The College Women's Association of Japan (CWAJ) was founded on a mantra of fellowship and the sharing of knowledge and creative ideas — much like the Library of Congress. In 1949, shortly after World War II, alumnae clubs from Mount Holyoke College and Wellesley College joined forces to provide travel grants for Japanese students who had scholarships to United States universities but couldn't afford the travel costs due to the country's impoverished economy. Within a year from their initial efforts, the group expanded to include all U.S. college alumnae in Tokyo.

Over the course of the next several decades, Japan's economic conditions improved and the prospect of study abroad continued to attract increasing numbers of young Japanese students. Membership grew too, as an increasing number of foreign businesses established themselves in Japan and eligibility was extended to alumnae from universities through all of Japan and the rest of the world. Orientation courses and scholarships were developed to encourage Japanese students to study abroad and non-Japanese students to study in Japan.

Based in Tokyo, membership has grown to some 600 women from more than 30 countries. The association hosts many educational activities on topics like art, ceramics, cross-cultural discussion, French conversation, music, hiking, Japanese conversation, reading and travel. These programs and their scholarships are funded by donations and the internationally renowned annual CWAJ Print Show, an exhibition and sale of Japanese prints.