About the
Rail Trip
The rail trip is available
as the complete trip in the 3-week option, or
as the first part of the 6-week option which includes
the homestay in Yatushiro.

The rail
portion of the program will encompass a wide variety
of landscapes around Japan, including the remote
North of Hokkaido as well as the "Core Area"
of Honshu. Stops of physical and cultural interests
will be made in these areas such as at Sapporo,
Hakodate, Morioka, Lake Towada, Tokyo, Matsumoto,
Takayama, Kyoto, and Hiroshima, ending in Fukuoka
Prefecture.
There
is usually an essay question pertaining to each
stop along the way, emphasizing what is being
covered on the year's particular trip. Sometimes
the question is a mapping exercise, to learn data
gathering methods, and other times it concerns
the area passed through on the train.

We
stay in inexpensive business hotels or youth hostels,
depending on the area we visit, most often near
the train stations, using most of our time on
day trips.
The
Program in Yatsushiro
For
those continuing to Yatsushiro, the class consists
almost entirely of field trips around Yatsushiro
City, Kumamoto Prefecture, and Kyushu. This is
to gain directly an introduction to the history
and geography of this area.
After the
field trips have concluded, students will begin
to gather data on their own concerning the research
topic they have selected. Students
in the past have selected topics from fields such
as urban development, land-use policy, migration,
high-tech industries, environmental problems,
westernization, impacts of automobiles, linquistic
differences, rural depopulation, and natural hazards.
Both sections are due by the end of the summer.
The below photo is of Yatsushiro and the Kuma
River from a nearby mountainside.

Weekends will of course be free, and there are variety of entertainment
options available. Your host family
usually enjoys taking you to someplace unusual
or interesting.
We
will take full advantage of the small class size,
so there will be ample room for discussions and
questions. This section of the trip is limited
to 6 students.
Yatsushiro
Field Visits and Projects
During
the field visits students will have the chance
to appreciate the many facets of the area and
will have a chance to directly observe the issues
discussed. In the past, these visits have included:
Mt.
Aso : In the center
of the island of Kyushu is the volcanic complex
that built the island. Only in one year were we
unable to get close to the crater due to excessive
out-gassing (2007). The picture below is the caldera
with clouds as viewed from the north.

Minamata
and coastals areas:
Minamata is infamous for the sickness caused by
methyl mercury being dumped into the Yatsushiro
Sea. We drive down the coast to visit the center
and museum there.
Kirishima
National Park: Another
volcanic complex, together with one of Japan's
oldest shrines is often a destination. We travel
through the middle of Kyushu (we go through 29
tunnels in one direction) before climbing up to
the park and shrines. The shrine is dedicated
to the founding of Japan, which began when a local
god came down to the top of one of the volcanoes
in the park. A more active volcano to the south,
Sakurajima, can be viewed from Kirishima when
the weather is clear as in the below photo.

In
addition, we visit port facilities, new economic
areas, and old fading economic centers, museums,
and gardens. We also take various routes into
the mountains to visit remote villages to observe
the contrasts with main-stream Japanese life in
the coastal plains.

Grading
The
final grade for the students who only go on the
rail portion of the trip will be based on a series
of essay questions pertaining to the observations
made during this part of the trip. For the 6-week
students, an additional preliminary research paper
of 10-15 pages is required which is based on data
gathered in the field while based in Yatsushiro.
Faculty
The faculty
for this session consists of Paul Karan and Todd
Stradford.
Prerequisites
The
prerequisites are a minimum sophomore standing
and approval of the instructor. Students will
also be required to show proof of international
health and accident insurance (This is taken care
of in the Education Abroad & tuition forms).
Registration
Undergraduate
students should register
for two courses (a total of 6 credit hours):
These courses are listed in the
Second Summer Session under GEO-Geography or JPN-Japan
Studies
-
GEO 334-220
Environment, Sociology, and Economy of Japan
(3 credits) 01661 220
-
GEO 406G-220
Field Studies in Japan (3 hours)
00724
220
Graduate students
should register for two courses (a total of 6
credit hours)::
- GEO 706-020 Advanced
Field Studies: Japan (3 hours)
- GEO 406G-220 Field
Studies in Japan (3 hours) 00724 220
- GEO 465-220:
Special Topics in Human Geography: Japan (3
hours) 01554 220
- GEO 491G-220: Japanese
Landscapes (3 hours) 01555 220
- GEO 560-220: Independent
Studies in Geography of Japan. Individualized
study or research on a specific topic in Japan.
(3 hours) 01679 220
- GEO 565-220: Topics
in Geography: Field Research in Japan (3 hours)
00732 220
Students registering for the Rail Trip
only should sign up for (3 credit hours):
-
GEO
334-220 Environment, Sociology, and
Economy of Japan (3 credits) 01661 220
Program & Tuition Fees
Total Costs - 6 week Program
Program fees for the full 6-week Japan program are:
Resident Undergraduate |
$4806 |
Tuition, Study Abroad Fees, Insurance |
$353 |
Total |
$5159 |
|
|
Resident Graduate: |
$4806 |
Tuition, Study Abroad Fees, Insurance |
$488 |
Total |
$5294 |
|
|
Non-Resident (Grad or UG): |
$4806 |
Tuition, Study Abroad Fees, Insurance |
$731 |
Total |
$5537 |
Above Fees Include:
* Tuition for 6 UK GPA credits
* $50 Education Abroad at UK Application Fee
*$100 Education Abroad at UK Administrative Fee
* ISP 599 (1 credit hour)
* Airfare to Japan
* JR Rail Pass
* Hotels, entries, & public transport on the rail portion of the trip
* Home stay lodging for 3 weeks
* Two meals per day at the homestay (breakfast and dinner) while in Yatsushiro
* Program Field trips
* Travel Medical Insurance for 6 weeks
Items NOT included in the Program Fee:
* Meals on the rail trip
* Miscellaneous Expenses (minimum $750 = $18/day, including meals on the rail trip, lunches in Yatsushiro, souvenirs, entertainment, etc.)
Other possible expenses include:
* Passport ($100)
* Youth Hostel Membership ($25)
Note: Program participants will be enrolled by Education Abroad at UK in ISP 599 for one credit hour and will be charged one credit hour of tuition (included in the program fee.) Students will enroll themselves in 6 credit hours of Summer II courses. No extra tuition will be charged for the 6 credit hours.
Total Costs - 3 week Rail Trip Program
Program fees for the 3-credit Japan program are:
Resident Undergraduate |
$4055 |
Tuition, Study Abroad Fees, Insurance |
$353 |
Total |
$4408 |
|
|
Resident Graduate: |
$4055 |
Tuition, Study Abroad Fees, Insurance |
$488 |
Total |
$4543 |
|
|
Non-Resident (Grad or UG): |
$4055 |
Tuition, Study Abroad Fees, Insurance |
$731 |
Total |
$4786 |
Fees Includes:
* Tuition for 3 UK GPA credits
* $50 Education Abroad at UK Application Fee
*$100 Education Abroad at UK Administrative Fee
* ISP 599 (1 credit hour)
* Airfare to Japan
* JR Rail Pass
* Hotels, entries, & public transport on the rail portion of the trip
Items NOT included in the Program Fee:
* Meals on the rail trip
* Miscellaneous Expenses (Minimum $375 = $18/day, including meals on the rail trip, souvenirs, entertainment, etc.)
Other possible expenses include:
* Passport ($100)
* Youth Hostel Membership ($25)
Note: Program participants will be enrolled by Education Abroad at UK in ISP 599 for one credit hour and will be charged one credit hour of tuition (included in the program fee.) Students will enroll themselves in 3credit hours of Summer II courses. No extra tuition will be charged for the 3 credit hours.
1) Program Fee Payment Schedule:
$1000 program deposit is due on 03/15/2011. The deposit will be charged to UK student account.
The rest of the program fee (program fee total - $1000 deposit) will be charged to UK student account during the first week of June 2011
2) Education Abroad & Tuition Fee payments:
Applications will be accepted until the program is full.
Program Cancellation Policy
If an applicant withdraws from a UK-Sponsored program:
- Less than 30 days prior to the program's official start date, the applicant will be financially responsible for half of the program deposit, or any non-recoverable costs* associated with the program fee at the time of withdrawal (whichever is greater).
- After the program's official start date, the student will be financially responsible for the entire program fee.
*Non-recoverable costs include any financial commitments (such as housing deposits, field trip pre-payments, etc) made on behalf of the applicant. These costs vary by program and typically increase closer to the departure date. Calculation of these costs may take time as the Education Abroad staff determines the refund policies of vendors and whether exceptions can be made.
If the program is cancelled, all fees will be refunded.
Fees may be paid by check, cash or credit card.
Please contact Education Abroad at UK (EA) for more details. 257-4067 ext 252; EducationAbroad@uky.edu
http://abroad.ad.uky.edu/
Application Deadlines:
EA General Application due April 1st
Education Abroad Application Forms
http://abroad.ad.uky.edu/
For further
information please contact
Paul Karan, Dept.
of Geography, e-mail: ppkaran@uky.edu
Doug Slaymaker, Japanese Studies, e-mail: jpnstdy08@spamex.com
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