The HBS Club of Japan held a virtual gathering on June 25 to showcase its HBS Japan Fellowship—a fund that helps students from Japan “realize their dream” of attending Harvard Business School.

Moderated by Ryo Takahashi (MBA 2020), 35 alumni attended the Zoom event, which featured a keynote address by HBS assistant professor Tomomichi Amano and a personal account by previous HBS Japan fellowship recipient Yasuhiro Sasago (MBA 2020).

HBS assistant professor Tomomichi Amano

Yasuhiro Sasago (MBA 2020)

HBS assistant professor Tomomichi Amano

Yasuhiro Sasago (MBA 2020)

“Unlike when many of us who studied at HBS, today few Japanese corporations offer their employees scholarships to study at business schools,” says club member and event co-organizer Masako Egawa (MBA 1986). “The HBS Japan Fellowship Fund was created in 2016 by the HBS Club of Japan and alumni to provide scholarship support to financially needy students from Japan attending HBS. This is a great way to help the next generation of leaders in and from Japan.”

The annual fellowship event is aimed at increasing alumni awareness of the endowed fellowship fund, which has provided financial aid support to three MBA students so far. A new recipient will be announced this fall.

Having special guest speakers like Professor Amano helps bring alumni to the event, where they can also learn more about the fellowship. “We asked Professor Amano to speak at our annual fellowship event because he is a tenure-track faculty member from Japan who joined HBS a couple of years ago,” says Egawa. She adds that Amano is the third HBS faculty member from Japan, after Michael Yoshino (emeritus) and Hiro Takeuchi. Egawa notes that the hiring of Amano represents HBS’ continued commitment to Japan, which has also included the opening of the Japanese Research Center in 2002 and the annual Independent Field Course that launched in 2011.

Amano, a marketing professor, gave a lecture entitled “Gaming or Gambling? An Empirical Investigation of the Role of Loot Boxes in Video Games,” which explored the arguments for and against these in-game lottery-like mechanisms and their broader implications for the gaming industry and beyond.

Sasago, who was a recipient of the HBS Japan Fellowship in 2019 and 2020, says he was working in finance while Japan was struggling to maintain a presence in the global economy. “When I was accepted by HBS, I decided to encourage other Japanese to take on big challenges abroad to change this situation,” he says. “I will never forget when I found out I had been awarded the fellowship. At that time, the funding concern was pressuring me every day. [The fellowship] enabled me to pursue my dream.”

Since graduating in 2020, Sasago has launched a restaurant, Bosso Ramen Tavern, in Harvard Square, Cambridge. “I am trying to build a successful business in the US so my fellow Japanese will see this and follow,” he says. “And, to use the analogy of candles, I am a candle and the HBS Japan Fellowship lit the fire for me. Now I want to light other candles.”

The HBS Japan Fellowship relies entirely on contributions from alumni for its funding. One such donor, Thierry Porte (MBA 1982), calls the fellowship “an investment in the future of Japan and our society. Supporting fellowships for HBS students is one of the greatest gifts that one can make to Harvard Business School. I have been pleased to support this program.”

To date, more than 70 alumni have generously contributed to the fund, enabling it to become a permanent endowed fellowship. The club’s goal is to continue to raise funds to be able to support more deserving students. The HBS Japan Fellowship is administered as part of the School’s need-based financial aid program. (Learn more about the program.)

All contributions count in class reunion and annual giving totals. The School has created a special form for anyone wishing to give to this fellowship. Go to: www.alumni.hbs.edu/japanfellowship.

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