The Center was established on April 3, 1997 at the College of Business Administration, University of Hawaii. Professor Mitsuru Misawa was appointed as the Director on September 1, 1997. The Center is located at the Shidler College of Business Administration, Office: D307.

The establishment is based on a suggestion from the Japanese Keidanren's Investment Study Mission to Hawaii in 1998, as well as the local community's strong request for well-balanced Japanese investment to Hawaii.

The Center was authorized as a 15th Overseas Contribution Project of Council for Better Corporate Citizenship (CBCC), Keidanren by its Project Selection Committee held on November 13, 1997. This authorization enables Japanese corporations, that make donations to the Center through CBCC, to receive a tax exemption.

The Central mission of the Center is to enhance the understanding of the Japanese financial market, its structural change and Japanese global investment policies and strategies through research and exchange of ideas. The post-bubble Japanese economy is in the process of adjustment and transformation. The magnitude and the rapidly changing patterns of Japanese global investments are having considerable impact on the world financial community and the economy of the United States and, in particular, of Hawaii.

The basis of the Center's activities is local community developments involving local Japanese companies who are requested to represent good corporate citizenship in Hawaii. The Center activities include:

• Research and publication regarding the interrelationship between Japanese global investment and financial markets and other economies.
• International conferences and symposiums on current issues.
• Distinguished Business Leaders Lecture.
• Developing research resources on Japanese investment and financial markets including using Hawaii as case model to study Japanese investment strategies and options.
• Internship Programs
• Fellowship and Scholarship Programs
• The Japanese Data Bank