The Japan Studies Component will be composed of lecture and discussion modules, lecture and workshop modules, as well as lecture and fieldtrip modules, representing a broad range of academic perspectives, and taught through an inquiry-based student-centered approach.

This component will also be offered to ICU regular students for credit, so classes will be a mix of international students and regular ICU students, offering ample opportunity for collaboration and communication. 

Modules will be related but not limited to forests in Japan, as ICU Mitaka Campus Woodland has recently been recognised as a Natural Symbiosis Site by The Ministry of the Environment.

Topics include a focus on areas such as the cultural psychology of Japanese people, sociology, art, literature, and environmental issues in Japan. 

Fieldtrips related to environmental issues, psychology, and economics will be planned in conjunction with the lectures.

The course assumes academic level proficiency in English for all participating students. 

The role of forests in tackling environmental issues

Prof. Audrius Sabūnas (ICU, Environment)

Environmentalist messages in Japanese movies

Prof. Audrius Sabūnas (ICU, Environment)

Depiction of nature in pictorial works

Prof. Yukiko Shirahara (ICU, Art and Cultural Heritage)

NOTE: The places to visit are subject to change. Due to the busy summer season, ticket reservations cannot be guaranteed.