Japan's Physical Setting:

2001

Several field excursions each year visit active volcanic complexes. The photo above was taken at Ebino Kogen, in Kirishima National Park in Kagoshima Prefecture.

2000

1998

Above a group crosses the 1993 lava flow from Fuken-dake, on the Shimabara Peninsula, commonly known as Unzen, in Nagasaki Prefecture.

2004

Here we hiked through the Oirase gorge which drains the Caldera Lake at Towada. Waterfalls entered from the sides every couple of hundred meters.

2001

Not all physical outings are to volcanoes. This photo was taken in a limestone cave in the village of Itsuki, in Kumamoto Prefecture.

1999

Several students wanted to explore Mt. Aso at bit more and we went hiking up the edge of the main crater. The views were good. The rest remained at the bottom.

2003

This group poses in front of the active crater at the Mt. Aso volcano in central Kyushu. (Imoto on left)

2006

Much of Japan has hillsides held up with various forms of concrete. This on the side of Mt. Donden on Sado Island.

1999

A stop is always scheduled in Kyoto, the cultural and ancient second capital of Japan. The area is filled with temples, shrines, and old architecture. The group poses in front of Kiyomizu-dera, on the east side of the city.

2003

This is an energetic taiko performance at IEC's 25th anniversary in Yatsushiro.

2001

Here we have a student seeking "enlightenment" in Nara's Todaiji. The hole in the column is the same size as the nostril of the large statue of Buddha. If you can make it through, you achieve enlightenment, or at least a dirty T-shirt.

2000

For a better understanding of the culture, we visit various museums along the way. A student makes a friend with a stuffed bear in Tohoku. What is "Do Not Touch" in Japanese?

2004

At Takachiho we met a statue of an angry god.

1998

This group poses in the kitchen of the restored Matsuda house of Heike descendents in Gokanosho, Kumamoto Prefecture.

2000

The area of Tohoku around Akita, Hirosaki, and Aomori is famous for its Neputa festival. A float is on display in the Hirosaki City museum.

We have also visited the largest Ainu museum in Shiraoi, Hokkaido, the Tokyo National Museum, the Kyoto National Museum, the Nara National Museum, the Kumamoto Folk Museum, the Takayama Minzokumura museum, the outdoor Ogimachi museum in Shirakawa, and many others.

2004

In Kyoto we walked to the Heian Shrine, after we hiked around Mt. Hiei, Ginkakuji, and points between.

2004

We found one of the last old buildings in Tsukudashima, an area of Tokyo that was settled in the early 1600s by fishermen brought from Osaka by the shogun. They were placed on this island and were both suppliers of fish and watchers of the bay for the shogun.

Economic Visits

2001

Many field excursions are meant to expose the students to a wide variety of economic activities and levels. The photo to the left was taken on Matsushima, in the Amakusa Islands, an area famous for fishing and pearl culture.

2005

Much of Japan's economic activity is focused on the seas, both historically and presently. As a result, there are many fish markets of varying sizes around the country. To the right, a brand new cutout in the Hakodate Asaichi, morning market, Hokkaido.

1999

The photo above was taken in front of a favorite destination: the Sapporo Beer museum, factory, and restaurant.

2000

Kentuckians visited a racehorse farm in Shizunai, Hokkaido. The cost of this horse could have paid for first class airfares to Japan for several years.

2001

The Japanese love to have their picture taken, and various cutouts with holes for your face are found around Japan. Both of the above pictures were taken in front of the same store, Takadaya, in Hakodate, except that the sign had changed over the years. By 2004, the sign had gone. A generic one was back in 2005.

2001

Here the group poses in front of the famous bust of Dr. William S. Clark, one of Sapporo's leading forefathers and source of the famous "Boys be ambitious" saying now synonymous with Hokkaido University and famous throughout Japan.

Participation Activities

1998

Where possible, students have the opportunity to enjoy "hands on" experiences in Japan. To the left a group tries its hand at making their own pieces of pottery at the Sakai Kodayaki kilns.

1999

In Yatsushiro, the group was treated to a real tea ceremony by a real master in a real tea house and garden. Those that had two bowls of macha didn't get much sleep that night.

2001

To the right, the Japanese Calligraphy group shows off their skills. There's a joker in every lot.

2001

Occasionally, Japanese ryokan owners put on their best show for the foreign guests. At the Kohama Ryokan in Akita City, everyone got a chance to wear traditional Japanese attire.

1998

The climate of southern Japan is Humid Subtropical, the same as the southeastern US. It gets hot. When the weather gets oppressive, the instructor knows of several waterfalls and swimming sites that can cool you off even on the hottest summer day. These two photos were taken at Sendantodoro-no-taki in Itsuki village, Gokanosho, Kumamoto-ken.

2001

2001

A common activity can be observed in the photo to the left - the picnic breakfast. To save money, many times we stop at a Japanese convenience store such as Sankusu, Lawson, or 7-11, and buy ready made food that we take to a park to eat. This riverside meal is just below the morning market in Takayama City, Gifu Prefecture.

2004

Cooling off at Sendantodoronotaki in Gokanosho, Kyushu Sanchi Highlands Park.

2005

Each trip culminates in a Japanese party for the host families. The party this year was in a Japanese snack bar at Chamu in Yatsushiro's Honmachi where everyone attempted to sing songs.