Field Trip Resources

Essential Questions: template of prompts for teachers to consider before taking students on field trips

Resources Map: Google Map showing locations for local site visits with exhibits or activities related to Japan

Shofuso Garden and Tea House

Shofuso is a beautifully preserved 17th-century Japanese house and garden located in Fairmount Park. The site was originally home to the first Japanese garden in North America, installed for the 1876 Centennial Exposition. The tea house was built in Nagoya, Japan in 1953 and was first displayed at New York’s Museum of Modern Art before being relocated to Philadelphia in 1958. If interested in the original exhibit, there is a Historical Narrative, Exhibition Website, Exhibition Brochure, and Short Documentary detailing background from the Museum of Modern Art.  

The current garden and tea house are maintained by the Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia and open for Group Tours from March through October. Groups sizes must be a minimum of 10, but can be as large as 40. In addition to the house tour ($7/person), they also offer additional options for tea-cermony style tasting ($15/person), origami ($7/person), kamishibai storytelling ($5/person), and koi feeding ($1/person). The society also features Programmed Events and Japanese Language Classes during much of the year. 

Philadelphia Museum of Art

Philadelphia Museum of Art offers free self-guided tour or a private tour of exhibits on Asian art and artifacts ($150 flat rate). 

- collection includes Ceremonial Teahouse( SUNKARAKU). (Gallery Guide)

PMA Educator Guides (downloadable)

My Gallery Journal: Explore the Museum galleries with this journal. Draw and write about your favorite works of art and share with your classmates!

Artful Thinking: See, Wonder, Connect

Pre-Visit Guide: Learning to Look (Grades 4-12)

Woman's Kimono- guide

University of Pennsylvania

Established in 1995, UPenn's Center for East Asian Studies is an interdisciplinary academic initiative supporting Chinese, Japanese, and Korean curriculum. That involves coordinating related courses, supporting research, and enriching across-campus programming. professional The CEAS supports local communities by hosting Programmed Events including lectures, conferences, and film viewings. You can sign up for the Weekly Newsletter to get such updates. As their outreach extends to K-12 education, they can be an invaluable resource for research or experiential opportunities.

In addition to the CEAS, there are East Asia Stacks and a Seminar Room on the 5th Floor of the Van Pelt-Dietrich Library. There is a specific Japanese Studies Collection, along with a librarian specialist to help navigate their resources focused on literature, history, archaeology, religion, and art art from ancient to modern periods. While they feature a plethora of primary and secondary sources, there are also specialized collections on East Asian Comics, Japanese Illustrated Books and Japanese Juvenile Fiction.