, IEJ plays a key role in both marketing and fundraising, and is charged with primary responsibility for the maintenance of Earlham's relations with constituencies in Japan. All College faculty with expertise on Japan contribute to the work of the Institute when their other obligations permit. The Institute's outreach work links Earlham's Japan-related learning and teaching resources to local and regional communities in the United States through a variety of educational, cultural, and community service programs.

The Jackson H. Bailey Memorial Lecturer Series brings noteworthy individuals to campus to deliver presentations, visit classes and talk with students and faculty, and appear in other settings outside the College, particularly before audiences of public school students and teachers. Speakers have included the Japan Times columnist Karen Hill Anton, the documentary film maker Regge Life, and the Japanese-American pediatrician Dr. James Yamazaki, who has spent his career studying the effects of ionizing radiation on early childhood development, and recently published a memoir entitled Children of the Atomic Bomb. Speakers visit the College in other capacities as well. In recent years, Earlham has hosted such well-known Japan specialists as Akira Iriye, Chalmers Johnson, and George Packard.

Consultation is another service IEJ staff are frequently called on to perform. Japanese businesses seek help in getting settled in Indiana host communities and Indiana businesses seek advice in working with customers from Japan. Schools involved in Japan-related programs seek advice and assistance with planning, fundraising, and implementation. Other colleges developing Japan and East Asian studies programs visit Earlham to study its programs and to speak with its personnel. The Earlham administration consults with IEJ regarding the marketing of the College, the recruitment of students, and the development of fundraising programs in Japan.

The Learning and Teaching about Japan Program, in operation from 1986 to 2002 was a cooperative undertaking of Earlham College and the Indiana Department of Education. Its primary aim was to facilitate the introduction of Japanese language and culture instruction into the state's K-12 mainstream curriculum. Earlham staff have worked with over 1000 Indiana educators since the program's inception. The Institute continues to provide K-12 schools in Indiana with a variety of educational and professional development opportunities.

Japan office receives award from Japanese Gov't

In the spring of 2004 the Institute for Education on Japan received the Foreign Minister’s Commendation from the government of Japan as part of the celebration of 150 years of Japan-U.S. relations. Chuck Yates, professor of Asian history and director of the Institute, accepted the award at the Consul General’s residence in Chicago during which several other midWestern organizations also received commendations.

The award was in recognition of the Institute’s commitment to educational, cultural, and community programs to increase understanding between Japanese and Americans. The Institute for Education on Japan office helps support and fund the Japanese Studies Degree Program at Earlham, various K-12 outreach programs and exchanges on Japan, faculty development projects, and other Japan-related activities.