Japan Immersion 2013

Instructors:

Lisa M. Dunaway & Miguel San Miguel

Dates:

July 27, 2013 – August 10, 2013

Overview:

This is a 14-day, 3 credit hour field course that will be conducted in Tokyo and Kyoto, Japan and led by Professors Lisa Dunaway (Urban Planning) and Miguel San Miguel (Architecture). The College of Architecture and Planning has a history of study abroad experiences being led by teams of instructors including CAPitalia and World Tour. Similarly, the partnership between Ms. Dunaway and Mr. San Miguel maximizes the amount of knowledge and richness of experience that can be provided to the students in this immersive experience.  Ms. Dunaway and Mr. San Miguel through personal experience, interests, and formal education, have developed expertise in a number of disciplines that will be studied on the trip.

Japan is an island country off the east coast of mainland Asia with a documented history of the arts reaching back many millennia, including; some of the most innovative design in the world today and a unique economy in which almost all of their natural resources are imported.  The modern capital Tokyo, with a population over 30 million, is in the top five (5) most populous cities on Earth, providing an urban laboratory of visual and physical interest almost without equal.  Consistently ranked among the most livable cities worldwide, the historic capital of Kyoto was spared the atomic bomb in World War II due to its cultural importance.  Located south of Tokyo, Kyoto is considered by many Japanese residents to be the cultural and religious heart of Japan.

These two cities are an ideal place for a variety of students to study across disciplines.  Ms. Dunaway will lead study on urban planning and landscape architecture; Mr. San Miguel will lead study on architecture and design.  This field-based course will provide opportunities for individualized projects, “hands on” activities, field lectures, daily sketching/photography, posting on this website, and cultural immersion within one of the most unique countries in the World.

Goals & Objectives:

The overall goal of this course is to enhance the international learning experience and global viewpoint of students by providing an out of the classroom opportunity to study a diverse range of topics, and begin to synthesize said topics, in a country far different from the United States.

The specific objectives of this course are as follows:

1. To identify, describe, and experience the cultural differences between the United States and Japan.
2. To identify and document the urban and natural environments encountered.
3. To identify and document the visual arts, historical resources, and cultural amenities encountered.
4. To compare and describe the differences between conservation and natural resource management between the United States and Japan.
5. To discuss and debate the unique approaches to art, design, and planning in Japanese culture.

Course topics:

• Urban and Regional planning and development
• Architecture & Interior Design
• Landscape Architecture
• Sustainability