Experiential Learning in Cultural Psychology: Immersion in Japanese Culture

The backdrop of Japan’s rich cultural traditions, modern innovations, and unique social norms will help you learn more about how cultural contexts shape psychological processes. Whether it’s navigating daily life in Japan, communicating with locals, or observing how people interact in social settings, you’ll begin to understand how behavior and emotions are shaped by culture.

• Discover how Japanese values, traditions, language, and social norms shape the way people think, communicate, and relate to one another—deepening your cultural awareness and appreciation for diversity and multicultural perspectives.
• Travel to three cities in Japan – Tokyo, Kyoto, and Nara City – to visit historic Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples, enjoy local cuisine like ramen, sushi, and okonomiyaki, and explore Japanese art and history.
• Visit the world-renowned University of Tokyo, where you’ll explore how language and culture interact through a research project led by Dr. Yuki Hirose, a prominent scholar in psycholinguistics.
• Connect with University of Tokyo students through a fun cultural exchange activity—an opportunity to build international friendships, share perspectives, and experience student life in Japan firsthand.

No Japanese language is required - the program is taught in English.

During a Spring 2026 class in Rochester, you’ll learn about key aspects of Japanese life – religion, food, art, history, and cultural traditions to examine societal differences between the U.S. and Japan and prepare for your travel to Japan. Your time in Japan begins in Tokyo with a home base in vibrant Ueno Park, a vibrant and energetic hub of activity. From there, you'll explore sites like the Ueno Toshogu Shrine, Tokyo National Museum, University of Tokyo, and the iconic Tsukiji Fish Market. Each activity is designed to connect directly to your coursework—for example, studying religious practices will help you engage respectfully at shrines while learning about local cuisine will deepen your appreciation for the food you'll taste along the way.

Next, you'll head to Kyoto, where you'll walk the Philosopher’s Path, take part in a traditional tea ceremony (kimono included!), and walk through the famous torii gates at Mount Inari. Your time in Japan wraps up in historic Nara City, where you’ll explore ancient temples, shrines and heritage sites. Just be sure to watch out for the hundreds of deer that casually roam the city! 

Course Term: Spring course at RIT, travel to Japan in early Summer
Travel Dates: May 11 to May 22, 2026
Credits: 3

Course Details:

• PSYC 242: Cultural Psychology (3 credits)
  Students will be enrolled in a spring 2026 course at RIT (Tuesdays 2:00-3:15 pm) and travel to Japan in early summer. 

Pre-req: PSYC 101 Intro to Psychology. No Japanese language required. 

Open to all undergraduate majors, all year levels, 2.5 cumulative GPA or higher (priority will be given to 2nd year students and above with a 3.0 GPA or above). Note: graduate students may apply; however, you would need to talk to your graduate advisor to see if you could take the course as an independent study.

Application Deadline: October 19, 2025

Program Cost & Financial Aid

Program Cost: Student budget worksheet - Cultural Psychology Japan Spring/Summer 2026 - outlines all program costs.

Financial Aid:
Financial aid may cover some program costs. As you review the budget worksheet, please remember that it does not include your RIT financial aid or scholarships, which may cover some of the program costs. The purpose of the budget worksheet is to show all the costs associated with your study abroad program, which will help your RIT Financial Aid Assistant Director determine how your aid and scholarships may be applied. 

To understand how your financial aid and scholarships may apply to your program costs:

• Make an appointment with your financial aid assistant director (call Financial Aid at 585-475-2186) and mention that you are calling for a study abroad appointment
• Upload a copy of your budget worksheet(s) via the Financial Aid upload portal at https://join.rit.edu/register/FA_upload (at least 48 hours prior to your scheduled meeting so they have time to prepare) 
  • Please rename the file name of your budget worksheet before uploading it to the Financial Aid portal based on the instructions provided in the portal (adding your name and student ID)

To find out the name of your financial aid assistant director for your degree program visit: https://www.rit.edu/admissions/aid/contact#counseling-team

We recommend you meet with Financial Aid before the application deadline so you understand how your aid will apply. The RIT financial aid office is located in Bausch and Lomb Center (Bldg. 77), 2nd floor, 2125.

Scholarships:

• RIT Education Abroad Travel Grants ($500-$1,000)
  All students with pending applications in the RIT Study Abroad Compass for this program will be automatically considered for an RIT Education Abroad Travel Grant. You will be informed of your scholarship status shortly after the application deadline. Scholarships are awarded based on financial need, as determined by financial aid and your FAFSA on file.

• Additional Scholarships
  RIT scholarships and national scholarships for study abroad are good options to explore for scholarship funding. Make sure you are checking scholarship eligibility requirements and take note of scholarship deadlines. 

To Apply

Applications are currently closed (application deadline has been reached)

Watch this video, which goes over all important application steps for RIT Faculty-Led Programs

Contact

Dr. Eleanor Chand-Matzke
Senior Lecturer, Department of Psychology
College of Liberal Arts
aecgsh@rit.edu

Dr. Tina Sutton
Professor, Department of Psychology
College of Liberal Arts
tmsgsh@rit.edu