Japan

Summer 2027, step into Japan and expand your perspective through language, culture, and experience. 

Conversational Japanese I is an introductory course designed for students with no prior experience in Japanese. The course focuses on developing practical speaking and listening skills for real-world communication, especially in everyday situations and travel contexts.

This course starts with a 14-day study abroad experience in Japan, followed by continued language and cultural study. During the trip, students will be immersed in authentic language and cultural environments, allowing them to immediately apply what they learn. Students will interact with Japanese university students, gaining experience with casual communication, while also encountering more formal language (polite forms) through excursions such as company visits.

Students will experience Japanese culture firsthand, including examples of omotenashi (Japanese hospitality), such as at Tokyo DisneySea, one of the most unique theme parks in the world. Through these experiences, students will observe differences in customer service, communication styles, and cultural expectations.

Throughout the program, students will build foundational vocabulary, grammar, and expressions while practicing Japanese in real-life settings such as train stations, temples, and community spaces. In addition to language development, the course introduces key aspects of Japan’s geography, history, and contemporary society, helping students deepen both their linguistic skills and cultural understanding.

Study business in the heart of Japan! Introduction to Business combines hands-on learning with real-world experiences in one of the most exciting economies in the world. You’ll go beyond the classroom with company visits, interactive lessons, and cultural activities that bring business concepts like marketing, management, and global trade to life.

Along the way, you’ll discover how Japan blends innovation with tradition, and build valuable skills in cross-cultural communication. It’s a chance to see how business really works on a global scale while experiencing a new culture, making connections, and having an unforgettable adventure.

This course counts toward all business majors and satisfies General Education or Approved Electives requirements for most degrees, including welding and automotive majors. 

World Mythology introduces an interdisciplinary approach to world mythology. The course illustrates and connects common themes in mythology to world religion, philosophy, art, literature, music and contemporary culture using various interpretive methods. This is a statewide Guaranteed Transfer course in the GT-AH2 category.

While in Japan, we will be connecting myths and folktales to the Shinto and Buddhist sites we visit. Along the way, we will see how mythological figures, concepts, and patterns are reflected in story, art, architecture, performance, and practice within sacred spaces. We'll also have a chance to spot mythological references in Japanese popular culture, such as manga and anime, consumer products, and fashion.

This class will also explore how Japanese mythology compares and contrasts with other major world mythologies, such as Greek, Norse, and Hindu mythology. Of special interest will be nature's role in Japanese religions, tales of kami deities and the mythical creation of Japan, and the many creatures, monsters, and spirits that inhabit Japanese folktales. 

Japan’s appeal for many Americans is its exotic allure of kimono-attired women, Samurai lords, fairy-tale castles, tea ceremonies, and well-known destinations like Tokyo, Mount Fuji, and Kyoto. But as with any culture, the intercultural layers are rich in values, beliefs, and traditional practices that are more nuanced at times. One cannot fully appreciate Japan’s rich culture without immersing oneself in it.

During our 10-week study of Japanese culture through the lens of intercultural communication, we will study Japanese cultural concepts that include living harmoniously (Wa) through polite and respectful communication, collectivistic approaches to life and group harmony, a keen focus on discipline and perfection, why they are considered a high-context culture, and deep traditional values concerning living, family, work, and a high regard for education. We will apply Hofstede’s cultural orientations to better understand these cultural differences and examine why Japan is transcending toward being an individualistic culture, while at the same time, the United States is behaving in more collectivistic ways.

Students will use their cross-cultural communication skills to explore these ideas while spending a day with Japanese university students from Greeley’s sister city, Moriya.
Additionally, they will attempt to surmount communication hurdles while touring a Japanese company, visiting three UNESCO World Heritage sites, trying new foods, navigating public transportation, and shopping for treasures.

Students will be expected to journal their experiences following an instructional packet for the course during our Japan trip. After returning to Colorado, students will spend the next eight weeks discussing and applying their experiences to the terms and concepts we cover in Intercultural Communication. This is a highly term-driven course, and students will be assessed through assignments that will include a cultural self-identity presentation and a final project. This course is a statewide Guaranteed Transfer course in the GT-SS3 category, a Pathways required course, and now a required course for the International Business Program.

Positive Psychology is the scientific study of human flourishing, exploring what helps people thrive in life, including happiness, resilience, relationships, purpose, and personal strengths. One especially interesting question often asked is how culture can shape our ideas of the “good life,” and what we can learn by looking at well-being in different parts of the world.

This course is exciting because we’ll be able to explore this question through travel to Japan. You’ll learn key research, concepts, and theories in Positive Psychology alongside Japanese ideas like ikigai (a reason for being) and wa (harmony). Together, these perspectives will help you think about both the similarities and differences in how well-being and flourishing are understood and practiced across cultures.

Along the way, you’ll take part in hands-on and reflective activities, including journaling and a photo ethnography project. As you travel and explore, you’ll connect your real-life experiences to what you’re learning and try out simple Positive Psychology intervention (PPI) practices for yourself, bringing the concepts to life in real and meaningful ways.

This is a statewide Guaranteed Transfer course in the GT-SS3 category. It fulfills Social and Behavioral Sciences requirements and counts toward A.A., A.S., and A.G.S. degrees, as well as many Career Technical Education (CTE) programs.