PRESS RELEASE

米国大使館 報道室 PRESS OFFICE, U.S. EMBASSY, TOKYOjp.usembassy.gov

21-02REFebruary 3, 2021

Mickey Mikitani Donation Enhances Fulbright Opportunities for JapaneseStudents, Strengthens U.S.-Japan Relationship
The Japan-U.S. Educational Commission (Fulbright Japan) announced
that Mickey Mikitani, Chairman and CEO of Rakuten, Inc., has personallycommitted to establishing the Fulbright-Mikitani Memorial Grant witha ¥90,000,000 donation (nearly one million USD) to support future Japaneseparticipants in the prestigious U.S. Fulbright program. U.S.
Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Joseph Young joined Mikitani for theannouncement.
The Fulbright-Mikitani Memorial Grant represents a major step forward for U.S.Japan educational opportunities. The grant represents both an opportunity
to further expand the Fulbright program and study in the United States, as well as ademonstration of binational support for educational exchange and the building ofpeople-to-people relationships upon which the U.S.-Japan partnership is founded.
For the next three years, Mikitani’s generous donation will support 5-6
Japanese students annually to pursue Master’s and Ph.D. degrees, in a variety offields in the social sciences and humanities, at U.S. educational institutions throughthe Fulbright program, the U.S. government’s flagship international exchange
program. Japanese students of all backgrounds are encouraged to apply to gain avaluable international perspective through studying abroad in the UnitedStates. Like all Fulbright grants, the Fulbright-Mikitani Memorial Grant will beawarded through an open and merit-based selection process.
In announcing his financial support, Mickey Mikitani, Rakuten, Inc. Chairman andCEO, commented, “Study abroad and the United States’ culture of innovation andacademic excellence has had an enormous impact on my own life. My father
was among the first generation of Japanese Fulbright Scholars to the U.S., and hisexperience studying economics at Harvard University and later teaching at Yale
University left an indelible impression on my own life. It influenced my decision
to study abroad and earn my MBA at Harvard Business School. I am very excited
to partner with the prestigious Fulbright program to open doors for Japan's leadersof tomorrow to gain an international education and global perspective through theFulbright-Mikitani Memorial Grant.”
U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Joseph Young noted, “The Fulbright program
offers an incredible opportunity for Japanese to travel, study, and learn in theUnited States. Recipients of the Fulbright-Mikitani Memorial Grant will join
thousands of Japanese Fulbright scholars who have made important and lasting
contributions in their respective fields, and in so doing, continue to deepen andstrengthen the U.S.-Japan relationship. I am both delighted and proud to be part ofthis celebration today.”
The Fulbright program is a scholarship program with an international reputation
built on the principles of binational governance, autonomy, and open competition
based on individual merit without regard to institutional affiliation, geographicallocation, race, color or creed. The program's objective is not only to enable therecipient to pursue a particular field of study but to develop leaders who cancontribute to promoting mutual understanding between the United States andJapan. For more information, please visit the Japan-U.S. Educational Commission's
webpage at https://www.fulbright.jp/.
About Mickey Mikitani
Mickey Mikitani is the founder, chairman and CEO of Rakuten, Inc. Founded inJapan in 1997 with the mission to contribute to society by creating value throughinnovation and entrepreneurship, Rakuten has grown to become one of the world's
leading internet services companies.
Rakuten has a dynamic ecosystem of more than 70 services, spanning e-commerce,
fintech, digital content and communications, bringing the joy of discovery to morethan 1.4 billion members around the world. Rakuten also became Japan’s newest
mobile network operator in 2019.
Born in Kobe, Mikitani was educated at Hitotsubashi University in Tokyo, began
his career in investment banking, and earned his MBA at Harvard Business School.
In 2012, he was awarded the HBS Alumni Achievement Award, one of theschool’s highest honors.

In 2011, he was appointed Chairman of the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra. Healso serves as Representative Director of the Japan Association of New Economy(JANE).
In 2016, he was appointed Chairman and Director of Rakuten Medical, Inc.
(formerly Aspyrian Therapeutics, Inc.), a biotechnology company developing theproprietary Illuminox™ platform as a new standard in precision-targeted anticancer treatment technology, and also took up the role of CEO in 2018.

Ryoichi Mikitani (far left) during his time as a Fulbright Scholar

Mickey Mikitani (far right) at Harvard Business School with his father, Ryoichi Mikitani (far left)###