Course Details

Program dates

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Travel dates

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Course credits

ART 360, ART 494, A/HI 337

Total credits: 15

Prerequisites

Preferable to complete Art 109, 110, 120, 230, 280, exceptions can be made.

Julia Sapin

portrait of Julia Sapin
Professor Art & Art History
FI 111

Western’s joint Art and Art History program in Japan is an occasion for students to immerse themselves in the study of Japanese culture. Not only do they learn a lot about their fields of interest in art, but they also have a chance to explore the cultural setting in which and about which the art was produced, including important geographical locations, architecture, language, and artists’ studios. Also essential to this experience is the interaction with our Japanese hosts, whom students meet in the context of staging an exhibition, creating natural-dyed art works, and in every other possible context, traveling around the country, tasting Japanese food and seeing so many different perspectives on Japanese life and art. It is truly an opportunity of a lifetime for these students.

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Art in Japan

 

Feb. 23 Information Session Recording, Passcode: 9V%7=.L9 

Program Highlights

  • Participate in a Japanese tea ceremony and natural dyeing workshop,
  • Experience/view contemporary arts in Naoshima, Tokyo and Kyoto,
  • Visiting many temples/shrines including one of the three most beautiful suites in Japan, Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima Island. 
  • Visit the Peace Park in Hiroshima,
  • Experience of both traditional and contemporary cultures in Japan through architecture, fashion, arts & crafts, and food. 

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Students in front of sculpture in Tokyo

Expectations of Participants

With or without reasonable accommodations, students must be able to walk for three to four hours/day and sit for three hours/day. We will be doing a lot of walking and unfortunately, Japan is notoriously difficult for people with mobility issues. It is getting better, but it is very difficult to get between the different modes of transportation we will be using, primarily train and bus.

Students will have access to refrigeration at lodging locations.

Students must work with the WWU Disability Access Center, Wilson Library 170, (360) 650-3083, drs@wwu.edu. For service eligibility, a complete diagnostic description from a qualified professional is required. Specific accommodations or services are determined on an individual basis and are modified to meet the unique needs of the student and their academic experience. Accommodation policies and procedures are highly individualized and centered on self-advocacy, realistic self-appraisal, and student growth. Each quarter, students need to activate their approved accommodations for each class. Students choose which of their approved accommodations they want to activate for each class.

We strongly recommend that all students traveling on this Global Learning Program are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to maximize the safety of the student cohort. Participants must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 prior to departure, or provide a proof of an official COVID-19 vaccination waiver granted by WWU.

Participants are expected to abide by all attendance policies of the program, including those for classes and excursions, and to adhere to the program schedule. Since the programs are academic in nature, parents, friends, partners, and families are not permitted on any part of the Global Learning Program. Personal travel must be outside of the course dates and not conflict with coursework or excursion schedules. Travel plans should be vetted by faculty beforehand to ensure personal plans do not interfere with meeting the learning objectives of the course.