COURSEWORK

Students enrolled in this program will sign up for two, three-credit Honors College seminars (UHON 301:008 Arts & Culture of Japan and UHON 301:011 Japan: Exploration & Research) during the spring 2026 semester. The Arts & Culture of Japan course will meet once a week (for a one-hour and 15-minute session) starting in the second 8 weeks of the spring 2026 semester (Tuesdays from 5-6:15 pm), and UHON 301:011 Japan: Exploration & Research will have ten days of expeditionary fieldwork in and around Kyoto, Japan, from May 18-31.  

UHON 301:008 Japan: Arts & Culture (3 credits) 

Instructors: Associate Professor, Megan Jacobs, Associate Professor, Amaris Ketcham, and  UNM Honors College Senior Teacher, Rosie Deal

The course, Japan: Arts and Culture, will use an interdisciplinary framework to explore Japanese arts and crafts at the intersection of Japanese aesthetics, ecological philosophies, and religious practices, which ultimately explore humans’ relationship and interconnection with the natural world. Students will engage with readings before our program departure to provide a framework for Japanese aesthetic sensibilities, philosophies, and perspectives. From exhibitions on yokai to contemporary photographers to ancient poets, we will look at a range of artists and art forms. Students will learn to research, unpack, and decode Japanese art within its cultural context. Through diverse readings, discussions, and exercises, students will develop a research topic and question, which they will further refine through on-site research in Japan.

Learning Objectives for Japan Arts and Culture, 3 credits 

1. Analyze, critically interpret, and evaluate examples of Japanese art within interdisciplinary, cultural, and historical contexts;
2. Analyze seminal environmental and philosophical texts in reference to Japanese artistic and religious practices;
3. Assess various lenses for evaluating art across cultures
4. Analyze, evaluate, and interpret students’ histories and positions in contemporary U.S. society in relation to a global context.

UHON 301:011 Japan: Exploration & Research, 3 credits 

Instructors: Associate Professor, Megan Jacobs, Associate Professor, Amaris Ketcham, and  UNM Honors College Senior Teacher, Rosie Deal

What is it about certain places that embeds itself so deeply into our essence, molding our perceptions, defining our selves, and imprinting upon generations? How does the spirit of a local environment inform national pride and identity, and in turn, shape its stance on the global stage? This course delves into these pressing questions, focusing on the dynamic interplay between belonging and artistic endeavor within the cities of Kyoto and Nara, which have long been epicenters of cultural and artistic brilliance. Adopting the methodology of reading place as a text, students will immerse themselves in direct observation, meticulous documentation, and comprehensive mapping exercises. Through reflective writing tasks, interviews, and interactive discussions, learners will distill their insights and observations. Using these tools, students will apply humanistic inquiry across disciplines to develop their own distinctive creative projects. By weaving together diverse learning modalities through experiential strategies, the course encourages students to hone their communication, critical thinking, and creative faculties while deepening their socio-cultural understanding and appreciation of Kyoto, the cultural and artistic epicenter. Students will keep a journal consisting of experiential assignments with daily prompts, photographs, and drawings that will help them reflect on the unique sensibilities and perspectives in Japan–making note of food, traditions, customs, and more. 

Conducting on-site and expeditionary learning, along with instruction from local scholars, is a unique opportunity not available in the classroom at UNM. During the course, we will partner with Andrea de Antoni, Associate Professor at Kyoto University, and Yuki Tawada, Associate Professor at Kyoto University of the Arts. Professor de Antoni will share his anthropological research with UNM students through a walking tour of historic sites, and Professor Tawada will present her artwork and demonstrate how she creates her etched photographs. Both scholars' work explores unique aspects of Japanese culture. In addition to these meetings with artists and scholars, the students will visit museums, cultural sites, and neighborhoods to engage in the observational and reflective practices of the Place as Text pedagogy.

Learning Objectives for Japan: Exploration & Research

• Apply humanistic research and interdisciplinary inquiry across disciplines to interpret Kyoto’s creativity and foster individual creative projects.
• Develop clear and compelling writing styles while enhancing verbal and non-verbal communication competencies through interactions with locals and peers.
• Analyze and articulate their observations, fostering a deeper understanding of the interplay between local environments and broader cultural identities.
• Develop innovative thought processes and artistic expressions influenced by immersive experiences in Kyoto, as demonstrated through creative assignments.

HONORS FACULTY