Japan Understanding and Motivational Project

JUMP

Objectives 
for The American School in Japan's JUMP trips

The program strives to achieve as many of these objectives as possible on every trip.

• Students will stay at a traditional Japanese accommodation during overnight trips, including the experience of removing shoes upon entering a building, sharing a bath with others, and sleeping on a futon on a tatami floor.
• Students will eat Japanese food. This may include meals at a minshuku (Japanese style B & B), or ryokan (Japanese inn), in a restaurant or as a bento. Some students may have the opportunity to make their own Japanese food.
• Students will experience a Japanese bath. They will learn the proper etiquette in a public bathing area.
• Students will interact with Japanese people in the community. This may be in a setting where they are being taught a skill, helping and interacting with students in a school, or sharing a performance together.
• Students will visit a shrine or temple and become familiar with Japanese religious rituals and beliefs.
• Students will engage in outdoor activities that give them a chance to see natural areas outside of downtown Tokyo. This may include walking, hiking, biking, golfing, fishing, boating, or diving. 
• Students will participate in a Japanese craft or art form. They may learn to play the taiko drum, perform Kyogen (Traditional Comedy), or making pottery.
• Students will tour a place of business or institution unique to Japan. Some trips may take students to a hi-tech company, a shakuhachi bamboo flute factory, or a peace park.
• Students will see historic sites, museums, or drama productions. They will learn about the architecture, history and culture of Japan. They may visit castles, teahouses, gardens, and museums.
• Students will interact with other students who have different backgrounds from their own. They will reflect upon their personal experiences in Japan.