An upsurge in the Japanese economy in 1990 produced a similar upsurge in the number of students concentrating in East Asian Studies.

Five years ago, the department had almost 160 concentrators, according to the Office of the Registrar. But as interest in Japan's economy declined, so has interest in East Asian Studies.

Between 1990 and 1993, enrollment dropped in half. In 1993, there were 75 students concentrating in EAS, according to the Registrar.

From 1993 to the present, the number of concentrators has hovered in the mid-70s. This year, EAS has 78 concentrators, 40 of whom are studying jointly with another department.

Despite the decline, faculty and students in the department agree that, in the words Professor of Chinese Literature and EAS head tutor Leo Lee, "there is no crisis."

In fact, many students believe that their department is among the best in the College.

As concentrator Ezra L. Block '95-'96 says, "It couldn't get any better."

But the 78 EAS concentrators undertake, in the words of one student, an "almost daunting" task.

From Haiku to Buddhism, Confucius to Mao Tse-Tung, East Asian Studies encompasses a great wealth of information. The department studies the history, literature, politics, philosophy and economics of China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam, making it one of the most comprehensive departments at Harvard. The requirements are almost as sweeping.

Why a Decline?

Because students overwhelmingly applaud their department, they say they are surprised by the decline in enrollment.

Many attribute it to the overall decrease in interest in the humanities at Harvard. Over the past five years, enrollment in almost every humanities department has declined, while enrollment in the sciences has increased.

But others say the department peaked in 1990 and is now returning to a more normal number of concentrators.

"When the department had 160 students, it was the third largest department at Harvard," says Babbitt Professor of Comparative Literature and Professor of Chinese Stephen Owen. "Now it strikes me as about right."

And still others say enrollment figures are cyclical in nature depending on world events.

"[Enrollment in EAS] has gone down because Japan's economy is not as good, but the China program has gone up," says Mark R. Freeman '97.