CWAJ's origins date back to after World War II when the alumnae clubs from Mount Holyoke College and Wellesley College joined forces to provide travel grants for Japanese students with scholarships at US universities but lacked transportation funds.  Passage abroad was available only on foreign ships, payment had to be made in dollars, the yen was a non-convertible currency, and poverty was rife.  Surpassing language and nationality, these alumnae clubs believed that their efforts would contribute towards the future of Japan.  Within a year from the initial efforts, the organization had expanded to include all US college alumnae in Tokyo and the group was renamed the College Women's Club of Tokyo (CWCT).

By the mid-1950s, the Japanese economy was slowly recovering but the standard of living remained minimal.  The prospect of study abroad continued to attract increasing numbers of young Japanese students.  To cope with the increased demand, CWCT established an information service on study in the USA. In 1955, in response to the University of Michigan's request, an orientation program was inaugurated to prepare not only its own new Japanese students, but also Fulbright scholars, for their first postwar contact with US culture.  The orientation courses were the foundation for the organization's future cultural and educational priorities. 

During the 1960s, Japan's economic development accelerated and an increasing number of foreign businesses established themselves in Japan.  CWCT's ongoing development reflected these trends.  As more newcomers arrived in Tokyo, membership grew.  In 1963, women who had studied at universities throughout Japan and abroad became eligible to join, necessitating an appropriate name change to the College Women's Association of Japan (CWAJ).  It was also during this time that the Travel Grant program was replaced with female-only scholarships to help women graduates become better equipped to compete in the male-dominated job market.  The scholarship program was extended further in 1981 with the creation of the program for non-Japanese graduate women who study at Japanese universities. 

In 1978, Japan's first-ever scholarships for visually impaired students were created by CWAJ.  A decade later other vital support services for visually impaired students were established as part of the education efforts by CWAJ volunteers.  CWAJ is the only organization in Japan offering services to the visually impaired in English with the aim of broadening their educational opportunities.  Among the activities are conversation practice, tape recordings, Braille transcriptions, publications in English and Japanese, classes, lectures, workshops, concerts, excursions, training of guides, and job interview practice.

CWAJ is proud of its history.  We are grateful to the hundreds of CWAJ volunteers and supporters who came before us.  We look forward to our continued responsibilities to future students, Japan, and the world.