After becoming immersed in Japanese culture through courses in language, history, and philosophy, Knox College students saw their classroom studies come to life when they traveled to Japan in the College's Japan Term program.

One of the faculty members who accompanied students on the two-week trip was Michael Schneider, professor of history and chair of the Asian Studies program. He said the overriding objective of Japan Term is to "build and bolster the connection between the classroom and the on-ground experience in a foreign country."

During Knox's winter break, 18 students and three faculty members traveled to Tokyo, the ancient capital of Kyoto, and other cities, including Hiroshima and Nara. The places they visited included Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines, and the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum.

Raeann Boero '17, an anthropology and sociology major from Mahomet, Illinois, said that participating in Japan Term helped her recognize "the importance of studying a country's culture before traveling there."

"Our cultural immersion process during fall term before visiting Japan was extremely helpful during travel, touring temples and shrines, and communicating with the people of Japan respectfully," Boero added. "I am also proud to say that by the end of the trip I mastered the Tokyo subway system."

For Bryan Coleman '17, an international relations major from Calumet City, Illinois, the best part of the trip was visiting the Akihabara district "because it is the electronics hub of Tokyo."

Studio art major Lizzy Tucker '15 said she was pleased to discover she could get along on her own "and that I thrive on the constant stream of new experiences."

"The best aspect of the trip in relation to academics was being able to go and see the variety of places we learned about in person," added Tucker, who is from Palatine, Illinois. "The differences between the various sects in Buddhism and time periods in Japanese history were much more pronounced and recognizable upon seeing the locations with my own eyes."

Sydney Pacione '16, an Asian Studies major from Chicago, Illinois, hopes someday to live in Japan and work as a translator.

"This trip taught me a lot of things, but I think the most important thing I learned is how Japan is affected by its past culturally and politically," Pacione said. "It was one thing to learn about the history of Japan and its religion and language in the classroom, but to actually go there and see that history in motion is something extraordinary."