• Costs
• Application, pdf format (Acrobat Reader)
• Payment Information
  
• Refund Policy
  
• Passports and Visas
  
• Practical Information
  
  
• Dave Barry's comments on Japan
• Lonely Planet Information on Japan

Lodging on the rail trip ranges from double occupancy in business hotels, to dormitory bunks in a youth hostel or travelers hotel.
In Yatsushiro, students will be placed with a host family that sometimes but not always, has other children.

Costs:

6 week trip:

Estimated costs are:

$3,800 program fees
$1,274.15 (6 hours tuition at UWP)
$500 for meals ($25/day x 20 days; breakfast and dinner included in homestay)
$440 miscellaneous spending money for laundry, stamps, gifts, etc... ($10 x 44 days)
$45 text.

This includes:

Costs:

3 week Rail Trip:

Estimated costs are:

$3,000 program fees
$600.00 (3 hours tuition at UWP)
$500 for meals ($25/day x 20 days)
$200 miscellaneous spending money for laundry, stamps, gifts, etc... ($10 x 20 days)
$45 text.

This includes:

The program fees for either session do not include:

PAYMENT INFORMATION

Final payment for the program fees must be made by April 28, 2009.  Payment can be made by cash, check, or money order.

If full payment is not postmarked by April 28, 2009, space may not be held in the program.  Students receiving financial aid may not defer payment of program fees. Contact the program director if problems arise.

Application and Payment Schedule for 2009:

Payment Schedule (6 week tour)

Payment Schedule (19 day rail tour)

** The First Installment is to cover the cost of airfare. The full amount is necessary to reserve a seat. The second and third installments may be paid at different times and in different amounts (depending on availability of funds) as long as the final amount is paid no later than May 1, 2009).

Tuition for courses at UWP or UK must be made by 15 May. Check with registrar's office for details on enrolling for summer classes.

REFUND POLICY

In the event of withdrawal from the summer program, the following refund policy applies.

1. If the student withdraws before any expenses have been incurred, all money will be refunded.
2. If airline tickets and JR Passes have been purchased, the student will receive everything back except cancellation fees. A travel insurance policy will cover these expenses.
3. If the trip is cancelled, all fees will be returned. Cancellation usually occurs before any airline tickets have been made.

APPLICATION

Applications will not be considered unless all items are completed.   Write legibly.

COMPLETE APPLICATION PACKET

A complete application packet consists of the following:

The application deadline is April 1. All complete application materials postmarked by April 1 will be reviewed and notification of decision will be sent within three weeks. A $150 fee, which will be applied to the total program fee, must accompany the application. If the student is not accepted to the program, the fee will be refunded. Students receiving student loans should apply at least by 1 February. They should apply for the loans for the summer the fall semester before the summer trip. Check the financial office for deadlines.

Late application. Complete application materials postmarked after this date will be considered if space is available. You can email or call first to find out.

All applications will be reviewed based on academic performance and the applicant’s appropriateness for study abroad.

MISCELLANEOUS

• Living Accomodations
  Participants will stay in ryokan, hostels, or motel like accomodations on the rail trip, which supply bedding, and sometimes shampoo and toothbrushes. The business hotels have private showers and toilets. Ryokans have shared shower and toilet facilities. Youth Hostels have bunk rooms, of usually 4 to a room but sometimes more, with the youth hostel bedding provided. Toilets and baths are shared.
  
  During the homestay in Yatsushiro, the students will have their own room in a house. This is usually the room where an elder child used to live but has gone off to college. There may or may not be other children in the household.
  
  Breakfasts, lunches, and dinners on the rail trip are usually obtained at Japanese convenience stores. This is a cheap option to obtain prepared food. Convenience stores in Japan have healthier food and more choices than their counterparts in the US, you just have to be willing to try something that looks unfamiliar. Occasionally, we will stop at inexpensive restaurants or will just pick up an obento at a station kiosk.
  
  
• Passports
  You must have a passport to get your boarding pass to leave the US. To obtain a passport for the first time, you need to go in person to one of 9,000 passport acceptance facilities located throughout the United States with two photographs of yourself, proof of U.S. citizenship, and a valid form of photo identification such as a driver’s license.

  You’ll need to apply in person if you are applying for a U.S. passport for the first time. How to get a passport link.

• VISAs
  You will receive a tourist visa at immigration in Japan. This is good for 90 days. Upon issuance, you will be fingerprint scanned and photographed.
  
  
  
• MONEY
  Japanese money is only 1 unit, the yen. At present, the yen fluctuates between Y95 and Y120 to the US dollar. In 1995 it got down to Y90/$1 for a short bit, and in 1998 it was up to Y140, so it is possible for anything to happen.
• Tips - There is no tipping in Japan except at some major western hotels where we won't be staying.
• Electric Current - 100 volts AC, 50 htz in eastern Japan and 60 htz in western Japan. Lights appear to flicker to new arrivals in the east.
• Time - +9 hours from Greenwich. There is no daylight savings.
• Medical - The US doesn't require any vaccinations to visit Japan. It would be a good idea to make sure that tetanus vaccinations are current.

CONDUCT

There are established rules of conduct and guidelines for participation, both general and program-specific. Students will be expected to conform to acceptable standards of behavior as participants. Any student who, in the judgment of the program director, does not behave accordingly will be expelled from the program. Any costs so incurred (including costs of immediate return transportation to the United States) will be borne by the student.

Requirements:
Attendance at all orientation meetings during the spring semester is mandatory.