About Us

The Association for the Advancement of Israel-Japan Academic and Cultural Relations (IJAC) is a nonprofit organization established in 2014.

The purpose of the IJAC is to support Japanese-Israeli academic exchange and provide an active hub for cultural dialogue between Japan, Israel, and beyond. We believe that only through open intercultural dialogue can we gain new insights into issues related to history and culture and better understand our societies.

With the support of the Department of Asian Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, we have so far initiated activities that create a better understanding of Japan and promote dialogue with the wider Jewish world.

We believe all women can embrace who they are, can define their future, and can change the world

Our Mission:

Strengthen the academic relations between communities of Israeli and Japanese scholars
Promote cultural relations between Israel and Japan through supporting related initiatives
Provide more opportunities for scholars and students coming to Japan
Provide information and links to Japanese scholars and students interested in Israel and the wider Jewish world
Empower women both from Israel and Japan through a variety of activities

Future Activities

Israel-Japan Research and Culture Center

We envision a center that creates links between Japanese Studies scholars worldwide and serve as a connecting place for Israeli and Jewish scholars of Japanese Studies.

The goal of the Israel Japan Research Center (IJRS) is to provide a hub for variety of academic and cultural activities.

Currently there is no place in Japan to host cultural or academic activities for Israelis who visit or live in Japan.
Israeli students collect valuable information, but there is no place to pool and share it.

The IJRS will be managed by two locals, both Israeli and Japanese nationalities, helping to connect Israeli scholars during their sabbatical year. The visiting scholars will have the opportunity to make academic relations with other universities and connect between Israeli and Japanese scholars from different fields.

The managers of the IJRS will be in charge of coordinating the activities and student volunteers and a variety of cultural activities such as Israeli movie evenings for open audiences, exhibitions, Hebrew classes etc.

This scholarship will be available for Israeli PhD students to study Japanese religions in Japan, especially relations with other religions such as Judaism. The students will be selected by a committee of specialists and will need to stay in Japan for a period of at least one year to conduct research at a Japanese university.

PhD Fellowship

Seminar for Israeli Students in Japan

Israeli students who study in Japan or are ready to come to Japan on their own will gather for a long weekend of discussion and exploration.

The seminar will take place in several key locations in Japan in collaboration with local institutions.

The student group will be accompanied by two Israeli professors; they will have the opportunity to visit various locations. In addition, they will meet Japanese students at collaborating universities to conduct concentrated seminars on issues related to Japan and Israel.

Meet the founder

Hadas KUSHELEVICH

Dr. Hadas Kushelevich is an educator, researcher, and bridge-builder working at the intersection of Japan and Israel. Originally from Israel, she holds a B.A. in Japanese Studies and Political Science, and an M.A. in Political Science from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. In 2012, she moved to Japan as a recipient of the prestigious MEXT scholarship, beginning a journey that would gradually turn Japan into a second home.

She earned her Ph.D. from the Graduate School of Law and Politics at Osaka University, where her research focused on Japanese political institutions and regulatory governance, particularly the regulation of Japan’s pharmaceutical market and the relationship between public policy, politics, and organizational reputation.

Today, Hadas teaches at leading universities in Japan and Israel, including Kyoto University, Doshisha University, Ritsumeikan University, and the University of Haifa. Alongside her academic work, she develops educational and cross-cultural initiatives that connect students, researchers, entrepreneurs, and institutions across borders.

Living in Japan for more than a decade, Hadas engages with the country not only as a scholar but also through everyday life and continuous exploration. Fluent in Japanese and deeply immersed in the culture, she is fascinated by the ways traditions, communities, innovation, and social systems coexist and evolve within Japanese society. Her experiences across classrooms, communities, and international collaborations continue to shape her work and inspire the programs and partnerships she creates.

Through her work, she seeks to build long-term bridges between people, ideas, and institutions, while encouraging future generations to think globally, act collaboratively, and approach cultural exchange with curiosity, empathy, and imagination.