Education Abroad & Exchange - Hokudai Summer

Hokudai University Summer Program

In four weeks of your summer vacation the University of Massachusetts Summer Program at Hokkaido University can offer you a comprehensive introduction to life in Contemporary Japan. The program is based at Hokkaido University (Hokudai), one of Japan’s premier national universities, which occupies a spacious campus in Sapporo, the lively, modern capital city of Hokkaido prefecture. There is no Japanese language pre-requisite for this program. Host families and the language teachers are prepared for a range from zero background through to intermediate speakers of Japanese.

• Dates: June 20 – July 19, 2008
• Earn 3 UMass credits
• Live with a Japanese host family
• Learn Japanese at your level (no experience necessary)
• Practice traditional Japanese arts and crafts
• Explore Sapporo and beyond—excursions and tours included during 4 weeks

Other Important Information

Students arrange own international air transportation and meet Prof. Reiko Sono, UMass Faculty Director, at Narita International Airport on designated arrival date/time, so as to arrive together in Hokkaido. The University will meet students at airport in Hokkaido and bus them to downtown Sapporo where accommodations are arranged for first night. The next day, students are introduced to host families who then take them home and also teach them about the transportation system of the city and guide them in learning how to commute from homestay to university campus for classes the next week. Homestay includes breakfast and dinner every day. Students buy lunches on campus.

Visa Information

U.S. citizens are allowed to enter Japan as tourists without prior application through the Japanese Consulate, for a stay of 90 days. Citizens of other countries must consult the Japanese Consulate website for information about tourist visa requirements.

Academic Program

UMass and Hokudai combine to offer our students a range of courses and study opportunities, including:

1. Daily Japanese language classes 90 minutes long, Monday – Friday mornings, taught by the experienced staff at Hokudai's International Student Center.
2. Lecture series by Hokudai faculty every morning, Monday – Friday, after language classes, presenting an interdisciplinary overview of Japanese society and culture, as well as insights into some of the research currently being carried out at Hokkaido University's laboratories and institutes.
3. Field trips and guided tours to historic and culturally significant sites arranged by Hokkaido University staff in afternoons.
4. Japanese cultural and art activities with guest speakers in afternoons.
5. Three-credit course JPN 197: "Introduction to Japanese Studies" taught by Prof. Reiko Sono, of the UMass Asian Languages and Literatures faculty.

Extracurricular Activities

Students have the opportunity to practice traditional Japanese arts, from sumi-e painting to folk dance and ikebana flower arranging. Planned excursions include visits to a reconstructed 19th century village, the Hokkaido History Museum, and tentatively a field trip to the lake/caldera area about 2 hours away by bus. In addition, tours will be offered of Sapporo City, museums and shrines.

Accommodations

Students live with Japanese host families, volunteers who are associated with Hokkaido University, for the entire four weeks of the program split up into two halves with a different host family for each half. The reason for the switch in host families mid-way through the program is to lessen the imposition on the host families who often have small houses. The host families are usually located within about 15 - 30 minutes commute from the University campus. The host families provide breakfast and dinner; students pay separately for lunches on the campus or in nearby restaurants.

Program Fee

This includes the homestay, with two meals/day, the Japanese language classes, lecture series, field trips, Japanese art activities, the 3 credits, the orientation costs.

Additional cost estimates include

Application Information:

Paper applications are being used and are available from the International Programs Office through Laurel Foster-Moore, Advisor for Asia. Questions can be addressed to Ms. Foster-Moore at:
fostermo@ipo.umass.edu
413-545-5250

© 2007 University of Massachusetts Amherst. Site Policies.
This site is maintained by the International Programs Office.