Japanese Language, Culture, and Sustainability 

Program Details by Region

Dates: May 10 - May 26, 2027

Destinations: Hokkaido, Aichi, Shizuoka, Tokyo & Kanagawa

Hokkaido (Sapporo & Noboribetsu): In Sapporo, students will practice conversation in the morning, followed by afternoon field trips to a special needs high school, a tatami factory, and a Yosakoi Soran traditional regional music experience, while getting accustomed to basic life in Japan. We will visit Moerenuma Park to study sustainability. Originally a waste landfill, it was successfully transformed into a massive public art park designed by Isamu Noguchi. In Noboribetsu, students will learn how a town successfully coexists with volcanoes.

Aichi (Nagoya & Surrounding Areas): Students will study industrial and sustainability cultures along with traditional crafts by exploring pottery, Indigo dye, and the Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology. Visiting Ghibli Park will be a learning experience of how the former Expo site is utilized. The program will visit the Nagoya University campus. The university is known for high academic performance in STEM studies, and it is tied to several of the Nobel Prizes in engineering and science.

Shizuoka (Mishima): At Juntendo University, they will engage in language exchange with local students through an independent tea-picking experience and a city tour. This location is known for Mount Fuji.

Tokyo & Kanagawa (Kamakura & Yokohama): Students will engage in sustainability efforts volunteering with an NPO in Japan as they apply their colloquial language skills and knowledge of the public transit system into practice to navigate their free time. Kamakura will be a historical and food culture learning experience for students as they continue exploring how the SDGs are implemented as a part of Japanese culture. 

Selection Criteria:

  • Be 18 years of age or older.

  • Participants seeking academic credit for the program must be able to read the required text and participate in discussions. Students must have taken and passed JPNS 2020 with a C or better or show equivalent proficiency determined by the program directors.

    Apply Now

Cost

COST: $3,880 (Airfare not included)

Deposit: $500 Deposit is due 72 hours after registration. If not paid in that timeframe, you may be dropped from your trip.

Full payment deadline: January 11th, 2027

Payments can now be made online! Visit Pay for Your Trip Online for instructions on how to pay your deposit online and future payments. Charges should show on your account within 24 hours after registration. As always, you can pay with a credit card as well. To keep our trip costs low, we encourage the use of ACH Bank Transfers, or payments by cash or check whenever possible.

Includes: insurance, tuition, room and board, domestic transportation, excursions, and some meals.

Not included: airfare, passport, incidentals, excess baggage costs, any unscheduled travel, and most meals.

 

Itinerary

Be sure to attend all pre-departure meetings!

  • 3/15 and 5/3, 2027: Pre-departure orientation

  • 5/10: Arriving in Sapporo, Hokkaido

5/10 - 5/16: Hokkaido - Stay in Sapporo

  • Houmei High School for SPED/ESE students, Moerenuma Park, Otaru

  • Tatami factory visit

  • Yosakoi-Soran experience

  • Noboribetsu Onsen (hot springs)

5/16 - 5/19: Aichi Prefecture - Stay in Toyota

  • Nagoya University, Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology, Ghibli Park (Former World Expo Site), Nagoya Castle

  • Tile Museum for arts

  • Seto pottery town experience

  • Indigo dye experience in Arimatsu (National Heritage)

5/19 - 5/22: Shizuoka Prefecture - Stay in Mishima

  • Juntendo University, Juntendo University Nursing Department, UNESCO Nirayama Reverberatory Furnace (World Heritage)

  • Juntendo University EFL class participation

  • Collaboration with Juntendo University students

5/22 - 5/26: Tokyo and Kanagawa Prefectures - Stay in Shinagawa

  • Tokyo Night Market, Tower Records (Localized business), Kamakura, Yokohama, Harajuku

  • Sustainability effort volunteering at Tokyo Night Market

  • Green Room Marine Environment Conservation Festival in Yokohama

Academic Courses

Students may enroll in six (6) of the following credit hours:

  • JPNS 3000 (3): Proficiency Development
  • JPNS 3570 (3): Japanese Culture

Program Directors

Tomono Adachi has been teaching Japanese at Weber State for more than 10 years. She is from Sapporo, Japan and received her Master's Degree in Kyoto. She is very well versed in the areas the program will be in.

tomonoadachi@weber.edu

Kaori Takimura holds a Master's Degree in Education and has a background in interpretation/translation with teaching experiences. She is from Iwaki, Fukushima and has lived in several regions in Japan.

kaoritakimura@weber.edu

 

Trip Cancellations

If Weber State cancels a trip for any reason, all participants will be refunded 100% of funds paid to the school. If a participant withdraws from the program for any reason, they are subject to the refund policy found on the first page of the application.  Deposits are always non-refundable, unless the program is canceled by Weber State.  No refunds will be issued 30 days prior to program start date. 

Refunds will NOT be given to students due to COVID-19 concerns. Before programs were canceled in 2020, every student was given the option to withdraw from programs without penalty due to COVID-19. This year students are applying, cognizant of the pandemic. Weber State will not intentionally place students into high risk situations. We will work together with Program Leaders and Departments on canceling should the destination demonstrate increased risks, be they from COVID or any other concern. As such, students must abide by the standard refund policy.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact the Study Abroad Office at (801) 626-8711.