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 Ģ������ƵStories      July 30, 2024

By Bill Studenc

Six Ģ������Ƶ students are back in the United States after participating in an annual summer study-abroad program that took them to the Land of the Rising Sun for a firsthand look at Japanese business, industry and culture.

The students spent three weeks visiting the Asian island nation as part of a six-credit hour “Japan Summer Travel Course 2024” offering a mix of academic study, experiential learning, sightseeing and cultural exploration.

The course was led by Scott Rader, associate professor of marketing in the Ģ������ƵCollege of Business who has more than 20 years of history with Japan, where he has lived, worked and taught.

“Japan’s brands and products are world-famous. From cars, video games, food and electronics to pop culture like anime and manga, people everywhere can't seem to get enough,” said Rader, who has worked closely with and for Japanese marketing and public relations firms, U.S.-Japan e-commerce joint ventures and market research agencies.

“In addition, Japanese business methods and production practices lead the way not only in East Asia but also around the world, where they have been studied and emulated for decades. Through a journey that has been described by past participants as ‘life-changing,’ the ‘Japan Summer Travel Course’ finds Ģ������Ƶstudents of any major connecting ‘the East’ with Western North Carolina, offering a rare opportunity to examine up-close Japan’s unique and inspiring consumer culture, marketing prowess, business techniques and nuanced communication style.”

Rader has led multiple travel courses across Japan for Ģ������Ƶundergraduate students and faculty. His daughter, Sophia Kotomi, is a citizen and resident of Japan who served as co-leader for the course.

The course offered a mix of business and pleasure, with participants proceeding securely and smoothly thanks to what many view as the world's safest cities and most efficient transportation system, including high-speed bullet trains.

“We experienced Japan’s – and the world's – largest metropolitan areas of Tokyo and Osaka, as well as a rare glimpse into rural areas like Shikoku Island,” Rader said. “We also explored Kyoto, Nara, Hiroshima, Miyajima Island, Himeji Castle and other locations. Lodging was a unique mix of famous high-tech and comfortable ‘capsules’ and clean, conventional ‘business’ hotels.”

The course allowed students to meet and work with local Japanese citizens and expatriates (non-Japanese living and working in Japan) through a variety of learning engagements and social encounters, he said.

It is designed to give students increased insight into East Asian business and consumer culture, along with mastery of multicultural communication skills. The course, which satisfied requirements for Marketing 407 and Business Administration 304,  also provided opportunities for comparison to American culture and to other countries in Southeast Asia, including Japan’s powerhouse neighbor, China.

In addition to iconic Japanese tourist locations such as Shinto shrines, Buddhist temples and the atomic bomb site in Hiroshima, the students visited primary school classes with partner Naruto University of Education, along with several business and industry locations including Kikkoman soy sauce headquarters; the commerce hubs of Shibuya, Shinjuku and Osaka; a Maid Café in Akihabara; and CarterJMRN and FemMarketing House market research firms.

Deacon Cloninger, a junior from Salisbury majoring in accounting, said he decided to participate in the summer study abroad class to be able to interact with a culture that is very different from America.

“While many other courses could have provided this experience, I chose this trip to Japan specifically because Japan is a beautiful country with different aspects that interest me, such as fashion, food and a reputation for safety and hospitality,” said Cloninger, who also appreciated the small size of the class.

“My favorite aspect of this trip was the level of interaction we could have with different people and places. We visited various schools and businesses, which gave us many opportunities to talk to people around our age and situation. I think the experience will assist me in my career after graduation because, although the course didn’t have a connection to accounting directly, it allowed me to experience a new culture and interact with many new individuals, which I believe helped me develop more as a person, grow my confidence and helped me to discover new things.”

For Sylva native Alexis Giles, a junior pursuing a degree in integrated health science and business management, the course provided an opportunity for her first trip abroad and her first time in an airplane.

“My favorite aspect of the trip was honestly just seeing how different the culture is from ours and really just getting to see a different way of life. I loved being able to walk anywhere, or just hop on a train to go somewhere. I also loved the food. The food tasted so fresh, and you could tell the food was made with care,” Giles said.

“I feel like this experience will help because I've learned how to interact with people from completely different cultures, and I've gotten to see a work environment that is different than what I'm used to. I think this truly made me a different person and opened up my eyes to what all is out there in the world. The trip has made me want to travel to even more places and definitely go back to Japan.”

Plans are already underway for next year’s summer travel experience to Japan. Rader said he is working with  Todd Creasy, professor of management in the College of Business, and WCU's Corporation for Entrepreneurship and Innovation to host the 2025 journey. In addition to Ģ������Ƶstudents, the trip also will be open to anyone in the community.

“Therefore, it will not be offered for undergraduate course credit,” Rader said. “This actually removes some limitations and provides the opportunity for a different but still very rich experience.”

The travel course is in keeping with the College of Business mission of preparing graduates to compete and thrive in an evolving global economy, said AJ Grube, dean of the college.

“The College of Business has long encouraged and helped facilitate international learning experiences for students and faculty,” said Grube. “We are looking forward to offering these opportunities to other members of our community.”

For more information about next year’s trip to Japan, contact Rader via email at srader@wcu.edu.