Japan: Food Production, Culture and the Environment

Experience Japanese culture first-hand while learning about food production and environmentally conscious agricultural practices as you travel from the streets of Tokyo to the island of Itsukushima and the historical city of Hiroshima.

About the Program

This program provides students an overview of Japanese food production through a combination of field and farms visits, hands-on culinary opportunities and engaging lectures from Japanese agriculturalists. Classes are taught in English, with the opportunity to develop or expand Japanese language skills through cultural experiences over the course of the trip.

Students of this program will learn about:

  • Sustainable practices implemented in Japanese agriculture
  • Unique practices associated with beef, pork, and poultry production in Japan
  • Local sake, tea and rice production
  • Traditional customs of Japanese food preparation
  • Cultural significance of historical Japanese landmarks, temples and castles

During an exciting visit to one of the top single-country export markets for U.S. agricultural commodities, students will spend their time immersed in Japanese culture while learning about the food system in this smaller yet densely-populated country.

At the end of this program, students will have a unique appreciation of sustainable agricultural practices in Japan, as well as the culture associated with Japanese food production and preparation.


CAES Experiential Learning Scholarship

The CAES Experiential Learning scholarship is available to CAES students pursuing experiential learning activities. Eligible experiential learning activities include study abroad programs, internships, fellowships, service-learning projects, professional development, leadership-building programs and entrepreneurship. Students participating in both credit and non-credit experiential learning activities may apply. This scholarship is supported in part by the Deans' Promise Fund. Applications are open to all who intend to participate in Experiential Learning in Fall 2025, Spring 2026 or Summer 2026. CAES students may apply BEFORE a program runs and BEFORE they are accepted. However, scholarship money will not be awarded until the student is officially accepted and committed to the program. The first wave of applications will be due October 1, 2025 and the second wave of applications will open on October 20, 2025 and close January 23, 2026 . A third wave of applications will be open on February 13, 2026 and close April 3rd, 2026. NO APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE THIRD WAVE DEADLINE. **Please note: this application is not intended for students applying to the following programs: Congressional Ag Fellows, Georgia Legislative Internship, Georgia Agribusiness Council Internship or the Winegrowers of Georgia Internship. Separate online applications are available for those programs.

Additional Scholarships for International Travel

Quick Facts

Dates: Maymester 2026

Apply here

Program Contacts

Kari K. Turner
Kari K. Turner Associate Professor
Animal & Dairy Science