Twenty-two SSU students learned firsthand about Japan’s legal system, history, and culture during a 12-day study-abroad program led by Criminology and Criminal Justice Studies professors Diana Grant and Bryan Burton.
"My experience in Japan was an amazing, life-changing, unreplicable, and once-in-a-lifetime experience. We had incredible speakers, a local guide who educated us about Japan’s history, culture, and spirituality, and most importantly, great professors and classmates who made the experience possible. I nearly didn’t commit to this study-abroad program, but I am eternally grateful that I did,” sophomore Nayeli Nuno-Ledezma said.
In Tokyo, students learned about restorative justice, public defense, and disaster preparedness at the Honjo Life Safety Learning Center. The city is preparing for a major earthquake based on expert predictions that one could occur under Tokyo within the next 30 years. The group also visited the National Diet (Parliament), the Center for Prisoners’ Rights, and the Japanese Legal Support Center, and attended a lecture on human rights advocacy with Amnesty International.
In Kyoto and Osaka, students examined environmental sustainability at the Maishima Plant Environmental Partnership Facility and discussed crime prevention and rehabilitation at Kyoto Sangyo University. Kyoto University students gave a presentation on preparing prisoners for release through job training programs.
Throughout their stay, participants made trips to cultural landmarks, including Asakusa, Senso-ji Temple, the Tokyo National Museum, Tokyo Tower, the Golden Pavilion, Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, and Fushimi Inari Shrine.
"I will never forget studying abroad in Japan. It truly was a life-changing opportunity,” senior Bailey Rodriguez said. “Studying in a new place and experiencing a different culture is extremely eye-opening. Professor Grant and Professor Burton helped make the program fantastic. I highly recommend studying abroad if you ever have the chance. It's worth every penny."
Concluding their trip, students traveled to Hiroshima and visited Fukuyama City University (FCU). There they attended a lecture by Professor Yukifumi Makita on aging and community-based care models in Japan, and had lunch with FCU students, who also led them on a tour.
At Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Park, the group engaged with Sadae Kasaoka, a hibakusha (“bomb-affected person”) who lost most of her family when Hiroshima was bombed on August 6, 1945. She emphasized the importance of peace, reconciliation, and the non-use of nuclear weapons. The Flame of Peace at the memorial symbolizes the anti-nuclear resolve to burn the flame "until the day when all such weapons shall have disappeared from the earth."