2017
Experience the spirit of Japan.
Dear Friends:
Thank you for your interest in this one-of-a-kind program. At Laurasian Institution, we pride
ourselves on meaningful, high-quality, exchange and education programs driven by their
curricular design. Perhaps no single program fits this description more perfectly than New
Perspectives: Japan.
Providing middle and high school students and their teachers the opportunity to delve deep
into self-selected themes of Japanese language, history, society, and culture since 1992, the
success of the program is something of which we are extremely proud and the quality of each
of the three phases something we take very seriously.
The program begins by offering what few other programs can: the opportunity for younger
students to be exposed to curricula designed by notable scholars of Japan. The lessons build
to a class study trip to Japan—complete with a homestay experience, visits to local schools, and
group study travel throughout the regions most pertinent to the study theme. Importantly,
on the backend of the program, there are opportunities for further growing, digesting, and
sharing—a necessary component of a program of this intensity.
We hope you find the information in this brochure useful and enjoy perusing the pages, as
your mind begins to envision the possibilities and implications of such a program for your
own future—or that of your child or students. At Laurasian Institution, our mission declares,
“Opening doors. Embracing cultures. Becoming family.” We hope to welcome you to our family very soon.
Should you have any questions or just feel more comfortable talking through the program
directly, please do not hesitate to call us at 800.721.7474.
ありがとうございます
Bradley Smith
Mari Maruyama
President & CEO
Laurasian Institution
Vice President
Laurasian Institution
Table of Contents
Program Overview
1
Phase One: Study Themes 3
Phase Two: Study Tour in Japan
5
Phase Three: Follow-on Activities 7
Copyright © 2016 Laurasian Institution
For Students
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For Parents
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For Teachers
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Program Overview
Change Your Viewpoint
It’s amazing how much you can learn about something when you look at it from different
angles. Through its three phases, New Perspectives: Japan (NP:J) goes beyond a typical
study abroad program, allowing middle level and high school students and their teachers
to launch or expand their study of Japanese language and culture.
Phase One: Choose Your Focus
The first phase begins with the group selecting a study theme, ranging from an introduction
to Japan to Japanese history, economics, or heritage, and from art, architecture, and cuisine
to contemporary society and more. Once chosen, the teacher spends several months guiding students through orientation materials related to the theme, including lessons geared
toward preparing the group for the next phase—travel to Japan!
Phase Two: Shift Your Focus
The two-week summertime visit brings to life what students have been exploring in the
classroom for the past few months. Complete immersion in the Japanese culture includes
carefully-planned study days in the cities of Tokyo and Kyoto; a full week of living with a host
family, including an exchange with a local school; and participation in traditional Japanese
pursuits, such as paper making. Although this is the shortest phase of the program, the
experience will last a lifetime!
Phase Three: Stay Focused
The program doesn’t end upon return to the U.S. The final stage helps participants process and
give greater meaning to the experience. Follow-on activities allow students to reflect on all of
their experiences, discuss how their perspective of Japan has evolved, and share what they’ve
learned—continuing to ignite the flame of discovery with others.
Forever Refocused
“It’s a small world.” This phrase rings truer each day as our global village continues to shrink.
Stepping outside our physical borders is crucial to increasing our understanding and acceptance of other cultures. NP:J provides a full-circle approach to learning about Japanese culture without the need to be fluent in the language. Students broaden their horizons while
building self-confidence and independence.
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A Closer Look
The next three sections provide in-depth information on each of the three phases of the
program, before sections speaking to each of the main NP:J constituents (students, parents, and teachers) allow you to develop a complete picture of the program—whatever your
current perspective!
At a Glance
Age: Middle and high school students, 11 and up
Cost (school group students): $3,995
Cost (unaffiliated, individual students): $4,995
Application Deadline: December 1, 2016
Tour 1: June 15 - June 29, 2017
Tour 2: July 6 - July 20, 2017
Student application: laurasian.org/new-perspectives-students
Teacher application: laurasian.org/new-perspectives-teachers
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Phase One: Study Themes
The first phase of the NP:J experience begins before ever setting foot in Japan. The study
group will decide which of five expert-designed study themes is of greatest interest.
• Introduction to Japan
• Episodes in Japanese History
• Japanese Art, Architecture, and Cuisine
• Japanese Religion and Culture: Past and Present
• Discovering Your Japanese Heritage
Once the group makes its choice, the corresponding study guide is provided. The material
for each study theme includes lessons designed to prepare the class for the study tour in
Japan. Each group can create a schedule for completing the lessons in the study packet
that is appropriate to its particular circumstances. This carefully-crafted preparation greatly
enhances the time spent in Japan.
Possible Study Themes
Introduction to Japan
Episodes in Japanese History:
The Shaping of National Identity and Culture
Designed by Selena Lai, Amy Cheng, and Gregory Francis, Stanford Program on International and
Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE)
Designed by Lynn Parisi, University of Colorado
Focus questions:
Focus questions:
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•
•
•
•
•
•
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What are our current perceptions of Japan?
How accurate are they?
What are some key historical events that
have shaped Japan as a nation and as a
culture?
How has Japan’s geography affected the
country’s economy, culture, and society?
What factors might account for Japan’s
post-World War II economic success and
subsequent economic distress?
What are some areas of cooperation between the United States and Japan?
What are some of the main Japanese aesthetic principles?
What are the main writing and literary
forms in Japan?
Japan is one of the most influential countries
in the world. Its economy is the world’s third
largest. However, many Americans know less
about Japan than they do about other major
world powers. This study theme aims to introduce students to Japan’s topography, feudal
history, unique security arrangement, economy,
and rich cultural traditions.
The curriculum has been designed specifically
for U.S. high school students currently enrolled
in social studies or world history classes, but
has also been successfully used by teachers
from other disciplines, as well as with middle
school students.
•
•
•
What is national identity? How has Japan’s
been shaped by key people and events?
How do the Japanese see themselves as
a modern nation and a people molded by
history?
How are history and tradition reflected in
the customs and institutions of contemporary Japanese society?
Each lesson takes a significant episode in Japanese history as the starting point for exploring
enduring cultural characteristics and their influence on contemporary society. Through investigation of primary sources, including art and literature, students see Japanese history through
Japanese eyes, making critical connections
between Japan’s past and present. Students
apply four key concepts: cultural borrowing and
adaptation, tradition and change, national symbols and images, and foundations of enduring
cultural values.
Japanese Art, Architecture, and Cuisine
Japanese Religion and Culture:
Past and Present
Discovering your Japanese Heritage
Designed by Mary Hammond Bernson, University of Washington
Designed by Maria Domoto, Japanese Language and Culture Consultant
Designed by Selena Lai and Gary Mukai, Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE)
Focus questions:
Focus questions:
Focus questions:
•
•
•
•
•
•
How can visitors to Japan learn to observe
what is around them and record their observations more effectively?
What visual images come to mind when
people think about Japan?
What history and context underlie some of
these key images?
Do traditional crafts continue to have a
place in Japanese life?
Each lesson uses pictures, background readings,
and primary sources to explore Japanese art,
architecture, and cuisine, and to prepare students to be effective observers of the places and
objects they will encounter. Students utilize the
modules to explore key concepts of the pursuit of
change while preserving cultural values, expression of culture through art, cultural borrowing
and adaptation, and images drawn from the arts.
•
•
•
What is the role of religion in Japanese
society?
How do the three main religious traditions
of Japan—Shinto, Buddhism, and Confucianism —function in the lives of the people?
What is the relationship between religion
and politics in Japanese society?
How are religious images and beliefs reflected in Japanese architecture, religious
observances, and cultural practices?
Through readings and activities on religion and
religious traditions of Japan’s past and present,
students explore in what ways Japanese religious traditions affect and do not affect modern
Japan and Japanese daily life.
•
•
•
•
What are some of the major events that
the Japanese encountered in the U.S. that
have impacted U.S.-Japan relations?
How did war between the U.S. and Japan
affect Japanese-Americans?
How can students begin to record their
own families’ histories?
How have Japanese-Americans been affected by their Japanese heritage?
How similar are Japanese-American youth
to their Japanese counterparts?
This study theme is for American students of
Japanese descent. Through five self-contained
lessons, students explore historical background
regarding the Japanese-American experience
and move to explore their own identities in
preparation for their visit to Japan.
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Phase Two: Study Tour in Japan
From Theory to Practice
NP:J offers a chance to experience the spirit of Japan. The heart of the program is during
phase two–the two-week time period spent in Japan, exploring and living immersed in
Japanese culture.
Students focus on applying what they have learned in phase one. Travel in Japan is pursued
as a group activity with each school group guided by its teacher. The teacher enhances the
experience by ensuring there is a constant interplay between the sites visited and what was
studied in the classroom.
Study Days
NP:J participants explore two of Japan’s most significant urban centers—Tokyo and Kyoto.
These two cities represent uniquely-contrasting facets of Japan’s national character. On
the one hand, the rhythm of traditional Japanese society is well-preserved in the former
capital of Kyoto. Tokyo, in contrast to the former capital, is a bustling metropolis where
change is a constant.
The group will utilize “building blocks” to design a plan of study to follow while in Tokyo
and Kyoto. Building blocks are the tools with which the group customizes its itinerary while
in these two cities. These blocks are a selection of sites grouped by area and the time it will
take to visit them. The study group will combine several building blocks to create a unique
study day itinerary.
Hands-on Activities
While in Japan, the class will have the chance to participate in activities such as the historic
walking tour in Kyoto, the Zen experience, and Japanese paper making. These hands-on activities clearly delineate phase one theory and phase two practice.
Homestay and School Visit
Seven days of the NP:J program are spent living with a Japanese host family—adapting to
their everyday life and routines, sampling their foods, and meeting their friends. During this
time, students and teachers will also have the chance to study with new friends when attending a Japanese school. In most cases, participants will be able to contact their assigned host
family via email, letter, or phone before departure. Though it may seem a little intimidating at
first to live with a new family, or visit a strange school, this will be one of the most rewarding
parts of the NP:J experience and possibly the beginning of a lifelong friendship.
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Sample Study Tour Schedule
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4 Day 5 -11
Day 12
Day 13
Day 14
Day 15
Leave from U.S.
Arrive in Tokyo, transfer to Olympic Village
Study Day 1 - Tokyo
Study Day 2 - Tokyo
Homestay and school visit
Travel to Kyoto, transfer to hotel,
Study Day 3 - Kyoto/Kansai
Study Day 4 - Kyoto/Kansai
Study Day 5 - Kyoto/Kansai
Return to U.S.
Sample Study Day—Building Blocks
The NP:J building blocks provide a comprehensive, descriptive listing of a wide variety of sites in
the Kanto (Tokyo) and Kansai (Kyoto and Osaka)
regions. These sites include those of historic, architectural, religious, artistic, culinary, technological,
and economic interest. Each group may select
NP:J-recommended itineraries or design its own
sequence of sites from the building blocks for
each of the study days during the NP:J tour.
Each recommended itinerary requires about a full
day to visit all sites. Sample bulding blocks follow.
Tokyo Area
Western Tokyo (Shibuya/Harajuku Area)
Meiji Shrine • Takeshita-dori • Ura-Hara
Omotesando (Oriental Bazaar) • Imperial Palace
Ginza-dori
Anime Tour (Ghibli Museum, Nakano Area)
Ghibli Museum • Nakano Broadway
Tokyo Tocho • Shinjuku
Yokohama
Minatomirai Area • Cup Noodle Museum
Red Brick Warehouse • Yokohama Chinatown
Kyoto/Kansai Area
Northwest
Kinkakuji • Ryoanji • Nijo Castle • Manga Museum
Kawaramachi
East & Central
Ginkaku-ji • Sanjusangendo • Kiyomizu Temple
Gion Area
Arashiyama
Arashiyama Station Area • Tenryu-ji • Togetsukyo
Arashiyama Monkey Park
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Phase Three: Follow-on Activities
Identifying a New Perspective
Participants have delved deep into expertly-curated study themes for months. They’ve
chipped away at the selected curriculum to shape a clear understanding of the chosen topics.
They have readied their minds for the experience ahead. They are as prepared as possible.
Once on the ground, the otherness of everything around them is intoxicating—daily signs,
smells, and tastes; flora and fauna; people and language… Over the next days, the patterns become a bit clearer. The rhythm of daily life begins to reveal itself. What initially felt
fantastically foreign is taken for granted. The mind makes sense of the world around.
And yet, there will always be inexplicable senses and notions—partially formed ideas or
thoughts that the brain set on the backburner in order to focus on the more pressing matters at hand. The broad strokes require closer inspection and for further detail to be added.
This process represents the final phase of NP:J.
Embracing a New Perspective
Designed specifically to help participants synthesize and give meaning to the experience, this
phase is often credited with ensuring the lasting impact of the program—placing the significance of an extremely-concentrated trip securely within life’s experiences.
The phase includes a stimulating review of what students learned about Japan and about
themselves. Participants reflect on their various experiences and discuss how their perspectives of Japan have changed. In addition to group exercises, individual follow-on activities are
included in the curriculum as well.
Sharing a New Perspective
Often groups will set-up speaking opportunities before their departure in order to share the
experience or teach some facet of Japanese culture—especially to younger students—after
their return. In preparing to share, it is natural for students to further assess how the learning
experience affected them and their views of Japan. Through these follow-on activities, participants will be able to identify ways of applying the experience to continued study of Japan.
Laurasian staff is pleased to assist in discovering ways to ensure that not only students get the
most out of NP:J but that the broadest audience possible is exposed to the new perspectives
formed. This includes assisting in setting up speaking engagements and ensuring they are as
successful as possible.
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For Students
Expand Your World
Few experiences rival the power of truly entering another culture—feeling the emotions others experience; thinking with a mentality that was not your own; viewing the world through
another’s eyes. NP:J provides this opportunity.
As an NP:J student you take an active role from the beginning, selecting a study theme with
your teacher, spending several months exploring the topic, and sharing insights and reflections. This prepares you for your travel in Japan, where your newfound knowledge empowers
you to be much more than a tourist—allowing you instead to develop a deeper understanding
of Japan, the Japanese people, and forever influencing your global perspective.
A Unique Cultural Opportunity
History, art, politics, government, sociology, and language come to life as never expected
when immersed in another culture. Your thoughts and insights also carry new weight. After
all, you present a unique point of view while representing the U.S. on school visits.
NP:J provides students the chance to live another culture as a member of a host family. Your
most powerful experiences could very well be the meals you share, the unassuming after
dinner talk, and being shown what family means in another culture.
Claim Your Future
Being able to point to the successful completion of NP:J will be a significant advantage when
applying to schools, fellowships, and scholarships. Likewise, having developed the confidence and maturity necessary for NP:J will benefit you on a personal level when going away
to college, claiming your independence, and shaping your future.
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For Parents
Investment in the Future
NP:J offers exceptional value for students interested in a more thorough understanding of
Japanese culture. It also provides and opportunity for your child to develop the capacity to
adapt to change, become more culturally aware, and gain a greater sense of confidence and
maturity. Writing about their NP:J experience will also be a great addition to your child’s
college application; admissions officers recognize the importance of learning another
language, traveling abroad, and living in another culture.
The lifelong benefits of participating in NP:J can profoundly affect your son or daughter’s
future. Whether working abroad or at home, the ability to understand and manage cultural
differences will be crucial to your son or daughter’s success in the new global marketplace.
Fundraising and Scholarship Opportunities
With the goal of providing meaningful contact with Japanese culture, Laurasian Institution is
dedicated to making the program a reality for students who otherwise might not be able to
participate. For this reason, we are able to assist with fundraising ideas in addition to offering
the Jackson Bailey Scholarship (see information box).
Peace of Mind
We recognize the importance of providing a safe and well-organized program for the most important person in the world—your child. We organize every aspect of the program around this
concern. Host schools and families are selected for their ability to provide a safe and enjoyable
environment, and travel specialists are available to provide detailed assistance to each group’s
teacher at the start of each study day.
In addition, a member of the NP:J staff is available via an emergency cell phone to participants
and parents around the clock while in Japan. The lead teacher from each school group will also
be provided a mobile phone to carry at all times. Finally, Japan’s low crime rate, well-developed infrastructure, and friendliness further contribute to a safe environment for your child's
once-in-a-lifetime experience.
The Jackson Bailey Scholarship
Laurasian Institution offers the Jackson Bailey Scholarship to qualified NP:J students. Named
for the late Japan scholar, Professor Jackson Bailey of Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana,
the scholarship exists to make study in Japan a reality for students who otherwise might not be
able to participate. Scholarships are awarded based on a combination of merit and need. Visit
www.laurasian.org/new-perspectives-students to find out how to apply.
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For Teachers
The NP:J Catalyst
As a teacher, you are an integral participant in NP:J and critical to its success. Working
with students before departure and traveling with them in Japan, you will help guide the
students’ first experiences with the culture. After all, who knows better how your students
best learn or are engaged?
You are also in the best position to make NP:J a reality for students: encouraging them
to apply, answering questions, and counseling parents. You may even get involved in a
fundraising drive to help offset student fees or plan a cultural day at school or within the
community to generate excitement.
Pre-Departure and Post-Trip Learning
The commitment to develop an understanding of and appreciation for specific aspects of
Japanese culture before students board the plane is a significant advantage of NP:J. Leading students through pre-departure learning modules, you will ensure an enhanced experience while in Japan. Your efforts on the backend will also ensure participants will be able to
identify ways of applying the experience to continued study of Japan.
En Route in Japan
Customize study days to visit the most meaningful sites for your group. The building block
recommendations will help you and your group craft the perfect itinerary!
Study days also leave enough space for you to add special assignments and activities. Students
could research a topic ahead of time to act as tour guides for the rest of the group at a certain
site or prepare a report for the students who could not travel. Meanwhile, the cultural
exploration activities will also engage your students in meaningful examination.
Lesson of a Lifetime
When it comes to expanding appreciation for Japan and its people, culture, and history,
your goal is our goal. For this reason, NP:J is extremely competitively-priced—not only for
students but especially for the teachers who make it happen. With eight students, your program fee is entirely waived. When 16 or more participate, the program fee for a second
chaperone is also waived.
So, what are you waiting for? Contact us today, and star shaping the lesson of a lifetime for
your students!
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NP:J is a Program of Laurasian Institution
Laurasian Institution is a not-for-profit educational organization, specializing in meaningful, high-quality,
exchange and education programs driven by their curricular design. Laurasian has supported over 10,000
participants of varying ages on short-term and group programs and is the largest U.S.-Japan non-governmental exchange organization in terms of audience impacted.
The institution was founded in 1990 and has been honored to operate programs sponsored by both the
U.S. Department of State and the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The organization operates offices in
Tokyo, Seattle, and New York.
Find out more at www.laurasian.org.
Imagine
a class that launches the exploration not only of another culture and language but also takes middle
and high school students deep into self-selected themes—contemporary society, art, religion, and beyond.
Now imagine
the class culminates with homestays, school visits, and group study travel in Japan,
and continues afterward with reflection and sharing which expand the experience.
New Perspectives: Japan
Who would have imagined?
Start shaping the lesson of a lifetime!
Visit www.laurasian.org/new-perspectives or call 800.721.7474 to apply today.