In November 2015 and again in November 2016, students had the opportunity to learn about the city of Yokosuka. Yokosuka is not far from Tokyo, yet many people haven’t been there and don’t know about its rich international history and modern-day role. In the classroom, we learned first about international relations and the security of Japan. We then studied aspects of the political relationship between the US and Japan. A guest speaker from the US Navy visited our class to explain in-depth about the US-Japan relationship and the importance of Yokosuka. We also learned about the first international visitors to Yokosuka in the 1800s and talked about the modern-day multicultural city and challenges of intercultural living.
The field study consisted of a one-day visit to Yokosuka. During the day, we visited the Verny Commemorative Museum to learn about early shipbuilding, visited the Museum ship Mikasa to gain an insight into Japan’s past, and took a tour of the Yokosuka US Naval base to learn about current international relations. Students also had a chance to sample the famous Navy Curry and Yokosuka Navy burgers.
Working in teams, students enjoyed time to explore Yokosuka and complete research for their projects. Back in the classroom, students gave presentations about their research and completed written reports.
Dr. Annette BRADFORD
(Assoc. Prof., School of Business Administration, Meiji University)
