JAPAN STUDY ABROAD 1 is designed for students with little or no prior knowledge of Japanese. Titled “Handcrafted Japan,” this seven-week program explores Japan’s wide range of handcrafted heritage, such as historic temples and monuments; culinary staples like ramen; contemporary media like manga, anime, and film; and both classical and modern crafts, including stationery, street fashion, and kawaii culture.
The program begins with a month-long immersive residency in Kyoto, Japan’s ancient capital—a breathtaking valley that mirrors the cultural grandeur of London, Paris, and Rome combined. Through field trips, hikes, interactive scavenger hunts, blogging, and hands-on learning, we will enhance our cultural insights and language skills. Together, we will explore Kyoto’s legendary temples, parks, and local culinary highlights, alongside modern attractions like the teamLab Biovortex, and the Nintendo and Manga Museums. We will also delve into the rich heritage of neighboring Osaka, the country’s culinary capital, where you can gorge yourself on gyoza and savory pancakes and enjoy daytrips to see the natural beauty of Nara and Lake Biwa and other locations.
For the final two-weeks of the program, we will traverse Japan via bullet train, stopping to visit historic war memorials in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the magnificent castle town of Himeji, Ghibli-themed attractions in Nagoya, and the scenic coastal beaches of Kamakura and Enoshima. Our final destination is Tokyo, a vibrant world megacity celebrated for its Instagramable street drip, legendary anime studios, cutting-edge architecture, otaku culture, and many Michelin-starred restaurants—the most of any city in the world!
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