The Japan Foundation has carried out "KAKEHASHI Project - The Bridge for Tomorrow" as part of the Youth Exchange Program with North America promoted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (MOFA). Starting from 2013, the Project has given and will give 4,600 Japanese and U.S. students and young people the opportunity to go to the United States and come to visit Japan. On July 29, 50 university students, from Arizona State University and The University of Alabama, will come to Japan for the ten-day study tour.

During their stay in Japan, the participants will learn about and deepen their understanding in Japan's history, culture, and society by hearing a lecture to be given by a specialist in Japan and by visiting cultural facilities and companies. Divided into teams, they will visit Miyagi or Ibaraki separately and conduct exchange activities with local students of the same generation and local residents, with the aim of deepening their understanding in the charms of Japan. One team will participate in disaster prevention learning to be presented by kataribe (a storyteller) and experience kirie (paper cutting art) in Miyagi Prefecture. Another, in the meantime, will visit Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Science Square TSUKUBA in Ibaraki Prefecture. The both teams will experience traditional and contemporary Japan through learning about the country's traditional culture and cutting-edge technology.

For more details on the tour schedule, please contact us as indicated below.