This summer, students from Trinity University participated in the Trinity in Japan program, an immersive academic and cultural initiative that offered a rare glimpse into life beyond Japan’s urban centers. A highlight of the program was leaving their apartments in Tokyo and living with host families in Minami Sanriku, a town rebuilding after the 2011 tsunami, where they explored themes of community resilience and cultural identity. The interdisciplinary program included visits to schools, temples, and local businesses, blending hands-on experiences with academic study.
The program’s academic focus explored the link between culture and modes of production, and it brought together disciplines from the University’s Michael Neidorff School of Business study abroad programs and the Center for International Engagement, with additional support from the Departments of Political Science, Sociology and Anthropology, and Economics with faculty leaders Jorge Colazo, Ph.D., associate dean of Finance and Business Analytics, and Makiko Fukuda, Ph.D., from the Center for International Engagement.
Some of the Trinity students in the program were interviewed by Tohoku Broadcasting Co., Ltd., while they were living with host families in Minami Sanriku.