College of Arts and Sciences

Japan Center

Dr. Tosh Minohara addresses the Howard Baker Center Japan Ambassadors Program and Japanese students in an International Relations class at Kobe University during a study abroad trip on June 01, 2023. Photo by Steven Bridges/University of Tennessee. Also in the photo Dr. Krista Wiegand Nolan Ragland Josie Rich Tyler Staszewski Zoe Ward Noah Mcgill Mary Roark Morgan Furman Lillian Healy UTK

Events and Programming

A wide variety of Japan-related events and programs are available to the University of Tennessee and the surrounding community.

Events

  • Monthly presentations and workshops by scholars on Japan-related topics
  • Annual Japanese film series
  • Weekly World Languages and Cultures Japanese Language Table sessions
  • Japanese film screening in the Hodges Library Auditorium, every Thursday at 5:30 p.m.

Events Beyond UT

External Japan-Related Events Held Online (Registration Required)

Sept. 17 | 12:00–1:30 PM (ET)
“Gathering Fading Voices: Endangered Dialect Research in Japan Today”
Joy Taniguchi (Shizuoka Institute of Science and Technology)

Sept. 24 | 12:00–1:30 p.m. ET
“Rivers and the Politics of Temporality in Ainu Mosir”
Michael J. Ioannides (University of Michigan)

September 28, 2026 | 6:00–7:30 PM (JST)
“Food Poverty in Contemporary Japan”
Ueda Haruka (University of Tokyo)

September 30, 2026 | 12:00 pm – 1:15 pm (EDT)
Performing Transgression: Crowds and Bodies in Heian Japan
Ashton Lazarus (University of Utah)

October 1, 2026 | 12:00–1:30 p.m. ET
“Living Ainu Art: Community, Nature, and Intergenerational Knowledge through Song and Dance”
Kanako Uzawa (Hokkaido University)
Weiser Hall 1010

October 8, 2026 | 7:00-8:30 pm ET
“The Stuff of Japanese History: Materialist Approaches”
Jordan Sand (Georgetown University)

October 21 | 12:00 pm – 1:15 pm EDT
“Book Talk on Sacred Journeys and Institutional Rivalries: Pilgrimage Mandalas and the Art of Fundraising in Medieval Japan”
Talia Andrei (Wesleyan University)

Programming

Cultural Programs on Campus

Contact: Professor Shigetoshi Eda ([email protected])

  • Kendō — Fridays (weekly), TRECS Studio 9, 6:00–7:30 PM
  • Shodō — Wednesdays (bi-weekly), HSS 102, 6:00–7:00 PM
  • Shamisen — Wednesdays (bi-weekly), HSS 120, 5:00–6:00 PM

Department of World Languages and Cultures

Student Exchange Programs with Japanese Universities

  • Kobe University (Kobe)
  • Kansai Gaidai University (Osaka)
  • Chuo University (Tokyo)
  • Waseda University (Tokyo)
  • Tokyo University of Agriculture (NODAI) and Nagoya University
  • Approximately 80 UT students study in Japan each year

Faculty-Led Programs in Japan

  • Pop Culture in Japan Program (College of Arts and Sciences)
  • Japan Ambassadors Program (Baker School of Public Policy and Public Affairs)
  • UT Architecture Semester in Tokyo (College of Architecture and Design)
  • Wilson Academy Global Trip (College of Communication and Information)
  • One Health in Japan (School of Natural Resources)
  • Immersive Language and Culture Experience (College of Arts and Sciences)
    • A faculty-led study abroad program in Japan that brings Japanese language and culture to life through immersive learning and cultural exploration. Students develop their language skills through meaningful engagement with local communities, cultural experiences, and everyday life in Japan, while also gaining a deeper understanding of the cultural and social contexts that shape language, communication, and lived experience.

Not-for-Credit Study Abroad Programs

  • Global Immersion Program (Access and Engagement)
  • Wilson Academy (College of Communication and Information)