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Experience Japan

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Title: Experience Japan


1
Experience Japan
  • May-June 2008

2
Basics
  • Tour leaders
  • Larry Neuman Sociology-Anthropology
  • Kasumi Kato Japanese language
  • Enroll in Anthropology 300, a 3 credit class.
  • It is a distance education class that meets once
    a week, Wednesday 6-730 pm, plus there are
    on-line assignments.
  • OPTION After the US part of the course ends, we
    visit to Japan for 14 days, Thurs. May 22 to Wed.
    June 4. 1 credit extra adjusted assignments for
    course.

3
Weather
  • The weather should be very pleasant.
  • Expect it to be a little warmer than Wisconsin
  • Expect it to rain days times but we will be out
    all day long with umbrellas.

4
Traveling
  • Thursday May 22 Depart early morning for Japan
    from the Madison airport, arrive late afternoon
    Friday May 23 at the Kansai International Airport
    (KIX).
  • Take a limo bus to Kyoto, stay there 4 nights
  • Take trains to Kobe Osaka stay 1 night
    overnight in Osaka
  • Take a train up to Mt. Koya, a major
    historic-culture site. We stay 1 night at a
    traditional Buddhist monastery.
  • Return to Osaka take a bullet train to
    Hiroshima, and stay 1 night
  • Take bullet train to Tokyo, stay 4 nights
  • Go to resort area near Mt. Fuji, 1 night
  • Return via Tokyo Narita airport, arrive Madison
    Wednesday June 4 (same day)

5
Japanese language(Nihongo) ???
  • Speaking or reading Japanese is not a
    requirement. However, you will find being able
    to speak some Japanese is a great advantage.
  • Knowing how to say even a few Japanese phrases or
    being able to read some characters or Japanese
    script will help you a lot.
  • While many Japanese people speak some English,
    many do not and even if they do, it may be with
    Japanese pronunciation that can confuse you.
    Likewise, many signs are in English, but you can
    easily turn a corner and find yourself in an area
    with all signs in Japanese only.

6
Physical Fitness Walking
There will be a great deal of walking on this
trip. This is very common in Japan. Be prepared
to walk 2-3 miles a day each day. Japan has many
mountains steep hills and lots of stairs.
There are not many elevators.
7
Public Transportation
We will travel using regular Japanese public
transportation, not a special tour bus. It will
be a cultural learning experience. It can be
extremely crowded and congested. Trains quickly
come go, so youll need to be careful and stay
with others in the group or you will get left
behind.
8
Shinkansen (bullet train)???
  • We will ride the bullet train from Osaka to
    Hiroshima, then from Hiroshima to Tokyo. They
    travel about 300 miles per hour.

9
Food (tabemono)???
  • Food and eating are central to a culture.
  • Japanese food in Japan is very different from
    what most Americans typically eat. It is
    important to be very flexible and willing to
    experiment with new food. Eating real Japanese
    food is an important part of the trip. NOTE The
    drinking age in Japan is 20 and alcohol is common
    with the evening meal.

10
FOOD
Much of Japanese diet is fish-based.
11
Chopsticks (hashi) ?
  • Expect to eat with chopsticks most of the time.
    They are used with almost all Japanese meals and
    forks may not be available. It is a part of
    experiencing the culture.

12
Traditional Tea Ceremony
  • You will have a chance to experience the
    traditional Japanese tea ceremony and drink the
    special type of green tea served at it.

13
Onsen??
  • We plan to visit an onsen (natural hot spring
    spa) in the mountains. Onsens are extremely
    popular among the Japanese and central to the
    culture. Your teachers will review bath
    procedures and etiquette with you in advance.
    Bathing is in the nude, there are separate baths
    for males and females.

14
Communal Bath Experience
  • The Onsen blends the mysticism and spirituality
    of the East into the traditional sweat bath
    practice, lending it a Zen, meditative quality.

15
Ryokan??
  • We will to stay 1-2 nights in a traditional
    Japanese inn, sleeping on the floor on tatami ?
    mats in futon ??. For this we may have 4-5
    people in one room, with a shared toilet and
    traditional Japanese bath.

16
Japanese Business Hotels
  • Most of the time we will stay a business hotels,
    twin room (same sex).
  • The rooms are very small and bathrooms are tiny
    by U.S. standards.
  • They are clean, safe, and sparsely furnished.
  • They have vending machines, washing machines
    Internet access.
  • The staff do not speak more than a few words of
    English.
  • A small, simple Japanese breakfast will be
    provided each morning.

17
New and Old
  • The goal is for you to experience various aspects
    of todays Japan with its mix of traditional and
    modern, in nature in dense urban settings. We
    especially want you to experience things you
    cannot experience anywhere else, and what makes
    Japan special.

18
We will try to take advantage of on-going events
that take place regularly in Japan and have some
fun.
  • We cannot always tell in advance.

19
Intensity
  • Most days you will need to be up by 7 am and we
    leave the hotel after breakfast, about 800 am.
    We will not return until after dinner, about 800
    pm. After you return in the evening you will a
    little time to make a diary entry, do laundry or
    pack, check email, etc.
  • The trip is fast-paced and tightly scheduled. We
    will visit several sites each day, and all day we
    will be changing trains/buses and walking
    quickly.
  • At the same time, you will have some free time
    shopping time, for 1-2 hours scattered in the
    trip.
  • Also, a site visit might include a quiet walk
    in a park or forest for an hour with
    opportunities to sit and take in the beautiful
    scenery, listen to birds, or watch the ducks.

20
Kyoto??
  • We begin with 4 days in the cultural center of
    Japan and another ancient capital city (794 to
    1868) Kyoto.

Kyoto, is famous for its temples, shrines, and
other historic sites, and is a virtual storehouse
of officially designated National Treasures and
Important Cultural Properties.
21
Kyoto
  • In Kyoto we will visit major cultural and
    historical sites, temples and parks.
  • Many of the sites are not just the most famous in
    Japan, but are designed World Heritage sites.

22
Fushimi Inari Shrine
  • We will visit this shrine just outside Kyoto.
  • It is dedicated to Inari, a Shinto god of rice.
    You will also see foxes are thought to be his
    messengers. It was in the film, Memoirs of a
    Geisha and is sometimes call the shrine of 10,000
    toris. A tori is a gate or entrance to religious
    area, these are painted bright orange.

23
?? Nara
  • Well take a day trip to Nara is one of Japans
    most historically important cities. It was
    Japans capital, 710-784 CE and holds many
    important designated National Treasures, temples,
    shrines, statues, carvings and paintings.
  • In Nara Park, nature and history are beautifully
    preserved. Nara park is also famous for its
    hundreds of tame deer that roam freely.

24
Kobe???
  • We will visit the city of Kobe and there, a sake
    brewing museum.
  • We will also take in a Japanese baseball game
    that features the Hanshin Tigers of the
    Kobe-Osaka area.

25
Hakutsuru Sake Brewery Museum
  • Rice wine or sake is a major part of Japans
    historic culture. This sake museum is in Kobe's
    compact brewery district. There are life-size
    mannequins throughout the big two-story
    structure, caught in the act of inspecting the
    mash or stirring the yeast or performing any of
    the other many sake-making steps that are
    explained in great detail.

26
Takarazuka Revue
  • We will also see a performance of an all female
    dance/song troupe near Kobe.
  • This is a famous Japanese form of contemporary
    entertainment.
  • Young women (16-30) take all roles.
  • It is very colorful and extravagant.

27
Osaka??We will briefly visit Japans 2nd
largest city, Osaka. It is a modern city with
8.8 million people, 7 of Japans population.
28
Mt. Koya (koyasan, ???)
  • From Osaka we will take a train to Mt. Koya.
  • It was settled in 819 AD and is the headquarters
    of a major sect of Japanese Buddhism.
  • There are over 100 temples, and religious
    pilgrims come from all over Japan to visit them.
  • We will stay at a monastery overnight.
  • It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

29
Hiroshima???
  • We will leave Mt. Koya and take a bullet train to
    visit the city of Hiroshima and the world famous
    Hiroshima Peace Museum.
  • The museum shows how terrible a nuclear bomb can
    be.

30
Miyajima??
  • Miyajima shrine island is about a 20 minute
    local train ride outside of Hiroshima.
  • It is a UNESCO World Heritage Cultural Site.
  • It is called one of the most beautiful places in
    Japan and has been considered a holy place since
    806 AD.

31
Tokyo??After Hiroshima we take a 6 hour bullet
train ride to Tokyo
32
Tokyo Scenes
The Tokyo metropolitan area is considered the
worlds largest city. We will be there 4 nights
33
Tokyo
  • Tokyo is the center of government, business,
    finance, education and entertainment in Japan.
  • We will be very busy visiting major sites in and
    near the city.
  • We will use Tokyos mass transit system.

34
Worlds largest urban mass transit systemTrains
subways of Tokyo
35
Kabuki???
  • In Tokyo we will see a type of unique Japanese
    theatre form with roots going back centuries.
  • Males play all parts.

36
Cutting Edge Street Fashion in Tokyos Harajuku
district
37
Hakone district
The last full day we will visit a Hakone a hot
springs, lake, national forest all in the
shadow of Mt. Fuji. It is a major world resort
area. We will stay overnight in a resort hotel
with onsen have a karaoke party.
38
Depart from Narita Airport, Tokyo
On Wednesday June 4 We leave Hakone after
breakfast. We take a 2 hour train ride to Japans
main International Airport and return to the USA
39
Course Details
  • There are 2 parts. (1) is an academic course
    about Japan that you take alone, it will also
    prepare you for the trip, (2) the trip itself.
  • While in Japan, all students are expected to
    participate in all activities. This includes
    attending all site visits and showing respect for
    the cultural and religious practices of the
    Japanese people.
  • Students who feel they can not participate fully
    in all aspects of the course and the trip should
    not enroll in the travel part of the course.

40
Course Assignments after departure
  • All students will complete regular coursework.
    For students selecting the travel option, there
    are two additional academic requirements
  • 1. Personal Journal Each student going to Japan
    is required to keep a diary/personal journal to
    record their reactions/reflections on their
    experiences. Each journal entry should be 1-3
    pages in length, neatly written, with the date
    and time indicated.
  • 2. Portfolio on an aspect of Japanese society -
    Each student going to Japan is to keep and create
    a portfolio on an aspect of Japan that you will
    investigate while there. Supplement pre-departure
    information with photos, artifacts, and excerpts
    from your personal journal. After return, you may
    wish to reorganize or add to the portfolio.

41
Costs
  • INCLUDED
  • Lodging (shared double, except in Ryokan, then
    4-5 per room)
  • Transportation (RT airfare and public
    transportation inside Japan)
  • All breakfasts all but 2 dinners, but no
    beverages at meals although tea and tap water is
    often provided free.
  • Admissions to museums, temples, baseball game,
    etc.
  • Includes UW System mandatory trip health
    insurance fee
  • Estimated total 3,750 (subject to change
    depending on final airfare, number of
    participants and currency rate changes, could go
    up 100 or down 100). You pay a non-refundable
    300 deposit, then 3,450 will be on your spring
    semester student bill to be paid before
    departure.
  • Note that food, lodging transportation in Japan
    typically run 10-15 higher than the US.

42
Costs
  • NOT INCLUDED
  • Shipping luggage between hotels in Japan (30-35
    total) THIS IS A NECESSITY, we do it once.
  • Lunches (8-10 per day),
  • Beverages at meals and between-meal snacks (cost
    varies), Example, 1.20 is what a very small can
    of coke costs from a vending machine in Japan and
    3-4 is a small coke at a restaurant.
  • Any passport fees if you do not have a passport.
  • Storage lockers (3 per usage, youll need to use
    them 3 or 4 times).
  • Getting to/from airports in US, personal items,
    and souvenirs. Personal items and souvenirs.
  • Total will be about 200-350

43
Warnings
  • Health conditions are equal or better than in the
    U.S. You should still check with your doctor and
    bring medications.
  • Get into shape. The trip is physically rigorous
    and there will be a great deal of walking. Few
    Japanese train stations or public places have
    elevators, expect to go long distances and up
    many flights of stairs.
  • Be prepared to use Asian style squat toilets,
    Western style will not always be available. Some
    adjustment may be required.
  • As with all university trips out of the country,
    serious misbehavior will not be tolerated. Be
    warned the offending student may be DEPORTED
    FROM JAPAN and sent back to the USA immediately,
    at his/her own expense.

44
CAUTION
  • Packing extremely light is very important.
  • Do not take what you cannot carry long distances
    (5 busy city blocks with huge crowds of people).
  • Most days we will be staying at hotels with coin
    washers (small, Japanese-sized ones), so you only
    need to take enough clothing for 3-4 days.

45
What Next?
  • Contact one of the instructors for a UWW
    application neumanl_at_uww.edu or katok_at_uww.edu as
    soon as possible, you will need to fill out a
    UW-W travel application.
  • Get a passport if you do not have one.
    IMMEDIATELY! It can take 3 months for it to be
    processed and you cannot leave the US for Japan
    without one.
  • Apply for financial aid scholarships.
  • Practice eating with chop sticks, almost all
    Japanese restaurants we will go to do not provide
    forks and the only way to eat is with chopsticks.

46
May 2005 UWW Students in Tokyo
mayor
Ms. Kato
Prof. Neuman
May 2007 UWW Students in Japan (with a city mayor
his staff)
From trip March 2006 in Kyoto
At the Meiji Shrine
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