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

Maymester 2024 will be the first year for students to take part in this unique study abroad program!

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 undergraduate 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 2023, Spring 2024 or Summer 2024. 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, and in the respective semester. The first wave of applications will be due October 1, 2023. **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 2024

Estimated Program Fee: $3,800 + Tuition and Fees + Airfare

Courses: AESC 3150, ADSC 3950 (5 Credits)

Apply here
View Program Flyer

Program Contacts

John Michael Gonzalez Associate Professor
Animal & Dairy Science
Kari K. Turner Associate Professor
Animal & Dairy Science