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International Education
O'Dowd Hall, Room 328
586 Pioneer Drive
Rochester,
MI
48309-4482
(location map)
(248) 370-2889
ie@oakland.edu
Office hours
Mon - Fri: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
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Mon - Fri: 9 a.m. - noon and 1 - 4 p.m.
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Alex Zimmerman, Director
(248) 370-2843
azimmerman@oakland.edu

Business and Culture in Japan
Experience the culture and business practices of Japan firsthand. See how organizations operating in traditional and modern spaces do business in a fast paced and changing environment. Get a chance to communicate and exchange ideas with Japanese business professionals.
Enroll in 2023 Summer I ML2900, attend class online for two weeks then travel to Japan for 11 nights! Travel dates are May 17 – 29, 2023. Application deadline and deposit: due February 15, 2023.
For more information, contact Program Director Michele Plattenberger at Plattenb@oakand.edu.
The travel portion of the program begins with a flight to Tokyo. Japan’s busy capital mixes the ultramodern and the traditional, from neon-lit skyscrapers to historic temples. The opulent Meiji Shinto Shrine is known for its towering gate and surrounding woods. The Imperial Palace sits amid large public gardens. The city's many museums offer exhibits ranging from classical art in the Tokyo National Museum to a reconstructed kabuki theater in the Edo-Tokyo Museum. The world’s most populous city also ranks in the top five safest cities on each aspect of the world. (The Economist: "Safe Cities Index" 2019).
Travel continues by bullet train to Kanazawa, the capital of Ishikawa Prefecture, on Japan’s central Honshu Island. The city is known for well-preserved Edo-era districts, art museums and regional handicrafts. Kenrokuen Garden, dating to the 17th century, is celebrated for its classic landscape designs incorporating ponds and streams. Adjacent Kanazawa Castle was built in the 1580s, after the defeat of the Peasant’s Kingdom, Japan's only Buddhist fiefdom.
Our journey continues to Hida-Osaka. Located in the north of Gero City, Hida-Osaka lies at the west foot of a sacred mountain, Mt. Ontake. There are more than 200 waterfalls with distinctive features spread across the gorges that have elevation differences of nearly 8,200 feet and create the spring water of Mt. Ontake.
Next, travel to Gifu, a city in central Japan. Gifu Castle overlooks the city from atop Mt. Kinka. A cable car connects the castle to Gifu Park at the foot of the mountain. Within the park, the Nawa Insect Museum displays thousands of butterflies and beetles. Streets are lined with traditional wood-latticed craft shops. The city’s Nagara River is known for its cormorant fishing and summertime fireworks displays.
Travel to Nagasaki Prefecture, on the west coast of Japan's Kyushu Island, known for its volcanoes, forested offshore islands and hot-spring spas. The capital city, Nagasaki, was partly destroyed by the atomic bomb in 1945, an event commemorated by its Peace Park and Atomic Bomb Museum. The city's missionary past is reflected in its 19th-century churches and Twenty-Six Martyrs Memorial, honoring 16th-century canonized martyrs.
The final travel itinerary will be confirmed closer to the travel dates.
Students will enroll in ML 2900 Business in Japan, Summer I for 4 credit hours. While abroad, you will experience firsthand the culture and business practices of Japan and see how organizations operating in the traditional and modern spaces do business in a fast paced and changing environment. Students will have a chance to communicate and exchange ideas with Japanese business professionals while enhancing understanding of other cultures and cultural diversity.
- Expand your global scope by exploring a variety of locations in Japan including rural, historic areas and densely populated city centers.
- Analyze and critique Japanese design and think critically about the historical, business-related and aesthetic details of Japanese design and the organizations that produce, enact, market and sell them.
- Visit landmarks known for their contributions to Japanese business and culture: the Kabuki-za/Minami-za Theaters, Ryogoku Kokugikan (the national sumo wrestling arena), Kinkakuji Temple, Meiji-Jingu Shrine, the Edo-Tokyo Museum, Tsukiji/Ohmi-cho Fish Markets, Harajuku, Shinjuku-gyoen/Kenrokuen/ Korakuen Gardens, etc.
Students will attend a pre-departure meeting and receive a list of items to bring.
The course is open to any OU student regardless of Japanese language capabilities. Students who are studying business, engineering, finance and disciplines in the College of Arts and Sciences can benefit from the course.
Program cost - $4,000
Meals - Some meals included
Transportation - Included
Housing - Included
Airfare – Included
Excursions – Included
Health Insurance – Included
Personal expenses - $200
Tuition for the course (4 credits) - Not included in the program price.
Financial Aid may apply. Scholarships and program stipends available.
In January 2023, Japan announced plans to downgrade the legal status of Covid-19 to the equivalent of seasonal influenza in the spring of 2023. The exact timing and level of ease on restrictions are not yet confirmed. At this time (February 2023), all visitors to Japan are required to have at least three Covid-19 shots, or a negative PCR test within 72 hours of entry. We will continue to monitor this requirement as our travel approaches.
As of February 2023, all entrants must provide a valid vaccination certificate or a Covid-19 negative test certificate. A Covid-19 test must be conducted within 72 hours prior to departure. Because Japan recently announced that the Covid-19 virus will be downgraded to the equivalent of seasonal influenza in spring 2023, the requirements may change. We will continue to monitor this situation as our travel date nears (taken from: https://www.japan.travel/en/practical-coronavirus-information/travelers/)