In Memoriam

In Memoriam: Atsuko Hirai, 1936-2014

HiraiAtsuko Hirai, the Kazushige Hirasawa Professor of History Emerita at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, died at her home on July 14 after battling cancer for seven years. She was 78 years old.

HiraibookA native of Japan, Professor Hirai studied at Tokyo University before coming to the United States to earned a Ph.D. in government at Harvard University. Before joining the faculty at Bates College in 1988, Dr. Hirai taught at Harvard University, Sophia University, Michigan State University, Wellesley College, and Simmons College. She also served as a fellow in Japanese and Korean studies at the University of California, Berkeley. She retired from teaching in 2013.

Professor Hirai was author of several books including her latest work, Government by Mourning: Death and Political Integration in Japan, 1603-1912 (Harvard University Press, 2014).

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Related Articles

Latest News

Anne Carson Wins the Nobel Prize in Literature

0
Dr. Carson is known for her work in poetry, fiction, and translation. She has taught at several educational institutions throughout Canada and the United States.

Kimberly T. Kostelis Selected to Lead Central Connecticut State University

0
Dr. Kostelis, the new interim president of Central Connecticut State University, has been with the university for more than two decades. For the past five years, she has served as provost and vice president for academic affairs.

California State University Dominguez Hills Extends Interim President’s Contract

0
Mary Ann Villarreal took the helm of CSU Dominguez Hills on January 1, 2026. She will continue to serve as the university's interim president through the 2028–2029 academic year.

Six Women With Academic Ties Named MacArthur Fellows

0
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation recently announced the 20 latest recipients in its fellowship program, commonly referred to as “genius grants.” Six of the awardees are American women with ties to the academic world.

Report Ranks the United States 47th Among World Nations in Gender Equality

0
Along with 31 other economies, the U.S. has reached 100 percent gender parity in educational attainment. But gender gaps in the U.S. persist in economic opportunity, health and survival, and political empowerment, according to a new report from the World Economic Forum.

Latest Job Listings

Assistant Professor, Jazz

0
The Faculty of Music at the University of Toronto invites applications for a full-time tenure-stream position in the area of Jazz.

Associate Professor, Piano Pedagogy

0
The Faculty of Music at the University of Toronto invites applications for a full-time tenure-stream position in the area of Piano Pedagogy.

Future Faculty in the Physical Sciences Postdoctoral Fellowship

0
We seek to attract a diverse cohort of early career scientists who will conduct research in physics, broadly defined, including astrophysics, biophysics, geophysics, and planetary physics, independently or in collaboration with Princeton faculty, postdoctoral researchers and students.

Director of the School of Dance

0
The College of Fine Arts at the University of Utah invites nominations and applications for a visionary leader to serve as the next Director of its School of Dance.

Assistant Professor of Teaching in Neuroscience in the UCLA Department of Psychology and Undergraduate Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program

0
The UCLA Department of Psychology and the UCLA Undergraduate Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program invite applications for a full-time Assistant Professor of Teaching who will develop and teach courses in Behavioral, Cellular, and Molecular Neuroscience.