Spelman College women were among 15 students who traveled to Japan this summer for a four-week intensive Japanese Language and Culture Program. The students, 13 from Spelman and two from Morehouse College, took one culture course and one language course at Josai International University in Togane, and participated in field-based cultural studies in the cities of Tokyo and Kamogawa.
They learned about the nation’s history and government through visits to the Tokyo Imperial Palace and national legislature. In addition, the students had the opportunity to experience everyday Japanese life and practice their Japanese language skills through interaction with local students, field trips and weekend home stays with Japanese families.
Cultural activities and workshops highlighted calligraphy, wearing kimonos, tea ceremonies, martial arts, dance and dining out in traditional Japanese restaurants. Program director
Xuexin Liu, Ph.D., professor in the
Department of World Languages and Literature at Spelman, accompanied the students on the trip, which ended June 16.