Japan Study Abroad Program Expands Learning Beyond the Classroom
From centuries-old temples to high-speed bullet trains, Japan offers a blend of ancient tradition and modern innovation unlike anywhere else in the world.
For the Cal Poly Pomona students who recently traveled there as part of a study abroad fieldwork program, the experience extended far beyond sightseeing, combining cultural exchange, service-learning and international collaboration.
Political Science Professor Renford Reese led the June 2-15 study abroad program, which included 16 students and one staff member. Students spent three days in Tokyo and nine days in Kobe, while also visiting Kyoto and Osaka. Through Cal Poly Pomona’s partnership with Kobe Women’s University, they experienced Japanese culture firsthand through volunteer service and interactions with their Japanese peers.
Reese, who has taught at Cal Poly Pomona for 30 years and led study abroad programs in 15 countries, said his goal is to create transformative international experiences that take learning beyond the classroom.
Japan, he said, offers students a unique opportunity to experience a country where ancient traditions and modern innovation coexist.
“Japan is unique because of its embrace of the ancient and the hyper-modern,” he said. “Imagine taking a 200-mph bullet train to visit a 1,400-year-old temple.”
Learning Through Cultural Exchange
Throughout the two-week program, students built connections with peers at Kobe Women’s University while volunteering to pack food for children. Reese said incorporating service-learning into every study abroad program is what makes the experience unique.
For Natalie Diaz, a political science major who participated in the program for a second time, returning to Japan meant reconnecting with friends she made at Kobe Women’s University while experiencing the country from a new perspective.
“I was truly appreciative to go on the trip for a second time,” Diaz said. “I had never been anywhere without my family, let alone another continent. I could not wait to experience the culture again and spread my wings.”
One experience that particularly resonated with Diaz came during the group’s final evening in Kobe, when Professor Natsuki of Kobe Women’s University invited several students to a local swing dancing event.
“There was a language barrier, but we translated through laughter and dancing,” she said. “I will never forget how, just for a moment, we were all the same. No matter our backgrounds.”
Students also experienced Japanese customs firsthand. One moment that stood out was riding Japan’s bullet train.
“You could hear a pin drop,” Reese said. “At that point, you realize that in many ways, noise is pollution. You don’t have to be loud; you can talk calmly.”
Beyond introducing students to another country’s history and customs, the trips Reese leads include international fieldwork, which encourages students to become more aware of different perspectives and cultural practices.
“In a regular classroom setting, you might see growth throughout the semester,” Reese said. “But when studying abroad, I see that growth every hour of the trip—growth in curiosity, sensitivity, respect, confidence, and leadership capacity. The students become more confident in who they are. That’s the highlight for me.”
Reese said he hopes students returned from Japan with more than memories of the places they visited. Whether through volunteering, interacting with students from Kobe Women’s University, or experiencing everyday customs, he hopes they become more conscious of how they engage with others.
“I want students to be more conscious, more civil, to practice social etiquette, and to be more respectful in other spaces,” Reese said.
A Partnership Across the Pacific
That emphasis on cultural understanding is shared by Kobe Women’s University, Cal Poly Pomona’s partner institution in Japan.
Kobe Women’s University has partnered with Cal Poly Pomona’s English Language Institute for nearly a decade, sending students to CPP to strengthen their English language skills. The current study abroad program began after Reese met Professor Kazumi Noguchi during a visit to Cal Poly Pomona in 2022, and this year marked the third year of the exchange program.
Noguchi said she enjoys welcoming CPP students each year and believes the partnership benefits students at both institutions.
“CPP students are very positive and active,” Noguchi said. “KWU students feel stimulated and inspired by CPP students. They often tell me that CPP students clearly express their own thoughts and opinions.”
Noguchi said she hopes visiting students experience everyday life in Japan beyond major tourist attractions by interacting with local students, exploring neighborhoods and discovering Japanese culture alongside the country’s modern influences.
Noguchi believes international exchange helps students develop broader perspectives by exposing them to new customs, cultures, and ways of thinking.
The $3,000 program is supported by the Political Science Sean Yu Study Abroad Fund, which provides each participant with a $500 scholarship to help make international fieldwork more accessible.
For Diaz, participating in the program was something she once never imagined possible.
“Being a first-generation student, I didn’t think I would ever be brave enough to do something like this,” she said. “It showed me a whole world outside of our own, and most importantly, what I could do on my own.”
Expanding Opportunities Abroad
The Japan program is one of several study abroad fieldwork opportunities Reese has developed during his three decades at Cal Poly Pomona. Each trip includes a service-learning component and is open to students from all majors. Graduate students are also eligible to participate, and Reese said they typically make up about 20% of each cohort. The programs focus on conservation, sustainability, biodiversity, and human ecology.
Months of planning go into each trip, much of it taking place behind the scenes.
“What I take pride in is the invisible work,” Reese said. “Make it seamless, so when the students get in, they experience something that is life-changing and transformative.”
Looking ahead, Reese hopes to continue expanding Cal Poly Pomona’s study abroad opportunities while encouraging more students and faculty to participate.
“The setting allows you to be a better mentor,” Reese said. “My goal is to get more students, expose the program to more students and recruit more faculty.”
To learn more about study abroad fieldwork trips and sign up, visit https://www.renfordreese.com/fieldwork
