Kawasaki Reading Room

We act as a cultural bridge by providing educational resources and sharing Japanese culture, art, language and history to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and the extended community.

View in the Kawasaki Reading Room

COVID-19 Update

We are open! Face coverings are required. Eating is only allowed in the reading room/study area. Call or email for help if you are not comfortable with a mask.

What We Offer

We welcome the community to visit us during our regular business hours to study, relax, and look over our resources.

Events and Services

  • Academic Speaker Series
  • Music Events
  • Japanese Craft Workshops (Origami, Shodo)
  • Conversation Tables/Japanese Language Tutoring
  • Cultural Outreach (LPS, Pre-schools)
  • Tea Ceremony
Japanese items

Collections

Our ever-growing collection of more than seven thousand books, magazines, and journals were selected to support the learning of Japanese language and culture within the University of Nebraska and amongst Lincoln’s diverse communities.

The collection includes texts and movies discussing art, business, geography, history, law, language, literature, politics, and religion. We also have a variety of popular Japanese novels, children’s books, martial arts, cooking, crafting, and travel guides.

For fans of Japanese cinema and anime, there is a large assortment of over four hundred DVDs and Blu-Ray discs. From Akira Kurosawa to Hayao Miyazaki, the Kawasaki Reading Room has a selection of some of the finest films and animation from Japan.

Reading Room materials and chairs

Advisory Board

The Kawasaki Reading Room is advised by faculty members of the university community:

  • Ikuho Amano, Department of Modern Languages and Literatures
  • Parks Coble, Department of History
  • Rumiko Handa, College of Architecture
  • Yaroslav Komarovski, Department of Classics and Religious Studies

History

UNL’s Kawasaki Reading Room is a unique center for Japanese studies in Nebraska. It is operated by the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures at UNL. The Reading Room acts as a bridge between Lincoln’s Japanese and international communities by facilitating language learning and cultural understanding.

Made possible by generous contributions from the Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing Corp., USA , the Kawasaki Reading Room for Japanese Studies first opened on September 24th, 1992. The Reading Room is a product of the vision and educational aspirations of Takehiko Saeki, the former president of Kawasaki Motors, USA.

Recurring Events

Japanese Conversation Tables:
Wednesdays, 5:00 - 6:00 p.m.

Tea Time Friday:
Fridays, 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Location and Contact

Jackie Gaughan Multicultural Center
Room 302, Third floor
1505 S St.
Lincoln, NE 68588-0450

Open 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

  • Except Wednesdays 4-5 p.m. for Japanese Conversation Table

Masks required

kawasakireadingroom@gmail.com
(402) 472-9427
Fax (402) 472-3427

Madoka Wayoro, Director