Not-for-Profit Foundation Established
We are happy to announce the establishment of the Institute for Medieval Japanese Studies Foundation, officially recognized in July 1999 as a 501 (c) (3) Not-for-Profit Corporation in the State of New York. This new financial structure has greatly facilitated the fund-raising for IMJS projects and also reduces our costs. Donors may become patrons of the Institute in general or may designate specific projects they want to support. All gifts to the Foundation are tax-exempt by the United States Internal Revenue Service.

Staff Changes
After two and a half years of outstanding service, Executive Director Tammy Allen left the Institute at the end of December, to pursue a graduate degree in Columbia's School for International and Public Affairs. We wish Tammy the warmest congratulations and the best of luck. In January, the Institute welcomed Miho Walsh from the Consulate General of Japan in New York as the new Executive Director, and with her dynamic leadership and organizational skills, she has already made her own mark on all our programs. Elizabeth O'Brien also joined the Institute in January as our first full-time Publications Manager, whose many publishing responsibilities include production of this newsletter. Ken Aoki remains central to our staff, in charge of all Japanese language document management. As always, the Institute's programs would not be possible without the hard work of our talented part-time associates. Many thanks to Tomoko Sumida, Tomoko Sugahara, Herschel Miller, Gina Cogan, Celina Lee, Chin Yoo, our Tokyo liaison Ota Terumi, and our music intern, Miyuki Ito. We also welcome warmly the new Executive Director of our Kyoto Branch, Oishi Kuniko.

New IMJS Research Associate Appointed
We are happy to announce the addition of Professor Okuda Isao of University of the Sacred Heart to our Imperial Buddhist Convent Survey Team and especially to the Restoration Project. Professor Okuda has had many decades of experience in monastery archival research and brings great strength to our convent project. We also welcome to the team Tanaka Masaru of Hanazono University, who is assisting in the computerization of cataloging at Hôkyôji convent and playing a vital role in the planning for the new Kyoto center.