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Japan-America Collegiate Exchange Travel Program Grantees 2012

Grantee University of Utah
Project TitleAuthority and Architecture in Japan: Literary Depictions of Power and Disaster in the Built Environment
Project DirectorMira Locher, Associate Professor, Architecture
JF Grant Total$33,009.00
Study-Tour DescriptionTogether with a 4-week combined course in literature and architecture to be taught in Utah, the tour will allow students to visit the buildings and landscapes depicted in their readings. By examining how power functions on social and structural levels as depicted in Japanese novels, short stories, memoirs, and films, as well as in actual buildings, landscapes and urban areas in Japan discussed in the literature, this course focuses on the roles that architecture and geography play in shaping the world of Japanese literature.
Grantee University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Project TitleJapan Summer 2012 Short-Term Study Abroad Tour
Project DirectorJason Christopher Jones, Assistant Professor, Japanese, Foreign Languages and Literature Department
JF Grant Total$18,738.71
Study-Tour DescriptionThe course objective is to enhance student understanding of both traditional Japanese culture and Japanese popular culture, through first-hand experience of venues connected with traditional and pop culture and lectures that provide students with the knowledge they will need to interpret their experience.
Grantee University of Arkansas Little Rock
Project TitleThe Cultural Aspects of Software Development in Japan
Project DirectorChia-Chu Chiang, Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science
JF Grant Total$18,500.00
Study-Tour DescriptionThe course is designed around the Japanese cultural influences in software development. The tour will help students see how the culture is practiced in software development and how the cultural aspects of software is educated and exercised in colleges. Ultimately, the tour provides students with experience in understanding the differences in software development in the USA and Japan, and further promotes the potential for collaboration in the future.
Grantee St. Olaf College
Project TitleAsian Conversations Semester 2: Experiencing Asia
Project DirectorKaril J. Kucera, Luce Associate Professor, Asian Studies and Art History
JF Grant Total$38,500.00
Study-Tour DescriptionThe goal of this course is to immerse Japanese language students in Japanese culture and daily life within the larger construct of studying Asia. The study tour is designed for maximum interaction with Japan in the form of pre-arranged interviews with their peers on a college campus, assignments focused on mapping Tokyo through visual and textual means, and visits to historical sites connected with the evolution of Tokyo from past to present.
Grantee Bethel University
Project TitleTravel Writing in Japan
Project DirectorPaul Reasoner, Professor of Philosophy
JF Grant Total$58,500.00
Study-Tour DescriptionThe objective of this study tour is to encourage students to recognize and articulate various personal, community, and cultural norms and their role is sustaining Japanese culture. Students will also analyze how their own individual experiences, language, culture, family and community values influence their views of the United States and Japan and consider and articulate the values and challenges of travel.
Grantee Depauw University. Greencastle, IN
Project TitleFrom Chopsticks to Robotics: Experiencing Japanese Culture through the Spirit of “Craftsmanship”
Project DirectorHiroko Chiba, Associate Professor of Modern Languages
JF Grant Total$66,400.00
Study-Tour DescriptionThe primary purpose of the project is for students to experience Japan culturally with a special focus on the spirit of craftsmanship. Participants will examine how the traditional spirit has influenced making things in design and production from daily commodities to advanced technology. The participants will also have a small-scale ethnographic experience, immersing themselves in Japanese society through a homestay.
Grantee Bucknell University
Project TitleSustainability – Japan’s power, environment, culture and language
Project DirectorElizabeth Armstrong, Associate Professor, East Asian Studies Department
JF Grant Total$33,300.00
Study-Tour DescriptionThe objective of this tour will be to examine the concept of sustainability regarding Japan’s power sources, the environment, culture and language. Students will address the first two topics by visiting Fukushima to learn about the effects of the nuclear disaster of 2011, and by visiting prominent ecologists and environmentalists in Tokyo and Kyoto. The aim is to learn about Japanese culture and languages and how convention and tradition is being sustaining in the process of continuous cultural/linguistic evolution.
Grantee Villanova University
Project TitleJapan Transforming
Project DirectorA. Maria Toyoda, Associate Professor, Political Science
JF Grant Total$45,600.00
Study-Tour DescriptionThis study tour will complement a full semester course on Japanese political, economic, and social transformation. The site visits are meant to address specific themes and topics in the course, such as the contrast between rural and urban representation, family life and youth culture, globalization’s impact on traditional industries, Japan’s foreign policy and affairs, etc. Students will directly engage with policymakers, officials and private actors.
Grantee University of Wisconsin-River Falls
Project TitleHistory 371 Japan Study Tour: Evolution of Japanese Civilization and Its Modern Transformation
Project DirectorZhiguo Yang, Professor of History, History Department
JF Grant Total$46,000.00
Study-Tour DescriptionIn addition to providing the students with a context for their knowledge of Japanese culture and history that they will be introduced to in the pre-tour lectures, the study tour is also designed to deepen their understanding of the uniqueness of Japanese civilization in Asia and its connection with other East Asian culture; the tradition of Japanese culture, society and political system during and after the Meiji Era; and the Japanese perspective on World War II and Japan’s wartime experiences and post-WWII reforms.
Grantee University of Findlay
Project TitleKyosei (co-existence) with Animals: Relationship with Pets among Contemporary Japanese
Project DirectorHiroaki Kawamura, Chair, Department of Language and Culture
JF Grant Total$56,000.00
Study-Tour DescriptionThis tour will be incorporated into a semester-long course, Introduction to Japanese Culture. The study tour will contribute to the course by providing opportunities for students to learn more about human-animal relationships in Japan through interviews and visits to numerous places to experience first-hand the similarities and difference in culture between Japan and the US.
Grantee Kent State University
Project TitleExperiencing Japanese Culture Firsthand
Project DirectorJudy Wakabayashi, Professor of Japanese, Modern & Classical Languages & Studies
JF Grant Total$47,650.00
Study-Tour DescriptionThe goal of this study tour is twofold: (1) to motivate students in the undergraduate Japanese Culture course to relate at a more personal level to topics and themes studied during the semester; (2) to add a richer dimension to the course by providing experiences not possible in a classroom setting through direct immersion in traditional contemporary Japanese culture. This will help dispel stereotypes, deepen their perspective, and offer more diverse insights. The trip will also offer opportunities for students to practice their Japanese language skills.
Grantee University of Hawaii
Project TitleIndigeneity in Japan: Ainu and Okinawan Identity and Culture in Historical and Contemporary Context
Project DirectorLonny E. Carlile, Associate Professor, Asian Studies
JF Grant Total$36,000.00
Study-Tour DescriptionThe objective of this study tour is to gain through first-hand observation and exposure a deep and nuanced understanding of the complex, multi-dimensional nature of the identities of “indigenous” peoples in Japan today through site visits, lectures and listening to the voices of Okinawans and Ainu people.
Grantee University of La Verne
Project TitleExperiencing Japan, Its Culture, and Its People
Project DirectorDr. Gloria Montebruno Saller. Department Associate, Modern Languages
JF Grant Total$30,880.00
Study-Tour DescriptionStops in Tokyo, Kamakura, Yokohama, Kyoto, Osaka, and Hiroshima, along with visits to museums and historical sites, will allow students to be exposed to the history, literature, and culture of Japan. Focus will be on the blending of the traditional/historical elements within a society with an aggressive push for modernity; on issues of change and continuity in historical and social issues; and on the understanding of concepts of morality and beauty in the arts.
Grantee Pratt Institute
Project TitleTokyo Planning and Urbanism
Project DirectorJonathan Martin, Associate Professor, School of Architecture
JF Grant Total$51,000.00
Study-Tour DescriptionThe course goals are to expose American students to Japanese planning and urban design approaches (including planning issues surrounding response to Japan’s March 11th Disasters) through interaction with faculty, students, professional practitioners (e.g. architects and planners), and government officials. The tour also aims to provide joint learning opportunities for American and Japanese urban planning students through academic interaction and to introduce relevant aspects of Japanese society and culture, including customs, geography/economy, arts, and language.
Grantee University of Nebraska Omaha
Project TitleThe Ancient Foundations of Contemporary Japan
Project DirectorHalla Kim, Professor, Department of Philosophy and Religion
JF Grant Total$30,700.00
Study-Tour DescriptionThis trip focuses on understanding the unique character of Japan and its intellectual heritage. In particular, the trip focuses on the question of the making of contemporary Japan out of ancient and medieval foundations.
Grantee St. Mary’s University
Project TitleChallenges on Japan’s Educational System and Labor Market in an Era of a Declining Population
Project DirectorDr. Eva P. Bueno, Chair, Department of Languages
JF Grant Total$48,500.00
Study-Tour DescriptionThe major goal of this study tour is to investigate the extent that such demographic shifts and changes as the aging and declining population and low fertility rates have impacted contemporary Japanese society an economy, and how sectors of society , the government, academia, the private and public pre-collegiate institutions, the export-oriented and domestic-based industries, have addressed these challenges from the human resources management viewpoint.
Grantee University of Wyoming
Project TitleJapanese Art and Culture
Project DirectorNoah Miles
JF Grant Total$46,000.00
Study-Tour DescriptionThe primary objective of this course is for students to experience the complexities and nuances of Japanese Art and Culture firsthand and to be able to articulate the unique artistic contributions that Japan has made to the world.
Grantee Glendale Community College
Project TitleGlendale Community College Japanese Language Program Travel to Japan
Project DirectorTomomi Hayashi and Shigeko Toyota, Japanese Language Instructors, Communication and World Languages Department
JF Grant Total$56,800.00
Study-Tour DescriptionStudents will have a better understanding of complex socio-cultural perspective of Japanese language including proper usage of Keigo (honorifics and humble expressions), formal/informal language and gender differences in speaking. Furthermore, students will have various opportunities to communication with native speakers on various topics and expand their practical vocabulary.
Grantee University of Texas at San Antonio
Project TitleWalking the Japanese Culture
Project DirectorMimi Yu, Director, East Asia Institute (EAI)
JF Grant Total$43,100.00
Study-Tour DescriptionThis course will allow students to deepen their language skills and experience Japan, its society, people, history, geography, nature, religions, and culture first-hand so that they will have a well-rounded perspective on japan and its language. The tour will also include a four-night homestay to experience Japanese style home living in Kyoto.
Grantee University of Indianapolis
Project TitleHiroshima Peace Study
Project DirectorKyoko Amano, Associate Professor, Department of English
JF Grant Total$34,600.00
Study-Tour DescriptionThrough this study tour, students will begin to understand universal human concerns related to world peace, how hibakusha’s experiences have be interpreted in literature, and to gain a deeper understanding of their class readings through visiting Hiroshima and Nagasaki and meeting A-bomb survivors.
Grantee Mount Holyoke College
Project TitleWay-finding and urban space in Japan
Project DirectorJoshua H. Roth, Chair, Sociology and Anthropology Department
JF Grant Total$27,000.00
Study-Tour DescriptionThe objective of this study tour is threefold: 1) to deepen students’ understanding of Japanese society and culture, 2) to create lasting relationships between American and Japanese students that can lead to ongoing exchanges in the future, and 3) to engage students in a research project on way-finding and urban spaces that will develop student’s understanding of research design and data gathering.
Grantee Colorado College
Project TitleJapanese in Japan: Economy, Society and Culture
Project DirectorJoan E. Ericson, Professor of Japanese, Dept. of German, Russian, and East Asian Languages
JF Grant Total$38,500.00
Study-Tour DescriptionThis course explores aspects of Japanese literature, culture and economic and commercial development while traveling the Tokaido (East Sea) Route of the Edo Period (1603-1868). For the economic component of this course, students will visit artisanal produces, the Mikimoto Pearl Factory, Toyota Automobile Manufacturers and Yamaha Piano Corporation. For the cultural, historical and literary components, students make visits to Mt. Fuji, Ise, Nara and Kyoto.
Grantee Oakland University
Project TitleOakland University Urban Japan: Then and Now
Project DirectorJane W. Yamazaki, Special Lecturer, International Studies
JF Grant Total$58,265.00
Study-Tour DescriptionThe study tour provides the experiential dimension to the students’ study of cities in the classroom. Students will gain an appreciation of urban life as having different realizations in different settings and be able to broaden their understanding of “urban” beyond the West, US ideas of urban living.
Grantee Elmira College
Project TitleCulture and People of Japan
Project DirectorKunihiko Imai, Associate Professor, Political Science Department
JF Grant Total$40,925.00
Study-Tour DescriptionThe objectives of this course are to enable students to 1) acquire basic skills in Japanese, 2) travel to some of the major sites of cultural historical, and political significance in Japan, and 2) obtain a basic understanding of the culture and people of Japan.
Grantee University of Hawaii Leeward Community College
Project TitleLeeward CC Language and Cultural Study Tour 2013
Project DirectorKazuko Nakamitsu, Japanese Language Instructor, Language Arts Department
JF Grant Total$58,200.00
Study-Tour DescriptionThis project aims to provide students with firsthand experience that will allow them to gain a more nuanced and balanced understanding of Japan. Students will have the opportunity to make realistic connections between what they have learned in class and everyday life in Japan, engage in meaningful interactions with Japanese people, and visit the significant historical sites of Japan.
Grantee Tulane University
Project TitleArchitectural History/Theory Seminar: Kyoto and New Orleans
Project DirectorKentaro Tsubaki, Assistant Professor, School of Architecture
JF Grant Total$34,420.00
Study-Tour DescriptionThrough classroom and study-tour curriculum, students will compare Kyoto and New Orleans from historical, architectural, and cultural perspectives in order to grain a deep appreciation for Japanese contributions to art and architecture. Study-tour activities will explore how the similarities and difference between Kyoto and New Orleans provide rich sources for further inquiry, as well as inspiration and knowledge that can inform the future.
Grantee University of West Florida
Project TitleJapanese Language and Culture Study Program
Project DirectorShigeko Honda, Director, Japan Center and FL-Japan Institute
JF Grant Total$35,550.00
Study-Tour DescriptionThis 2-week Japanese language and culture study program will provide students with a firsthand learning experience of Japanese language, culture and society, extensive opportunities to interact with people in Japan, and to nurture the students’ leadership and goodwill ambassadorial skills.
Grantee Emerson College
Project TitleAsia in World History: 1750-2000
Project DirectorSharmishtha Roy Chowdhury, Historian-In-Residence, Journalism Department
JF Grant Total$33,500.00
Study-Tour DescriptionOn this study-tour, students will travel to Japan to learn about the evolution of the Japan-US relationship, as part of a course on the changing relationships of selected Asian nations, including Japan in particular, with the western world.