***Tufts Students: You can now access scanned paper evaluations from all past students of this program online! Click on "Browse Programs," "Geography," and then select the country to find the scanned program evaluations.

Despite recent fluctuations in the economy, Japan remains a major world economic power. In order to prepare students for a future of increased contact with Asia, Tufts in Japan offers students a full academic year in Kanazawa, one of the most beautiful cities in Japan. Located on the Japan Sea (facing Korea and China), Kanazawa is an ancient castle town that during the Tokugawa Period (1600-1868) was the administrative center of the Kaga Domain, the largest and most affluent in the entire country. To show Edo they had no designs on central political power, the Maeda clan poured resources into the arts and made their city a "little Kyoto." They built the Kenroku-en, one of the three most spectacular gardens in all of Japan. They brought in numerous artisans, who began a rich legacy of arts and crafts that are alive even today: Kaga yuzen (silk dyeing), Kutani and Ohi pottery, Wajima lacquerware, the Noh theater, papermaking, and confectionery. Kanazawa escaped the bombs of the Second World War with historical landmarks intact. Students can still visit the mansions and gardens of former samurai and tour the city’s two temples.

Like Boston, Kanazawa is a city of many parks and colleges. Emphasis has been placed on education, and the cultural level of the people is high. Students take classes at the newly rebuilt Kanazawa University, one of the leading national universities. By night, students are able to enjoy the lively night life of Korinbo. In addition to a number of sophisticated department stores, the city has a famous open market and wonderful food: anything from Mister Donuts to exquisite Kaga cuisine. In short, Kanazawa is big enough to be interesting and small enough to be intimate and manageable, a perfect place to get started in Japan. Kyoto/Osaka, a more urban environment, is two hours away by train, and Tokyo is just an hour flight, or a four-to-five hour train ride.

Official Tufts in Japan website: http://uss.tufts.edu/studyabroad/programsTufts/japan/japan_index.asp