Seminars & Short Courses
The Tea Ceremony, Samurai Aesthetics and Japanese Garden Traditions During the Edo Period
This five-week seminar invites educators to explore Japan’s cultural landscapes through castles, imperial sites, tea culture, gardens, and modern memorials, offering fresh ways to bring Japanese history and culture into the classroom. Through engaging visuals, accessible readings, and expert-led lectures, participants will learn how architecture, landscape design, and ritual reflect political power and aesthetic values from the Edo period to today. The seminar is designed for educators across all subject areas and supports interdisciplinary teaching.
By the end of the seminar, educators will be able to integrate Japanese cultural sites and visual sources into their curriculum using concrete lesson plans, discussion strategies, and primary-source–based activities. Teachers will leave with classroom-ready materials, lesson ideas, and practical strategies they can immediately use with students. Course activities include short readings, recorded lectures, live online discussions, and a hands-on lesson plan project. Educators who complete all requirements will earn a free certificate of completion.