About the Program
Spend two months immersed in Kyoto, Japan’s ancient capital, where Harvard Summer School offers a uniquely integrated program that allows you to study about Japan through social and cultural immersion. Based at Doshisha University’s Imadegawa Campus near the Kyoto Imperial Palace, the program is led by senior Harvard faculty with deep regional expertise. You’ll study alongside other students while interacting with Doshisha’s students. The program approaches Kyoto as an extension of the classroom rich with opportunities for cultural engagement and experiential learning, from interacting with artisans and archivists to backstage tours of historical sites. While participating in a carefully designed curriculum, you’ll have ample time to explore Kyoto on your own and form meaningful connections with peers and local community.
Program Structure
You take two classes during the eight-week program. Field excursions to relevant historical and cultural sites in the Kansai region are complemented by hands-on, experiential learning opportunities intended to deepen intellectual engagement with the course content. You will spend the first month of the program living in a Doshisha dormitory a short walk from campus, and the final month living with a host family in the vicinity of Kyoto, offering further avenues to cultivate local connections while being immersed in the rhythm of Japanese daily life.
Both courses count as two semester-long courses (4 credits each) of degree credit.
Noncredit Japanese language instruction with Doshisha staff is provided for students with little or no previous exposure to the Japanese language.
HARC S-184 Study Abroad in Kyoto, Japan: Japanese Architecture
Yukio Lippit, PhD, Jeffrey T. Chambers, and Andrea Okamura, Professor of History of Art and Architecture, Harvard University
4 credits
UN, GR Limited enrollment.
This course offers an introduction to the diverse architectural traditions of the Japanese archipelago from the prehistoric era through the twentieth century. Various building types—including the Shinto shrine, Buddhist temple, castle, teahouse, palace, and farmhouse—are studied through representative surviving examples. Issues explored include the history of architectural style and building types; wood architecture and Japan’s forests; the relationship of buildings to political history, religious ritual, and cultural practice; the basic principles of timber-frame engineering; the artisanal culture of master carpenters; the on-site, archaeological, and scientific study of architecture; the history of Japanese cities; the relationship of Japanese architecture to East Asian and Western architectural traditions; and the transition to the modern era. Taking full advantage of Kyoto as its setting, the course includes excursions to provide students with the opportunity to study architecture on site, as well as visits to craftsmen’s studios and architecture labs.
Prerequisite: None
EALC S-25 Study Abroad in Kyoto, Japan: Cinema in Japan
Alexander Zahlten, PhD, Professor of East Asian Languages and Civilizations, Harvard University
4 credits
UN, GR Limited enrollment.
This course introduces the rich history of cinema in Japan. By mapping different moments in Japanese film history, this course traces how geopolitical and cultural-historical moments in world history elicit local responses in Japan, just as those specific responses receive a locally specific reception outside of Japan. From a consideration of cinema as quintessentially “modern” technology to the complex exchanges film channeled in wartime and in the postwar, we will discuss the role of cinema in the construction of nationhood. Simultaneously, students learn the basic toolbox of film analysis and will engage with key works of cinema from Japan.
As Kyoto has played a central role in Japanese film history, the course places special emphasis on film’s relationship to Kyoto. Several excursions will explore the history of film in Kyoto — once one of the film production hubs not only of Japan but of all of East Asia — and its significance in shaping the image of film as a modern technology.
Prerequisite: None
Where You'll Live and Study
Kyoto is a historically rich and culturally vibrant city that offers a wide range of opportunities to deepen one’s understanding of Japan and its place in the world.
Accommodation
For the first month of the program, you will be housed on a single floor of Doshisha University’s new Keishiryo Dormitory, a Japanese-style living space. You will have a private single room with air conditioning. The building is also air conditioned and WiFi internet is available. An open living room is provided for each unit of five students and is in front of the private rooms. The dormitory also includes smaller lounges and shared living and dining/kitchens spaces equipped with cooking facilities (oven, rice cooker, electric kettle, and microwave). There are women’s and men’s toilets and a shower facility with two separate private showers located on the same floor as students’ rooms. Separate men’s and women’s communal baths are in the building’s lower level. The baths are shared with other students living in the dormitory. Keishiryo Dormitory rules and regulations, including a nightly curfew, apply to Harvard Summer School students.
Keishiryo Dorm is situated in the Imadegawa area of Kyoto, about a 10-minute walk Doshisha’s campus. You are responsible for your own meals and have the opportunity to shop at the local markets and frequent the restaurants and cafes that surround campus. The university cafeteria offers low-cost meals, which are another popular option.
For the second and final month of the program you will be placed in a homestay with a local host family. You will have a private room and breakfast and dinner will be provided by host families. Host families live within commuting distance of the university. The program will provide commuter passes for use traveling to campus and for course-related field excursions.
Application
To apply, you must:
- Be at least 18 years old
- Have completed at least one year of college or be a first-year student
- Be in good academic standing
Students enrolled at any accredited university are welcome to apply. See the How to Apply page for more information.
The Summer 2027 application will be available on December 1 via link at the top of this page. Each program has unique requirements included in the online application. Beginning your application early is the best way to ensure that you have sufficient time to review and complete the application requirements by the deadline.
You may apply to no more than one program.
A complete online application includes:
- Basic personal information
- A statement of interest
- Your most recent transcript
- Program-specific requirements (if applicable; may include letters of recommendation, etc.)
Interviews may be requested at the discretion of the program. Please note that this program requires a letter of recommendation as part of the online application process, which must be submitted by the application deadline. Apply early to ensure that your recommender has time to submit your letter.
Be sure to read about the funding options available for Harvard Summer School Study Abroad programs.
If you have questions about the application, please contact the Harvard Summer School Study Abroad Office by email at SummerAbroad@Summer.Harvard.edu.
Cost & Expenses
The program fee includes:
- Tuition
- Accommodations
- Scheduled program activities
- Some meals (the program will provide further details)
You will also need to budget for a number of expenses not covered by the program fee. The amounts listed below for these out-of-pocket expenses are approximate, and you may incur additional expenses not noted here. Your actual expenses will depend on a number of factors, including personal spending habits and currency exchange rates. Note that expense categories — especially airfare — may be subject to significant fluctuations.
- International airfare ($2,000–$2,400)
- Ground transportation ($300)
- Meals ($1,200)
- Personal expenditures, communications, course materials, and miscellaneous ($800)
If you have specific questions about personal budgeting, please contact the program directly.
See Funding and Payment for information on how to submit payments and funding options.
Additional Information
- Questions? Contact Dr. Gavin Whitelaw (Whitelaw@FAS.Harvard.edu).
- Need an accommodation? See Students in Need of Accommodations to request one through the Accessibility Services Office.
- Accepted to the program? See Admitted Students for information about predeparture requirements.
