Earlham College to be host site of Japanese Olympiad of Indiana for next 3 years

Earlham College will begin hosting the Japanese Olympiad of Indiana in 2026, committing to serve as the site of the annual competition for three consecutive years. 

Held each February, the Olympiad brings together high school students from across the state for an intensive showcase of their knowledge of Japanese language and culture — an event marked by high energy and even higher stakes after months of preparation. 

This year’s event will take place on February 21, 2026. Organized statewide by the Association of Indiana Teachers of Japanese (AITJ), the Japanese Olympiad of Indiana will be planned and run on Earlham’s campus by Japanese Studies faculty, with support from many Earlham student volunteers.

Earlham is the first institution to make such a long-term hosting commitment, said Dyron Dabney, Director of Earlham’s Institute for Education on Japan.  Dabney, along with Yasumasa Shigenaga, associate professor in Japanese language and linguistics, helped lead the effort to bring the Olympiad to campus. 

Founded in 1986, Earlham’s Institute for Education on Japan plays a central role in supporting and expanding Earlham’s Japanese programs and community partnerships. Its work ranges from fundraising for study abroad opportunities to serving as a liaison between the College and Japanese businesses operating in Indiana, as well as state companies seeking to strengthen ties with Japan. The Institute also sponsors an annual lecture series and supports community events, including public screenings of Japanese films.

Through semesters abroad, faculty exchanges, alumni travel, teaching internships, and public cultural programming, Earlham has cultivated a long-standing and multifaceted connection to Japan and the Japanese community in Indiana. That relationship stretches back nearly 140 years, beginning when Earlham alumni Joseph and Sarah Ann Cosand traveled to Japan as missionaries and helped found what is now Tokyo Friends School. Since then, Earlham students, faculty, and alumni have continued to strengthen the bond through academic engagement and professional pathways — an evolving partnership that the Japanese Olympiad now further deepens.

***

About Earlham College 

Earlham College and Earlham School of Religion foster a collaborative learning community that inspires and motivates students with transformative opportunities and experiences so they can become catalysts for good in a changing world. Located in Richmond, Indiana, Earlham is one of U.S. News & World Report’s Top 100 national liberal arts colleges and offers one of the top 20 classroom experiences in the nation, according to the Princeton Review.