It was with deep sorrow and heavy hearts that we learned of the passing on August 5, 2023, of Ehud Harari, Professor Emeritus of Asian Studies and Political Science at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Prof. Harari was the honorary president of the Israel Association for Japanese Studies (IAJS) from 2015–18 and a cherished member of our community. We have lost a remarkable scholar, an esteemed mentor, and a dear friend.
Born in Ramat Gan in 1935, during the British Mandate, Harari attended high school in Tel Aviv and served as an infantry soldier in the Israel Defense Forces. In 1958, he enrolled at Georgetown University in Washington, DC. As his undergraduate studies drew to a close, Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs extended a unique offer to Harari—an opportunity to study the Burmese language. At the time, Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion saw great potential in forming a relationship between Israel and Burma, and fostering collaboration particularly focused on agriculture. It was even referred to as “the Israel–Burma love story.” However, Burmese was not taught at Berkeley, the university at which Harari planned to pursue his graduate studies. Upon further investigation, he discovered that the university did offer Japanese, though it was one of the most difficult languages to learn, and that for Westerners, Japanese society is one of the least understood and hardest to comprehend. As an idealist who loved challenges, Harari decided that Japanese was the right option for him. At that time, Japan was considered “a distant land beyond the mountains of darkness.” Undaunted, he viewed the fostering of relations with that country as a personal and national mission, and managed to convince the ministry to comply.
In 1960, Harari began his graduate studies in the Department of Political Science at Berkeley. His senpai [upperclassman or superior] at Berkeley was the late Ogata Sadako, who later became a professor of international politics at Sophia University in Japan and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. During Harari's master's studies, he joined the UN Development Program as a specialist representing the University of California. Once having embarked on his doctoral studies, Harari met three scholars—his supervisors Robert Scalapino, Chalmers Johnson, and Ernst Haas—who had a profound academic and personal influence on him. In 1965, he went to Japan with his wife, Ruti, to conduct field research at the Institute of Social Sciences at the University of Tokyo. Three years later, he submitted his doctoral thesis entitled “Labor Laws in Japan: Political and International Interaction.”
After successfully defending his doctorate, Harari returned to Israel and accepted a position as a lecturer at the Department of Political Science at Tel Aviv University. In 1973, he set out on a year-long research journey to Japan, followed by a year of writing at Berkeley. Upon his return, he became a faculty member at the Hebrew University, a role he cherished throughout his distinguished academic career. In the following decades, he spent time as a visiting professor and researcher at numerous academic institutions around the world, including the Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study (NIAS) in Wassenaar; St. Anthony’s College and the Nissan Institute of Japanese Studies at Oxford University; the University of British Columbia; the Wilson Center in Washington; Leiden University; Tokyo University; and Meiji Gakuin University.
Harari's research combined the study of Japan and its culture with political science, international relations, public administration, business management, and political economy. Today, he is rightly considered the founder of multidisciplinary Japanese studies in Israel. His first book, on the development of labor relations in Japan, was published by the University of California Press in 1973 and is still regarded as a groundbreaking work. That volume was recently republished in the Revived Voices series of UC Press. His latest book, published in 2012 by the Open University of Israel, provided a comprehensive view of contemporary Japanese politics.
Harari firmly upheld the idea of melding a strong foundation in his own academic discipline—political science—with an intimate and profound understanding of Japan and its rich culture. His mastery of the Japanese language was truly exceptional, and over the years he fostered deep and enduring connections with Japanese politicians and bureaucrats. Harari's meticulous perusal of every page of the Japanese papers was a morning ritual that mirrored the routine of others who read local news while enjoying their morning coffee. He served as a mentor to numerous students in Israel and beyond. Some went on to assume academic positions in Japanese studies and political science, while others pursued careers in government service or business. Impressively, he remained in regular contact with many of them, even years after their graduation.
During his distinguished career, Harari held various positions in academia through which he promoted the study of Japan. From 1985–87, he served as the head of the Public Administration Program in the Department of Political Science at Hebrew University, and from 1990–92, he was the head of the Asian Studies Department, during which time the number of students grew substantially. In later years, he was elected as the honorary president of the Israel Association for Japanese Studies. Highly regarded on the international level, he also served on the editorial board of several leading journals in the field, including Social Science Japan Journal and Japan Forum.
Harari’s scholarly contributions and public engagements earned him great respect, particularly in Japan. Key figures in the Japanese political world sought his advice. In 2002, he was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun: Gold Rays with Rosette by the Emperor of Japan in recognition of his efforts in disseminating knowledge about the country and fostering stronger bonds between it and Israel. Notably, in 2017, he was awarded a higher decoration, the Order of the Rising Sun: Gold and Silver Star—a rare honor indeed.
Harari is survived by his wife, Ruti, and their three children: Irra, an educational psychologist; Omri, an entrepreneur and pioneer in the global electronic music scene; and Reut, an historian of modern Japan.
Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones, and we extend our deepest condolences to all those who had the privilege of knowing Prof. Ehud Harari. May they find solace in the profound impact he made during his lifetime, and may his legacy endure for generations to come.
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Notes on contributors
Rotem Kowner
Rotem Kowner is Professor of Japanese Studies and Naval History at the University of Haifa and a leading expert on the Russo–Japanese War. A founder and first chair of the Department of Asian Studies at the University of Haifa, his research interests encompass Japan's modern war, issues of race and racism in East Asia, the Jewish communities in Asia, and Israel's relations with Asian countries.
Nissim Otmazgin
Nissim Otmazgin is Professor at the Department of Asian Studies and Dean of the Faculty of Humanities at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His research interests include Japanese popular culture in Asia, popular culture and regionalization in East and Southeast Asia, Japan–Southeast Asian relations, and cultural policy in Japan and South Korea. Prof. Kowner and Prof. Otmazgin are the founders of the Israeli Association of Japanese Studies.