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May 4, 2025

Orientation Day

Students seated around a conference table during an orientation session, with a presenter standing at the front near a projection screen and another presenter standing to the side. Printed materials and refreshments are spread out on the table. 

By Cynthia Ludlam

On Sunday, May 4, we held our orientation meeting in the Student Center’s Cafe Court Atrium. Students were welcomed with hot green tea and a delicious assortment of Japanese snacks and desserts. 

 During the orientation, we covered:

  • Answering student questions and addressing concerns

  • Exploring our itinerary and schedule in more depth

  • Reviewing academic expectations for the trip

  • Going over critical pre-departure tasks—like how to get and use money in Japan, phone and internet info, and packing tips

  • Learning about our hotel, the surrounding neighborhood, and roommate assignments

  • Discussing essential cross-cultural guidelines for respectful travel in Japan

  • Explaining how we’ll stay in touch using the WhatsApp app

  • Sharing key group norms and expectations

  • Enjoying a basic Japanese language and culture lesson from guest expert Ruth Wilmot. 
  • Previewing the flight experience and our first few days in Japan


Ruth Wilmot's introductory lesson on Japanese language and culture was definitely a highlight of the day! A beloved former faculty member and coach at Landmark College, Ruth led the first three Landmark study abroad trips to Japan as the program director. She has spent many years living in Japan and only recently returned from another visit. We are truly grateful that she was able to join us for this experience.

To close out the session, we asked, "what is one thing you experienced or learned today during our orientation that made you feel excited about going to Japan?"


Here’s what students shared:

"Being able to see several historic Japanese landmarks"
"Learning about kanji and the language was really cool!!!"
"Getting to know the group"
"I learned about all the cool things we will be able to do in Japan as well as what our hotel and classroom will be like. I am so excited!"
"The differences between Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji."
"Planning out our entire schedule and getting to know everyone better."
"I’m most excited about the culinary tradition of Japan. I also hope to join in a festival or two."
"Going to a cat cafe, anime culture, and drawing—things that America doesn’t have."
"It was fun to see a subway map and see how navigable Tokyo is! It makes me excited to go to and see new places in Japan (even though all of Japan will be new to me)!"
"All the kanji I’ll see and maybe recognize, but seeing kanji over and over and figuring out the meanings from context clues can be fun!"
"I learned about the structure of the trip and was given a summary of what our days will be like in Japan! I'm looking forward to attending classes, field trips, and activities with my classmates!"
"Eating delicious Japanese snacks got me excited to go eat authentic Japanese food!"

 We’re off to an exciting start—Landmark in Japan 2025, here we come!