August 22, 2024 Study Abroad in Japan: Michelle Chen

Michelle Chen, a fourth-year interior architecture student, traveled abroad as a part of the School of Interior Architecture’s Japan Design and Culture studio.

The vertical studio included students from all cohort years in the school allowing them to be exposed to global perspectives at many stages of their design education.

“I have never been in a vertical studio before and being able to collaborate and even ask for help from different years has been truly helpful,” she said. “It was so awesome being able to make friends with each of the girls from different years, which is something that would probably not have happened back on campus.”

Throughout the summer mini term, students traveled to Toyko, Koyasan, Osaka, Fukui, and Kyoto. The program focused on Japan’s culture and design through core cultural and aesthetic terms through studying the tea ceremony and concepts of omotenhashi, Japanese hospitality.

Chen was most impacted by Koyasan, a Buddhist community south of Osaka.

“We had just come from Tokyo, and the shift from city life to an area with more natural life and focus on traditional architecture and culture was very impactful. We were able to experience traditional Buddhist food, and even got to put on yukatas.”

Students learned to make washi paper, experienced a traditional Japanese tea ceremony, and engaged with local universities.

“On our excursions, we would visit countless infrastructures and tour the buildings as well,” said Chen. “My biggest takeaway was the material use that each building would utilize. They build their architecture to resist earthquakes, which are something that we do not really think about in Tennessee. In Japan, there is a more common use of natural material or even recycled and reused materials for their interiors as well. These are all due to their spiritual and aesthetic principles like wabi sabi.”