Japanese Language, History and Culture
Application Deadline: February 15, 2026
Course
UNI 460 | 3 credits
ECCE Global Awareness
Summer 2026 Course
Dates & Location
June 6 - June 21, 2026
Ashikaga, Japan
Requirements
- Must be a UIS undergrad or graduate student in good academic standing.
- UIS students of all majors are welcome to participate on this program.
Overview
- Instruction in Japanese language and culture on the campus of the Ashikaga University (AU), UIS sister university in Japan.
- Experiences Range from the Historical to the Contemporary.
- Each day will also include educational field trips:
- The Mayor’s Office and City Hall
- The Engineering and Nursing Program at AU
- The Ashikaga Gakko, the oldest university in Japan
- The Bannaji Buddhist Temple
- A farm or factory
- Public school
- The Nikko Nature Preserve & Shinto Temple complex
- Day trip to Tokyo
- Japanese martial arts
- Flower arranging
- Buddhist meditation
- A tea ceremony
- Calligraphy
- Japanese cuisine
Housing
- Students will be staying in single room hotel rooms
- The hotel is a bus ride away from Ashikaga University
- For one weekend students will live with a Japanese host family
Program Cost
Program Cost is $4,000 for Summer 2026. Cost includes the following:
- International Airfare
- All meals
- Housing
- Museum entry
- Train/bus transportation
Estimated out-of-pocket expenses: $295 (passport, souvenirs and meals on the travel days)
UIS Tuition and fees are charged in addition to the listed program cost. Use the UIS Tuition Calculator to calculate the cost for Summer 2026 - 3 credit hours.
Scholarships
- Apply for the UIS Donor-Sponsored Scholarship by February 17th, 2026 at noon. Indicate within the application that you plan to participate on a study away program.
- Visit Study Away Financial Aid & Scholarship website for more information.
Passport & Visa
- Students will require a passport to participate on this program.
- For assistance securing a U.S. Passport, visit Travel.State.Gov.
- U.S. citizens will NOT require a visa in order to participate in this program.
Application
- Students apply online via the EngageU Application.
- The EngageU Application must be completed and submitted in one sitting.
- Students must provide proof of a passport on the application.
- Students must identify a person to serve as a "Recommender" to speak on behalf of their character. The Recommender will be prompted to answer a series of scalable questions. A recommendation letter is NOT needed.
- The Application will then be routed to UIS approvers for review.
Location
Ashikaga, Japan - Ashikaga City Tourist Association
The information gathered below is from GoinGlobal. Take a deeper dive into the cultural advice via the GoinGlobal Country Guides.
- Daily Life - understand the history, the people & values, views of time management along with the cuisine and meal etiquette
- Communication - learn about appropriate communication methods, including negotiation & correspondence styles, language skills & vocabulary
- Acting Like a Local - avoid acting like a tourist by learning these taboos & helpful hints
Additional Information
Contact Lauren Roalkvan (lroal@uis.edu), Associate Director of Global Engagement, if you have questions or need more information.
