Japan 2026 Interest List
Go Learn

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Travel with Go Learn for an unforgettable journey through Japan! You'll be led through Japan's most iconic cities and serene landscapes by experts in design, cultural history, and education, Steven Chodoriwsky, Assistant Professor of Multi-Disciplinary Design at the University of Utah, and Sarah Walsh, History teacher at Rowland Hall. This immersive experience combines sightseeing with hands-on workshops and thoughtful cultural exploration with local experts. We’ll explore how Japan’s rich craft traditions and contemporary innovations shape both its regional and national identities.

Trip Highlights Include:

  • Experience Japan’s world-class rail system, including the Shinkansen (bullet train), as we travel between Tokyo, Kyoto, Okayama, and Naoshima.
  • Explore Japan’s traditions, culture, history, and cuisine at the Tokyo National Museum, Shitamachi Museum, and Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum.
  • Explore traditional Japanese design, modern architecture, and bathing culture in Tokyo.
  • Participate in a hands-on pottery workshop in Shigaraki, a historic ceramics village near Kyoto.
  • Stroll through the historic district of Gion, known for its traditional geisha culture and preserved wooden teahouses.
  • Visit Nara, home to the Great Buddha, ancient temples, and friendly roaming deer.
  • Tour Okayama Castle and participate in a Bizen-yaki pottery workshop, learning about one of Japan’s oldest ceramic traditions.
  • Walk through Korakuen Garden, one of Japan’s most celebrated landscape gardens and a living example traditional Japanese design and community building.
  • Bike across Naoshima, Japan’s “art island,” visiting Art House Project sites, Benesse House, Lee Ufan Museum, and Chichuu Art Museum, where contemporary art meets community regeneration.

This trip is designed for curious travelers who want to experience Japan through its art and craft traditions, while reflecting on how the country’s history shapes its present and inspires new possibilities for the future.