Program dates: 07/01/2017 – 08/17/2017
Scroll down to program posts
Eleven students are studying Japan’s celebrity volcano on this program. They are focusing on Mt. Fuji as an actor in, and a product of, both the physical world and the human imagination. The seven-week program devotes two weeks to in-country orientation; four weeks to project-based learning, situated research, and ecological analysis in the towns surrounding Mt. Fuji; and one week to final project documentation. Explore two of the group projects that students are conducting during this program:
and
North Fuji Grassland Field Research
Recent posts [display all posts]
The Osawa Failure, a Controlled Disaster Zone - Natural disasters such as volcanic eruptions and earthquakes are unsettling reminders of human fragility. There is nothing we can do to stop tectonic plates from colliding or volcanos from exploding. At most we can monitor tectonic movement, take seismic readings, prepare evacuation plans, and hope for safety. Disaster prevention planning makes it possible to mitigate […]
The Interplay of Water and Rock around Fuji - Over the final weeks of the program, we’ve seen more contemporary examples of how the volcano Mt. Fuji shapes lives. We’ve spent time at each side of the mountain, particularly noting the differences between the North, South, East and West flanks. The areas are distinct in their primary industries, susceptibility to natural disasters, and agriculture. […]
Channeling Destruction - They are everywhere! I was floored by the series of immense dams we discovered on an afternoon hike into the canyons behind the village of Nemba. Rising like fortresses above the bone dry stream bed, each one stood larger and more formidable than the last. Gazing at all these towering walls of concrete packed into […]
Debris and Dams: The Science of Flows and Sabo Engineering - The greater Fuji region is no stranger to mudslides and yukishiro (slush flows), especially places near mountains. When we stayed in the town of Nemba by one of the five great lakes of Fuji, Lake Sai, I was awestruck by the rolling hills covered in thick forest. At first the town struck me as a […]
Red Fuji? Nope, Green Fuji - Katsushika Hokusai’s (1760-1849) Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji is a collection of woodblock prints that depict Japan’s iconic mountain from various angles and perspectives. In one of the more recognizable prints from the series, Fuji commands the entire piece and its steep profile is portrayed using an intense reddish color. This print, known more commonly […]
Messengers of the Gods - The sika deer of Japan, shinroku, are considered messengers of the gods in the Shinto Religion. They are regarded as sacred animals and are allowed to roam close to shrines and temples. Because of their religious importance, the deer have been protected by the government. Until 1937 killing one of the deer was punishable by […]
Fuji through Different Lenses: How My Perception of Fuji was Molded by Experience - Since coming to Japan, my studies of Mt. Fuji have led me to think of the mountain as primarily a site of religious and cultural significance. Yet since I have been studying Fuji for six weeks, there are differences in how I perceive Fuji compared to how other tourists do. During the climb, I was […]Situating Abroad: The Parallels of Mount Fuji and Mauna Kea - A week before I left to begin my journey in Japan, I visited the summit of Mauna Kea to watch the sunset and stargaze. Little did I know that I would soon draw intriguing parallels between the mountain of my home and the mountain I would climb on my trip. Now that I have experienced […]
Wilderness: Problem or Priority? - I feel a bit homesick for my forests. I love strolling off the trail and sticking my nose in a flower or the dirt, running my hand over mossy tree trunks. This is no unique desire among many Americans. Some of us have had the privilege of growing up climbing trees and jumping into lakes. […]
Deerly Beloved Nature - I thought I was prepared for my visit to Nara Park, home to hundreds of Japanese sika deer. I’d seen friends’ selfies with the wide-eyed animals and heard about tourists feeding them the crackers sold by local vendors. I even passed a television screen in the train station of a cartoon deer on two feet […]