Events and Programming
A wide variety of Japan-related events and programs are available to the University of Tennessee and the surrounding community.
Events
Recurring 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.
Upcoming Events
66th Annual Meeting of the Southeast Conference of the Association for Asian Studies (SEC/AAS)
January 29–31, 2027
Proposal Deadline: October 31, 2026
Theme: “Asias in the Remaking: Histories, Practices, Imaginaries”
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
External Japan-Related Events Held Online*
*registration is required for all of these events
“Gathering Fading Voices: Endangered Dialect Research in Japan Today”
Sept. 17 | 12:00–1:30 p.m. (ET)
Joy Taniguchi
Shizuoka Institute of Science and Technology
“Rivers and the Politics of Temporality in Ainu Mosir”
Sept. 24 | 12:00–1:30 p.m. (ET)
Michael J. Ioannides
University of Michigan
“Food Poverty in Contemporary Japan”
September 28, 2026 | 6:00–7:30 p.m. (JST)
Ueda Haruka
University of Tokyo
“Performing Transgression: Crowds and Bodies in Heian Japan”
September 30, 2026 | 12:00–1:15 p.m. (EDT)
Ashton Lazarus
University of Utah
“Living Ainu Art: Community, Nature, and Intergenerational Knowledge through Song and Dance”
October 1, 2026 | 12:00–1:30 p.m. (ET)
Kanako Uzawa
Hokkaido University, Weiser Hall 1010
“The Stuff of Japanese History: Materialist Approaches”
October 8, 2026 | 7:00–8:30 p.m. (ET)
Jordan Sand
Georgetown University
“Book Talk on Sacred Journeys and Institutional Rivalries: Pilgrimage Mandalas and the Art of Fundraising in Medieval Japan”
October 21 | 12:00–1:15 p.m. (EDT)
Ashton Lazarus
University of Utah
66th Annual Meeting of the Southeast Conference of the Association for Asian Studies (SEC/AAS)
January 29–31, 2027
Proposal Deadline: October 31, 2026
Theme: “Asias in the Remaking: Histories, Practices, Imaginaries”
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
“Playable Japan: Pedagogical Perspectives on Games & Gaming”
January 30–31, 2027
[Japan Past & Present (JPP)]
UCLA
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
- Japanese Major and Minor
- Language and World Business – Japanese Major
- Asian Studies Major and Minor
- Japanese Language Certificates — available to students in any discipline
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)
Internships in Japan
- Muroran Internship Program