Message About Affiliated Programs
Although ACM’s three managed off-campus study programs are discontinued, ACM will continue its affiliation with this program through the 2023-2024 academic year (learn more).
Become an international citizen as you explore Japanese culture, build your language skills, and experience daily life in the bustling, dynamic city of Tokyo. For more than 50 years, Japan Study has offered students multiple ways to learn about this complex society, which has maintained both strong cultural traditions and its position as a global technology superpower.
The Japan Study program is administered at Earlham College
Japan Study links member colleges of the ACM and the Great Lakes Colleges Association with Waseda University in Tokyo. See the Japan Study website for full program details »
Immerse yourself at one of Japan’s premier universities
You’ll also experience Japanese culture through a homestay with a family in Tokyo and have the opportunity to live in another part of Japan for about a month.
Take classes with students from Japan and around the world
At Waseda University in Tokyo, you’ll take classes with students from Japan and around the world at the School of International Liberal Studies. Japanese language study is central to the program’s curriculum, as well as your immersion in Japanese society.
You can choose from a elective courses taught in English on topics in Japanese and Asian studies, as well as content courses across the curriculum. Students with Japanese fluency may enroll in courses taught in Japanese.
Experience and understand the complex society of contemporary Japan
The university’s array of student clubs and activities provide a way to make friends as you pursue interests such as rugby, martial arts, riding, koto, and international student and foreign language clubs.
On the program’s Cultural Internship, you’ll experience life in another part of Japan for about a month through community engagement, such as assisting in a rural school, apprenticing at a pottery studio, or living in a Buddhist temple.
"On the Japan Study program, I learned to become extremely independent. Being in a foreign country, where you're basically on your own, forces you to grow up quickly. I was no longer able to depend on my mother or father to get me out of binds, and having this self-sufficient trait is something that would have taken a lot longer for me to acquire had I not participated in Japan Study. Not to mention that my Japanese is amazing now."
Laura Woodland
Japanese/Asian studies major
Schedule
- Full Year (mid-September to early August)
- Fall Semester (mid-September to mid-February)
- Spring Semester (late March to early August)
Host institution
Waseda University in Tokyo
Living arrangements
Students live in a homestay with a Japanese host family.
Program details
See the Japan Study website for full program details:
- Why Japan Study / Program Overview
- Living Arrangements
- Academics & Student Life
- Cultural Internships
- Costs, Financial Aid, & Scholarships
- Apply / Campus Representatives & Advisors
Resources
Application deadlines
The application deadline for the 2024-2025 academic year is January 2, 2024.
Faculty Advisors & Contacts
Faculty
Brigid Vance
Resident Director, 2022–23
Professor of History, Lawrence University
Faculty Advisors
How do ACM’s courses and credits fit with your academic plan?
Talk to the program faculty advisor on your campus to learn more.
| Beloit College
Susan Furukawa furukawas@beloit.edu |
Lawrence University
Brigid Vance brigid.e.vance@lawrence.edu |
| Carleton College
Noboru Tomonari ntomonar@carleton.edu |
Luther College
Gereon Kopf kopfg@luther.edu |
| Coe College
David Nordmann dnordman@coe.edu |
Macalester College
Satoko Suzuki suzuki@macalester.edu Arthur Mitchell amitche3@macalester.edu |
| Colorado College
Joan Ericson jericson@coloradocollege.edu |
Monmouth College
Tim Gaster tgaster@monmouthcollege.edu |
| Cornell College
Erin Davis edavis@cornellcollege.edu |
Ripon College
Michele Wittler wittlerm@ripon.edu |
| Grinnell College
Mariko Schimmel schimmel@grinnell.edu |
St. Olaf College
Joanne Quimby quimby2@stolaf.edu |
| Knox College
Mat Ryohei Matsuda rmatsuda@knox.edu |
Questions?
Michael Vertovec, Assistant Program Manager
180 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 2020, Chicago, IL 60601
312.561.5934 / mvertovec@acm.edu
Off-Campus Study Resources
Browse Off-Campus Study Opportunities: ACM Shared Programs | Japan Study | River Semester