UNC Charlotte Students Share Insights from Spring Break Study Abroad in Japan
UNC Charlotte students with a passion for Japanese culture recently showcased their experiences during a poster presentation highlighting the Spring Break faculty-led program Japan: Japanese Cities in the Age of the Shoguns. Led by Mahren Ehlers, Ph.D., the 10-day immersive experience offered students a unique lens into Japan’s urban history and contemporary life.
Japan continues to be the top study abroad destination for Charlotte students. In the 2023–2024 academic year, 90 UNC Charlotte students studied abroad in Japan—accounting for 15% of all students who went abroad, the largest percentage for any single country. Moreover, more UNC Charlotte students choose to spend an entire academic year in Japan than in any other location.
Ehler’s program brought students face-to-face with both the historic and modern dimensions of Japanese cities. In Tokyo, students explored Ueno Park and the Tokyo University campus, admired the skyline from Tokyo Skytree, and ventured on a scavenger hunt around Sensōji Temple in Asakusa. They also cruised to Odaiba on a futuristic riverboat, visited the Imperial Palace, and stepped into Edo-period life at the Fukagawa Edo Museum. A day trip to Kamakura provided insights into Zen Buddhism and its monumental Great Buddha.
Following Tokyo, students traveled via Shinkansen to Aizu Wakamatsu, a northern castle town known for its samurai heritage. There, they deepened their cultural understanding by staying with local host families. Highlights included visits to Tsuruga Castle, the historic Nanukamachi merchant quarter, the Nisshinkan samurai school, and the architecturally unique Sazaedō temple.
The program culminated in a campus poster session, where students presented on topics such as:
- Urban Lifestyle in Edo
- Education in the 19th Century
- Boshin War and Meiji Restoration
- Japanese Castles: Edo vs. Aizu
- Buddhism, Past and Present
- Modern Urban Environments
- Modern Shinto Worship
- Samurai and Modern Memory
With eight institutional exchange partners in Japan—more than any other country—UNC Charlotte continues to expand opportunities for students to study in Japan. In 2025, five faculty-led programs will head to Japan, reinforcing the University’s commitment to immersive, global learning experiences.
