Outline

Japan is Australia's single most important trade partner and the major economic power in the Asia–Pacific region. The study of Japan's economy offers an advantage to students pursuing careers in the international business arena, while its culture, history and international relations are of vital importance in understanding what can be to outsiders an enigmatic society.

In exceptional circumstances, students with an advanced competence in Japanese are required to take approved substitute subjects (see the list of approved substitute subjects). Any variation in the International Studies program is subject to the approval of the Board of Studies of the Institute.

9772xx
In-country Study 1: Japan

24cp; prerequisite: completion of relevant subjects appropriate to the student's International Studies major

In-country Study subjects are only available to students doing the BA in International Studies.

9782xx
In-country Study 2: Japan

24cp; prerequisite: 9772xx In-country Study 1: Japan

Information on In-country Study inJapan

Content and assessment

Through arrangements made by the Institutes, students spend two consecutive semesters studying at one of the following universities:

• Gifu University, Gifu
• Hokkaido University of Education, Hakodate Campus, Hakodate, Hokkaido
• Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Kyushu
• Kyoto University of Foreign Studies, Kyoto
• Kyushu Institute of Technology, Kiakyushu, Kyushu
• Nishogakusha University, Kashiwa, Chiba
• Obirin University, Machida, Tokyo
• Okinawa University, Naha, Okinawa
• Osaka Prefecture University, Osaka
• Tokyo Institute of Technology, O-okayama, Tokyo
• Sapporo University, Sapporo, Hakkaido
• Yamanashi University, Kofu, Yamanashi
• Yokohama National University, Yokohama.

The location and content of each student's period of In-country Study are determined by the student's level of language competence in Japanese. Students who have a sound working knowledge of Japanese prior to undertaking their period of In-country Study are able to attend classes alongside local students in a broad range of subjects. All other students devote the first semester to the study of language and culture subjects. In the second semester, students, depending on their acquired level of language proficiency, may choose their subjects more broadly from the University's curriculum.

Locations

Gifu

The town of Gifu (pop. 410,000) is located north of Nagoya and has developed in the heart of the Gifu Castle on Mt Kinka. The cormorant fishing on the Nagara River that flows through Gifu has a history of 1,200 years and attracts many tourists. The major attractions of the mountainous Gifu prefecture lie to the north in the Hida district, which is part of the Japanese Alps. The inhabitants of Takayama, the administrative centre of Hida, have long been known for their woodworking skills, and Hida carpenters were in demand to construct imperial palaces and temples in the Kyoto and Nara regions. The tradition continues to this day with the production of furniture and woodcarvings.

Gifu University is a national university founded in 1949. It has five faculties: Agriculture, Education, Engineering, Medicine and Regional Studies. Student numbers for Gifu University are 6,000 undergraduate and 1,200 graduate.

Hokkaido

Hokkaido is the northernmost and second largest of Japan's four main islands. Sapporo (pop. 1.6 million) is Hokkaido's administrative capital, and fifth largest city in Japan. Sapporo boasts of dynamic cultural institutions and annually hosts a unique range of events, among them the Pacific Music Festival (PMF). The PMF adds to its legacy of their prominent activities that include the 1972 Winter Olympic Games, Asian Games, Winter Universiade and Sapporo Snow Festival. Students on In-country Study may access one of two universities in Hokkaido: Sapporo University or Hokkaido University of Education, Hakodate.

Sapporo University is a private university founded in 1967. It has about 6,000 undergraduate and 60 international students. There are a great variety of extracurricular activities, with over 60 cultural and sporting clubs. The University is located in Nishioka, the southern part of Sapporo. It is situated in a quiet residential area and is not far from Hitsuijigaoka observation spot, one of Sapporo's main attractions.

Hokkaido University of Education, Hakodate, is a national university founded in 1876. Its academic strength lies in the area of education. The University has about 6,000 undergraduate students and consists of five campuses, each located in a principal city of Hokkaido: Sapporo, Hakodate, Asahikawa, Kushiro and Iwamizawa. It has five undergraduate programs: Elementary School Teachers, Junior High School Teachers, Kindergarten Teachers, Children with Intellectual Disabilities, and Integrated Arts and Sciences at Hakodate College.

Kagoshima

Known to the Japanese as the Naples of Japan, Kagoshima (pop. 536,000) is the southern-most major city in Kyushu. It is a warm, sunny and relaxed place. Overlooking the city across Kinko Bay is the famous volcano, Mt Sakurajima. The Kagoshima region, known as Satsuma, was always receptive to outside contact and for many years was an important centre for trade with China. St Francis Xavier first arrived here in 1549, making Kagoshima one of Japan's earliest contact points with the West. The city's University serves as a focus for cultural life in southern Kyushu.

Kagoshima University is a national university founded in 1949. It has nine faculties: Agriculture, Dentistry, Education, Engineering, Fisheries, Law and Letters, Medicine, Science, and Allied Medical Sciences. Student numbers are about 10,000 for undergraduate programs and 1,200 for graduate programs. The campus is located in the centre of Kagoshima City.

Kashiwa

Kashiwa City is located 30 km northeast of Tokyo and the JR Joban Line connects Kashiwa to Tokyo by train.

Kashiwa is conveniently located one hour by car from both central Tokyo and Narita International Airport. Kashiwa City has drawn attention as one of the ideal residential suburbs of Tokyo, and has seen rapid growth. What started off as a small city of about 40,000 people has now grown into a city of 330,000 residents as of 2001. The professional soccer team, Kashiwa Reysol, is based in Kashiwa, and residents join together in cheering the team on.

Nishogakusha University had its beginnings in Kangaku Juku, a private school for the study of Chinese classics founded in 1877. The University continues to teach Chinese classics as well as other East Asian literature through its Faculty of Literature. The University has a second faculty, the Faculty of International Politics and Economics.

Kitakyushu

Kyushu Institute of Technology is located at Kitakyushu-city in the northern part of the island of Kyushu (pop. 1 million). Historically, this area has played a major role as a gateway to the Asian continent. Kitakyushu-city has developed into an important industrial area for southern Japan. Kyushu Institute of Technology specialises in the fields of information technology, mechanical design for engineering, architecture, building and science.

Kyoto

Kyoto (pop. 1.4 million) was historically the cultural and political centre of Japan and its ancient capital from 794–1868. Kyoto is rich in historical sites and for that reason it attracts many foreigners. Kyoto is renowned for its fine textiles and traditional products and is also a thriving centre of high-tech industry. Possessing a wealth of historic sites and cultural treasures, and bounded on three sides by mountains, Kyoto is a living museum.

Kyoto University of Foreign Studies is one of the oldest private universities for foreign studies. It has about 3,500 undergraduate and 50 graduate students learning various languages and cultures. The University is located in the western part of the city.

Machida

The Tokyo-Yokohama district is the key region in Japan's leading commercial and industrial area. Tokyo prefecture comprises 23 wards of urban Tokyo, 27 cities and four islands with over 11 million people. Tokyo is such a huge, sprawling city that one could spend a lifetime exploring it and still make new discoveries.

Obirin University is located in Machida, a city of 400,000 in the south-western suburbs of Tokyo. It is one of Tokyo's residential cities. Machida is also convenient to Shinjuku and offers many opportunities to shop and visit museums, parks and recreational facilities. It is approximately one hour from central Tokyo by train.

Obirin is a private university founded in 1946. A Christian Congregation University, it is very internationalised with over 5,000 undergraduate and about 150 graduate students. Obirin hosts non-matriculating international students from English-speaking countries on 10-month 'Reconnaissance Japan' programs. It has four Faculties: Economics, International Studies, Literature, and Business and Public Administration.

Naha

Naha is the capital of Okinawa prefecture, at the southern end of Japan. The only region which has a sub-tropical climate in Japan, it offers a warmer climate with the average temperature of approximately 23 degrees. Okinawa's peculiar culture and environment attract a lot of people and is inviting for many foreign sightseers.

Okinawa University's basic concept is 'an open university that is community oriented, learns from the community, and keeps close relationship with the community'.

There are two faculties: the Faculty of Law and Economics and the Faculty of Humanities. Okinawa University also offers Japanese Language programs.

O-okayama

The Tokyo Institute of Technology is one of the leading institutions of higher education in the fields of science and engineering. Its main campus at O-okayama, located just outside central Tokyo, offers close proximity to Tokyo's many activities and cultural facilities.

Osaka

Sakai City (pop. 800,000) lies south of Osaka, Japan's third biggest city, the business centre of southern Japan. Sakai's history is traced well back to the 4th century and there are many historical and cultural sites, such as Emperor Nintoku's Mausoleum.

Osaka Prefecture University is a local prefecture university founded in 1949. It has five faculties: Engineering, Agriculture, Economics, Integrated Arts and Sciences, and Social Welfare. UTS currently has exchange agreements with the Faculty of Engineering. The Universty has about 5,000 undergraduate and 1,200 graduate students.

Yamanashi

Yamanashi prefecture, located in the Chubu region of Japan, is an inland prefecture rimmed by steep mountains on all sides. Surrounded by scenic beauty to the south, Mt Fuji rises 3,776 m above sea level. Being only 120 km from the Tokyo area, the prefecture has been able to prosper culturally for many years. Yamanashi has much allure, with abundant greenery, crystal clear air and water, some of the freshest fruit and best national parks, including the Fuji Hakone Izu National Park. Kofu City, with about 200,000 inhabitants, can be reached within an hour-and-a-half from Tokyo by express train.

Yamanashi University is a national university founded in 1949. It has three faculties: Engineering, Education and Medicine. It has about 3,500 undergraduate and 500 graduate students. The University is situated in a scenic environment, with Mt Fuji to the south and the snowcapped peaks of the Southern Alps of Japan to the west.

Yokohama

The Tokyo-Yokohama district is the key region in Japan's leading commercial and industrial area. Yokohama (pop. 3 million) was little more than mudflats 150 years ago, but with the end of Japan's long isolation from the outside world, the city was the closest port to Tokyo open to foreign traders. Yokohama's attractions can be summed up in the harbour and a lively Chinatown. Yokohama Bay Bridge has a walkway on the bridge, Sky Walk, that leads to a viewing area out over the bay. The high-tech industries and research laboratories that back up the Tokyo area are gathered in Yokohama district.

Yokohama National University, established in 1949 as a national university, has four faculties and two Graduate Schools with about 10,000 students. Non-degree students are able to study at Yokohama National University for six to 12 months.

Costs

The two semesters of In-country Study are full-credit subjects at UTS for which HECS is payable. Students receiving student financial support in Australia are still eligible to receive it while they are engaged in a period of In-country Study in Japan. The costs of tuition in host institutions overseas and travel between Sydney and the designated host institutions are borne by UTS, except in cases where a scholarship has been awarded to the student with provision for these costs. Under those circumstances, the funds that would have otherwise been allocated towards the student's tuition and travel are redirected to support the In-country Study program in general. Other costs, e.g. accommodation and food, are met by students, who should be aware that the cost of living in Japan is very high and has been estimated to be the highest in the world.

The information on the program of In-country Study in Japan is correct at the time of printing. However, the Institute for International Studies reserves the right to make alterations to the location and content of any program of In-country Study at any time.