Students participating in this program study gardens and architecture in Japan from the field, a rare opportunity in the discipline of art and architectural history. The site of Kyoto, the capital of Japan until 1868, offers an amazingly rich environment to study garden design and architecture in its cultural context. There are hundreds of well-preserved sites from as early as the 8th century in the region as well as institutions that have preserved and perpetuated traditional activities and rituals. Students will learn about traditional Japanese culture while in Japan, and have the opportunity to continue Japanese language studies if they so choose.