Kyoto, Japan Perspectives Program
The Kyoto: Japan Perspectives program gives students a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to immerse themselves in one of the world’s most fascinating societies. Students can choose to live in Japan for 4 weeks in May or June, or they can choose to deepen their experience by spending a full 8 weeks in Japan. During the program, students will be immersed in the magic of historic Kyoto, while being just a quick train ride away from the megalopolis of Tokyo or the Ghibli-esque charm of the Japanese countryside. Everything is designed to integrate travel, classroom learning, curated excursions, and purposeful social engagement to help students better understand Japan’s history, economy, religion, and culture. Yes, students will eat incredible food and enjoy the island nation’s unique pop culture, but even more importantly, the cross-cultural experience will make students more empathetic, nuanced in their worldviews, and aware of their own cultural preferences and biases. Key to this learning process is the student’s openness to listening, engaging, and being curious.
The Kyoto: Japan Perspectives Program is designed for:
- Students pursuing global-minded vocations
- Students who want to dive into a one-of-a-kind cultural experience in one of the world’s most unique and magical places
- Students who understand that the 21st century economy is highly globalized and requires professionals who understand the role of Asian businesses, culture, and history
- Students who want a fun-yet-academically rigorous study abroad experience
Program Options & Dates
MAY AND JUNE: May 8 - July 2, 2027
MAY ONLY: May 8 - June 4, 2027
JUNE ONLY: June 6 - July 2, 2027
*The dates listed above are planned group flight departure dates from LAX and in-country return departure dates.
Costs
Health & Safety
Visa Information
Course Requirements and Offerings
Refer to the academics page for details on the minimum unit requirements and class pre-requisites for the program. Textbook lists will be provided by the program staff.
Faculty-in-Residence
Mike Sugimoto
Professor of Asian Studies
Mike Sugimoto is a Professor of Asian Studies at Seaver College, teaching classes in Japanese film, Japanese literature, and modern Japanese history. He is from Gardena, a local Jpn-Am enclave with parents from Wakayama (greater Osaka region). He majored in East Asian Social Science and Japanese Literature at U Minnesota, earning a PhD in Japanese Literature and Thought from Cornell. In some ways more at home abroad - lived in Tokyo for 4 years, Switzerland for 7 - he welcomes the opportunity to immerse himself in the regional Kyoto dialect first spoken at home. Attending the local Buddhist temple growing up, he converted to Christianity as an adult while living in the alpine Swiss L'Abri community, where hospitality and transformative learning were wedded, typically occurring around the meal table and common work; a practice enjoyed while serving as FiR in Lausanne for two years.
Kyoto was the ancient capital, but also a key site in Japan's modernization, forever fusing traditional and modern as co-enabling impulses. 20th c. anti-colonial, Asian revolutionaries flocked to Kyoto, looking to Japan to lead an Asian renaissance. In so many ways, Kyoto will be a fascinating place to explore the contradictions of modern identity - national, religious, ethnic - in a beautiful, human-scaled environment. Dubbed 'Florence of the East,' Kyoto has a long tradition in traditional arts, as well as being a center for contemporary anime/manga. With a nationally regarded ramen district and the highest ranking of matcha, there'll be lots to take in and discover together!