ENGR 365 Global Engineering and Technology
co-offered with HIST 308 Explorations of Regional History: Japan
Japan, 2023
ENGR 365 Japan 2023 was led by Dr. Yanjun Yan. HIST 308 was led by Dr. Gael Graham. Both ENGR 365 Japan and HIST 308 courses were offered as a combo class. Read the WCU news article about this trip here.
Next year in summer 2024, Dr. Yan and Dr. Graham will lead students to visit Bulgaria. Bulgaria is the oldest country in Europe (with a civilization on its land about seven thousand years ago) and the biggest rose oil exporter in the world, while hosting many global and local companies that adapt to the local culture and markets. The students will experience all flavors of history, religions, ideals, craftsmanship, and engineering practices.
If you want to visit Japan in a WCU cohort, you may consider the JPN 493 course led by Dr. Ono (yono@wcu.edu McKee 128A) and Mrs. Li (yli@wcu.edu) and earn 3 WCU credits, or the BA 304 and MKT 407 course combo led by Dr. Rader (email him at srader@wcu.edu or visit him in FOB 2B) and earn 6 WCU credits. Many of the JPN 493 students will have taken some Japanese language course (and they can come to your aid when needed), but it is not required for you to have any prior knowledge in the Japanese language to join JPN 493. What is required in JPN 493 is your curiosity to experience Japanese culture with an open mind and heart. Similarly, BA 304 and MKT 407 are open to all WCU students, and you can talk with Dr. Rader to see if those courses are what you are interested in.
The three trips to Japan in 2023 (Yan and Graham leading this ENGR/HIST trip, Rader and Kotomi Rader leading the MKT/BA trip, Ono and Nanaka Okamura leading the JPN trip) were in close collaboration during the trip planning phase, and we sincerely appreciate such collaboration and support system.
The 2023 ENGR365/HIST308 class left US from everyone’s chosen airport (CLT and AVL for this cohort) on May 16th and met together in Tokyo on May 17th. The trip ended on June 1, 2023 in Osaka. The class traveled in these areas: Tokyo → Nagoya / Toyota → Hiroshima → Himeji → Osaka / Nara / Kyoto / Sakai. The overall map of Japan with our destinations is provided below.
Tokyo
Toyota
Kyoto
Osaka
Nara
Horoshima
Himeji
Sakai
Advanced Technology Exhibition Hall @TEPIA
https://www.jetro.go.jp/en/ind_tourism/tepia.html
Advanced Technology Exhibition Hall @TEPIA
TEPIA disseminates information about innovative technologies developed by Japan's machinery and information industries and offers people of the chance to directly experience these technologies.
 |
Website: http://www.tepia.jp/english/index.html Category: Manufacturing and infrastructure Region: Kanto |
|---|
Access
Advanced Technology Exhibition Hall @TEPIA (Association for Technological Excellence Promoting Innovative Advances)
1st floor of TEPIA, 2-8-44 Kita Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0061
Tokyo Metro Ginza Line: 4-minute walk from Exit No. 3 of Gaienmae Station
Admission
| Admission fee | Free |
|---|---|
| Working days and hours | Weekdays: 10:00 am ‒ 6:00 pm Saturdays, Sundays and holidays: 10:00 am ‒ 5:00 pm |
| Closings | Mondays (Open when Monday falls on a holiday, but closed on the following Tuesday.) |
| Visitor capacity | 20 (per guided tour in English) |
| Time required for a tour | About 1 hour |
| Language | English and Japanese |
| Reservation | Required https://www.tepia.jp/inspection/form.php  |
| Other conditions | * English Guide Book * English leaflet |
Contact
Tel: 03-5474-6123
Odaiba: Miraikan, teamLab, etc.
National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation. Miraikan
https://www.miraikan.jst.go.jp/en/
teamLab Planet
Subaru Sti Musuem
If you like cars and or Subarus, It is definitely worth checking out. I was in
Senso Ji - Sanja Matsuri
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3063.html
Sanja Matsuri
The Sanja Festival (三社祭, Sanja Matsuri) is an annual festival in the Asakusa district that usually takes place over the third full weekend in May. It is held in celebration of the three founders of Sensoji Temple, who are enshrined in Asakusa Shrine next door to the temple. Nearly two million people visit Asakusa over the three days of the festival, making it one of Tokyo's most popular festivals.
Akihabara
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3003.html
Akihabara (秋葉原), also called Akiba after a former local shrine, is a district in central Tokyo that is famous for its many electronics shops. In more recent years, Akihabara has gained recognition as the center of Japan's otaku (diehard fan) culture, and many shops and establishments devoted to anime and manga are now dispersed among the electronic stores in the district. On Sundays, Chuo Dori, the main street through the district, is closed to car traffic from 13:00 to 18:00 (until 17:00 from October through March).
Toshiba Science Musuem, with an exhibit of Karakuri Puppet
Tokyo National Museum
Avatar Robot Cafe DAWN ver.β
Meiji Jingu
Meiji Jingu Shrine honors Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken, who had led Japan through a period of rapid modernization starting in the second half of the 19th century
TEPIA Advanced Technology Gallery
Exhibits 70 advanced industrial technologies for the development of the society
Toshiba Science Museum
MagLev (magnetic levitation) train mechanism demonstration, Karakuri Ningyo (mechanical robot since the 17th century), Toshiba innovations, etc.
Miraikan: National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation
ASIMO and other humanoid robots, space lab, 3D production for art and advertisement, etc.
teamLab Planets
An interactive and dynamic art exhibit enabled by tons of sensors and optical parts
Subaru STI museum/dealership
Invited to sit in the first 22B STI and World Rally winner cars, and to hold the championship cup brought out by the staff that was not even on display!!!
Tokyo National Museum
The oldest and largest museum in Japan, preserving over 120,000 art and archaeological objects from Japan and other parts of Asia
Avatar Robot Café DAWN ver.β
OriHime and OriHime-D from their homes and hospitals operate the robots and provide services remotely, as an experiment to achieve a new form of social participation through the use of technology
Sanja Matsuri Festival at Sensoji Temple and Asakusa Shrine
The biggest annual festival
Tokyo Skytree
The world’s tallest tower (not building) at 634 meters
More in Tokyo
Yakiniku (Japanese barbecue)
Shoan Sushi Restaurant
Toyota Automobile Museum
Toyota Kaikan Museum
Chukyu University, Toyota Campus
Toyota Automobile Museum
Showcasing the worldwide history of automobiles and automobile culture, including and beyond Toyota
Sushi dinner at Shou’An
The chef taught some of our students to make sushi
Toyota Kaikan Museum
Toyota’s latest technology on environment, safety, and manufacturing, and the latest models
Chukyo University
A tour and attending some talks at Chukyo University
Yakiniku at Itoshuen
Peace Museum
March-July 8:30-18:00
Last entry is 30 min. before closing time
The Museum does not have a reservation system. We do not take reservations.
● Please do not touch the exhibits or display cases (except the Hands-on Exhibits).
● Please keep quiet so as not to disturb other visitors.
● Large bags are not allowed into the Museum. (Coin lockers are available on the 1st floor of the East Building. To view the floor map, click here.)
● When using writing utensils, please be careful not to deface the artifacts.
● Video and photography without flash is allowed for personal purposes (no application is required.) . However, tripods and selfie sticks are not allowed in the museum.
● Please be especially careful not to disturb other visitors with the shutter sounds of your camera including cell-phones.
● Photography with flash and/or for the purpose of publication requires an application in advance. For more information, click here.
● Please refrain from talking on a cell phone in any part of the exhibition rooms.
● Eating and drinking are allowed only in the designated areas.
Visitors may consume food and drink in the Visitor’s Lounge on the 1st floor of the East Building. To view the floor map, click here.
● Smoking is not permitted in any part of the Museum.
The designated smoking area is located outside on the south side of the East Building (facing Heiwa Ōdōri Street).
● Please refrain from disturbing other visitors in the exhibition rooms.
● No dangerous objects may be brought into the Museum.
● Pets are not allowed in the Museum (except for guide, service, and hearing dogs).
● Please comply with any instructions given by the Museum staff.
Miyajima
Itsukushima, also known as Miyajima, is a small island in Hiroshima Bay, western Japan. It is known for its forests and ancient temples. Just offshore, the giant, orange Great Torii Gate is partially submerged at high tide. It marks the entrance to the Itsukushima Shrine, which was first built in the 12th century. Nearby, the Museum of History and Folklore has cultural artifacts in a 19th-century merchant's home.
Hiroshima University
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum
Unfortunately, after we left, the clock since the last nuclear test was reset multple times.
Miyajima (Itsukushima)
The gate of the shrine could be walked up to at low tide. The mountain view after a hike
Hiroshima MOCA
Hiroshima Museum of Contemporary Art
Hiroshima University
Partnerships in Creative Communication
Shukkeien Garden in Hiroshima
More in Hiroshima
Nara
Himeji Castle and Koko-en Garden
Fushimi Inari Shrine - Kiyomizu temple
https://digjapan.travel/en/spot/id=7829
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3915.html
http://inari.jp/
A beautiful shrine home to the god of thriving business
A popular destination for tourists because of its thousands of red torii gates, Fushimi Inari Taisha is the head of the approximately 30,000 Inari shrines located throughout Japan. This temple is said to be a good place to pray for success in business and industry.
In addition to torii, you may notice that there are a number of white fox statues throughout the shrine. Called
| HOURS | The shrine itself does not close; stores selling good luck charms and etc. are open 7:00am~6: |
|---|---|
| ADDRESS | 68 Fukakusa Yabunouchicho, Fushimi- |
| ACCESS | Just outside of Inari Station on the JR Nara Line |
| TEL | 075-641-7331 |
| WEBSITE | http://inari.jp/ (Japanese only) |
Knife Forging at Sakai Traditional Crafts Museum and Knife Shop
Gion
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3902.html
Gion (祇園) is Kyoto's most famous geisha district, located around Shijo Avenue between Yasaka Shrine in the east and the Kamo River in the west. It is filled with shops, restaurants and ochaya (teahouses), where geiko (Kyoto dialect for geisha) and maiko (geiko apprentices) entertain.
Gion attracts tourists with its high concentration of traditional wooden machiya merchant houses. Due to the fact that property taxes were formerly based upon street frontage, the houses were built with narrow facades only five to six meters wide, but extend up to twenty meters in from the street.
Many tourists visit Gion hoping to catch a glimpse of a geiko or maiko on their way to or from an engagement at an ochaya in the evenings or while running errands during the day. However, if you spot a geiko or maiko, act respectfully. Complaints about tourists behaving like ruthless paparazzi are on the increase in recent years.
A visit to Gion is best combined with a stroll through the nearby Higashiyama Districtbetween Yasaka Shrine and Kiyomizudera. This area has more preserved streets and traditional shops selling all kinds of local foods, crafts and souvenirs.
Gion can be reached from Kyoto Station by bus number 100 or 206 (20 minutes, 230 yen). Get off at Gion bus stop. Alternatively, the closest train stations are Gion Shijo Station on the Keihan Line and Kawaramachi Station on the Hankyu Line.
Osaka Castle
Shimano Bicycle Museum
Himeji Castle
A national treasure and the first world heritage site in Japan, VR and AR tour guide on phone app
Kokoen Garden in Himeji
Nara
Todaiji
Kamo
Wagashi making and tea ceremony
Kyoto Railway Museum
Fushimi Inari Taisha in Kyoto
Kenninji Temple in Kyoto
More in Kyoto
Shimano Bicycle Museum
Experience the history and future of cycling
Sumiyoshi Taisha
One of Japan’s oldest shrines. The roof is made of the grass that makes tatami, very durable and waterproof. Yet, the habitat of such grass is shrinking, making it hard to obtain now.
Knife Forging at Sakai Traditional Crafts Museum and Knife Shop
A tour on knife forging
Tea Ceremony at Risho-no-mori
Osaka Castle
It played a major role in the unification of Japan during the sixteenth century of the Azuchi-Momoyama period
A full-course dinner at Ume-no-hana
More in Osaka
Selected Group Photos:
Odaiba in Tokyo
Toyota Kaikan Museum
Hiroshima University
TEPIA in Tokyo
Wagashi workshop in Kamo, Kyoto
Knife Forging Museum in Sakai
With Dr. Rader's Japan Travel Class
A travel student got us started on collecting the fun designs of the manhole covers in the cities that we visited, and below is a collection of them.
Manhole Cover Collection
More Photos of Food in Japan
A once in a lifetime experience.
A fun filled, lifetime opportunity that is packed with some of the most unique, eye-opening experiences that are sure to help you grow as a student and a person.
This trip is as great as you’re imagining it is… maybe even more so!
The 2023 Japan trip was a life changing experience for me to explore Japanese culture and better understand the world outside the United States.
Japan was a fun and fulfilling experience that allowed me to experience many facets of a different nation’s lifestyle and culture in ways that I would have been unable to do on my own.
My trip to Japan was a great opportunity of learning about a new rich culture and meet great friends.
This was a once-in-a-lifetime trip to experience a totally different culture, make new friends, and get credits while doing it!
Some of the most fun and educational experiences I’ve ever had.
A bucket-list trip full of cultural experiences, great food, great fun, and new friends.
The Japan 2023 trip was an invigorating, eye-opening experience that made me more aware and appreciative of the world I live in.
As an example of some student work, we witnessed Toyota’s Kaizen practice during the trip, and Nick Gonzalez applied Kaizen at the company where he did an internship back in NC.
Kaizen includes several principles for improvement such as 5S (seiri (整理), seiton (整頓), seisō (清掃), seiketsu (清潔), and shitsuke (躾), or ‘sort’, ‘set in order’, ‘shine’, ‘standardize’, and ‘sustain’. In some quarters, 5S has become 6S, the sixth element being safety (safe)), lean manufacturing, and the 7 QC (Quality Control) Tools (Check sheet, Fishbone diagram (cause and effect diagram, or Ishikawa diagram), Histogram, Pareto chart, Control chart, Scatter diagram, Stratification).
Toyota proposed and applied these principles. One of Toyota’s most recognized Kaizen contributions is their establishment of the Seven Deadly Wastes: overproduction, motion, defects, waiting, inventory, processing, and transportation. Toyota combats many of these wastes using Just-In-Time manufacturing, where workers create just enough products for the next manufacturing process without creating overproduction or waiting for parts to move along the manufacturing line. Through decades of experience and tweaking their manufacturing processes, Toyota has greatly limited several of the Seven Deadly Wastes by investing in Kaizen Techniques.
Nick has personally applied Kaizen at the company where he did his internship, and besides a report, he presented some visuals on the transformations at his workplace, whose 5S scores increased from 38% to 84%, and may potentially grow to 94% at the phase 2 implementation.
Ryan did a reflection of his views of Japan before and after the trip, and here are his slides.
Mae made some interesting observations with the photos and comments reported here.
The 2023 trip was an interdisciplinary collaboration among two faculty-led travel courses (ENGR 365 taught by Dr. Yanjun Yan and HIST 308 taught by Dr. Gael Graham) and a few others (Dr. Scott Rader and Dr. Yumiko Ono) who also led students to Japan in 2023. It wouldn’t happen without many people’s help.
Hosts
The names of our hosts who are not public figures are omitted for privacy. Our appreciation extends to all who have welcomed us.
In no particular order, we thank
- Miku in Nagoya, a WCU alum, who arranged our Nagoya itineries and accompanied us and drove us during our entire stay there, led us to great dinners (sushi and yakiniku (Japanese barbecue)).
- A professor in the Department of Information Engineering, School of Engineering, and his students at Chukyo University
- Two professors at Hiroshima University who arranged a customized working session with Japanese students
- Dr. Wang in Osaka
- Takamichi Sensei who helped arrange our activities and guided us in Sakai
- Our Japanese friends who arranged the wagashi making workshop with temachi-sushi and many other delights, and the traditional Japanese tea ceremony.
- Staff at the following museums or organizations who offered us excellent info and extra help, whenever needed:
- Staff at the hotels, train stations, restaurants, shops, and many other places, who took the efforts to help us as best as they could,
- and many others who have met with us and interacted with us.