Language Requirement: None
Academic Standing by Program Start: Sophomore or above
Location: Asia, Japan
GPA: 2.5

Program Overview

In this four-week program, you will explore the linguistic, historical, and cultural features of the three dominant writing systems of East Asia: Chinese 漢字, Japanese 平仮名 and 片仮名, and Korean 한글, while immersed in the city of Kyoto.  East Asia is a unique region where logographic writing systems (i.e., characters) evolved, flourished, and transformed over the centuries and up to the present day, with recent digital innovations such as emojis. The evolution of these writing systems is inextricably intertwined with the political and cultural worlds of their users, serving as key technologies for communication and cultural expression.

Kyoto provides an ideal setting for the program, offering opportunities to observe writing in a wide variety of contexts, from ancient World Heritage-designated edifices to contemporary signage. Program excursions will include a multi-day trip, a day trip, and visits to various cultural sites in Kyoto and Osaka.

Once the capital of Japan, Kyoto is renowned for its many temples, shrines, gardens, and traditional wooden houses. Located in Japan’s Kansai region, it is one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations, home to iconic cultural landmarks such as the red torii gates of Fushimi Inari Taisha, the Kiyomizu-dera temple, and the Kinkaku-ji Golden Pavilion. Kyoto's central location also offers easy access to other parts of Japan: Osaka, Kobe, Nara, and Nagoya are less than an hour away by train, and Tokyo is just 2.5 hours away by high-speed Shinkansen (bullet train).

Dates and Deadlines

 
TermYearDeadlineArrival DateDeparture Date
Summer20253/15/2025Mid-AugustMid-September

This program has a rolling admission application process: GEO staff (and the program faculty leader, if applicable) will complete a review of the application materials of complete applications in the order that they are submitted (“first come, first serve”). Decisions about acceptance will be made shortly after you submit a complete application. There are some programs that fill fast, some even before the deadline. Students are encouraged to complete applications and commit to programs early.

Acceptance is based on a holistic review of your application. This includes a review of your GPA, transcripts (including courses taken and in-progress), any additional requirements or prerequisites (see section "Additional Requirements"), and the short statement.

Faculty-Led Scholarship Opportunity

Applicants to this program are eligible for program-specific scholarship funds. Award recipients are chosen based on academic merit, financial need, and overall quality of their essay. Individual awards range from $500-$1,500. To be considered, apply to the GEO General Scholarship by the advertised deadline for the term you will be abroad. Students who apply will automatically be considered for all available funding within the General Scholarship, including this program's scholarship funds.

Discount for Pell Recipients

To expand access to study abroad, GEO is offering a $500 discount for this program to UO students who currently have the Pell Grant as part of their federal financial aid (FAFSA).

Academic Details

You will enroll EALL 388 Writing in East Asia, Past and Present: A Course in Kyoto for a total of 6 UO quarter credits. This course is approved for Chinese and Japanese, and Korean Majors and Minors as upper division elective credit.

Note for non-UO students: Actual credit awarded is determined by the relevant department at your university in consultation with the study abroad office. Check with your study abroad advisor for more information.

Course Equivalencies

UO students: please refer to the UO Course Equivalency Process and the UO Office of the Registrar Course Equivalency Database.

Non-UO students: Actual credit awarded is determined by the relevant department at your university in consultation with the study abroad office. Check with your study abroad advisor for more information.

Faculty and Staff

Kaori Idemaru is a Professor of Japanese Linguistics in UO’s East Asian Languages and Literatures department. Her primary areas of research are speech perception and speech learning. She also has research interest in second language speech learning. It is well known that second language learners, particularly adult learners, sometimes have severe challenges in learning certain second language sounds. The ongoing research in this area attempts to provide an account for learners’ challenges at the level of fine acoustic detail as well as to explore effective instructional/training regimens to aid second language speech learning.

Luke Habberstad is an Associate Professor with a joint appointment in the Department of East Asian Languages & Literatures and the Department of Religious Studies. He studies the culture and politics of early China, particularly the Warring States, Qin, and Han periods (4th century BCE – 3rd century CE). His published research, drawing upon transmitted sources and texts excavated from tombs and other archaeological sites, has explored the institutions and culture of the Han imperial court; funerary ritual; the culture of early Chinese bureaucracy; and the politics of water control.

Housing Description

You will be housed in conveniently located hotels or ryokans in Kyoto and on program excursions. You will share your room with another program participant, though you can select a single room for a surcharge. Please contact your GEO advisor for more information.

Accommodation will include internet access, private bathrooms, and daily breakfast.