Skip to main content

Program home

Request info Apply now

Japan Study

Tokyo, Japan

Established in 1963, the Japan Study program is one of the oldest and most comprehensive programs in educational exchange and development linking colleges and universities in the United States and Japan. Based at Earlham College, Japan Study links member colleges of the Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM) and the Great Lakes Colleges Association (GLCA) with those of Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan.  Throughout its rich history, Japan Study has made important contributions toward fostering the growth of international and intercultural understanding among a significant number of Japanese and American students and faculty. Participants have gone on to distinguished careers in academics, industry, and governmental and non-governmental organizations. They play important roles in a wide range of settings linking Japan, the United States, and the rest of the world.

Japan Study enables students to become international citizens as they explore Japan in depth, build language skills, and experience Japanese culture. Living with a Japanese family, taking courses at Waseda University, and participating in a cultural practicum/internship offer different windows for experiencing and understanding the complex society of contemporary Japan.  Students choose from three program options:

  • Fall Semester (mid-September to early February)
  • Fall Semester with Cultural Practicum (mid-September to mid-March)
  • Full Academic Year (mid-September to late July)
For detailed information about the Japan Study program, please visit the Earlham College Japan Study home page.

Application deadlines

January 13, 2009

Fall 2009 semester

Program contacts

Heather Everst
Program Associate

205 W. Wacker Drive, Suite 220
Chicago, IL 60606
Phone: 312.263.5000
Fax: 312.263.5879
heverst@acm.edu

More program contacts »

Japan Study

Laura Woodland On the Japan Study program, I learned to become extremely independent. Being in a foreign country, where you're basically on your own, forces you to grow up quickly. I was no longer able to depend on my mother or father to get me out of binds, and having this self-sufficient trait is something that would have taken a lot longer for me to acquire had I not participated in Japan Study. Not to mention, my Japanese is amazing now.

—Laura Woodland, Japan Study, 2007-08

Read more testimonials »

Who we are

The Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM) is a consortium of 13 independent, liberal arts colleges in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Colorado.