temple university, Japan CAMPUS

Temple University, Japan Campus (TUJ), offers several summer programs, which are described in more detail under summer programs. General information about Tokyo, the campus, student life, and housing, can be found here.

TOKYO

One of the world’s most important cities, Tokyo is the capital of Japan and the center of Japanese politics, commerce, industry, and economics. More than 27 million people live within a 30-mile radius of the Imperial Palace. Administratively, Tokyo includes 23 metropolitan wards, satellite cities, and even a number of islands, scattered in the Pacific to the south of Tokyo Bay.

Tokyo is, in many ways, an ideal site for study abroad. It is an incredibly dynamic city. Here one can find every entertainment. The city has so much to offer; one could easily and spend a lifetime exploring it and still make new discoveries. Throughout the year, the National Theater and Kabukiza Theater feature kabuki, traditional Japanese theater. Noh plays, another traditional form of stage art, are performed in several Nohgakudo in the city. Live concerts by Western performers can be heard frequently, and many major orchestras, ballet troupes, rock bands, and opera companies tour Japan regularly.

The juxtaposition of the old and the new is one of the most fascinating things about Tokyo. Students living in one of the world’s global economic powers experience modern 21st century life in Asia, but at the same time, ancient customs, traditions, and evidence of Japan’s historical heritage are apparent in every interaction. In the midst of the hustle and bustle of this extraordinarily contemporary city, one occasionally sees women in kimonos running their daily errands and traditionally dressed laborers at work.

As might be expected of a city that is an economic powerhouse, what confronts the visitor initially is the incredible level of energy in Tokyo. But not far from its busy modern thoroughfares lie quiet local neighborhoods where the traditional pattern of Japanese life still ebbs and flows. Scattered throughout the city are peaceful parks and gardens, many of which are renowned for their seasonal flower displays. In spite of its size, Tokyo is also a very liveable city, accessible and efficient, with excellent public transportation systems. It is also one of the safest cities in the world. Temple University, Japan Campus (TUJ), located in the heart of all this activity, is uniquely situated to assist students who wish to take advantage of Tokyo’s rich array of resources, activities, and traditions.

SUMMER INSTITUTE

In addition to its regular semester programs, TUJ offers a number of academic options for students who wish to study at TUJ during the summer. These range from specialized six-week, six-credit workshops to an 11-week summer semester, offering a broad range of courses, including Japanese language and Asian studies courses.

All summer programs are organized under the auspices of the TUJ Summer Institute, which, in addition to the summer semester option, offers intensive programs in art, architecture, anthropology, and popular culture studies (including anime and manga). These workshops, while distinct in content and focus, are all supervised by Japan based and visiting international faculty, who lend their collective expertise to the entire array of offerings, so that students are exposed to a wide range of academic offerings.

In addition to the intensive workshop curriculum and program-specific field trips, faculty members organize joint seminars and lectures that rely on the synergies and common interests of the respective workshops. The Summer Institute provides opportunities for students to interact with their peers and faculty who share common interests, supplementing the intensive focus of each particular workshop, to establish a scholarly community that is multi-faceted, international and collaborative in nature.

THE CAMPUS

TUJ is located in the Minami Azabu and Mita districts in central Tokyo.   Azabu Hall occupies six floors of a modern office building; facilities include classrooms, a library, computer labs with Internet access, a teaching and learning center, an audio/video center, faculty offices, and a student lounge. Mita Hall is located in an office building a five-minute walk from Azabu Hall; facilities there include classrooms, study roomS, a computer lab, faculty offices, seminar rooms, and a student lounge.

The campus is within easy reach of a number of interesting Tokyo neighborhoods, including Shibuya, an entertainment area popular with young adults, and Roppongi, the famous nightlife district. The Imperial Palace, where the emperor resides, the Diet Building (Japanese legislature), and the shopping districts of Ginza and Shinjuku are all fewer than three miles from TUJ. Minato Ward is home to the offices of many international companies and a number of embassies, many of which are in the immediate vicinity of TUJ. Keio University and Meiji Gakuin University are both fewer than 10 minutes’ walk away. Shops and restaurants around the campus cater to the embassy and foreign communities in the area. Restaurant options range from traditional Japanese washoku and kaiseki to international cuisine. TUJ is accessible by Tokyo’s famous public transportation system from every part of the Tokyo metropolitan area and is within walking distance of the Hiroo, Mita, or Azabu Juban subway stations and the Tamachi train station on the Yamanote line.

HOUSING

Students may choose to take advantage of housing arranged by Temple University or to make their own housing arrangements. More detailed information describing the housing facilities and amenities is provided in one of the pre-departure mailings.

STUDENT LIFE

Since TUJ conducts a regular semester during the summer for its bilingual degree-seeking students, participants in all of the programs are able to take part in the academic and extracurricular life of the university and will find ample opportunity for cross-cultural interaction and social integration with TUJ’s Japanese student body.