Professor of Kinesiology Steven Smith and Professor of Communication Deidre Johnston recently returned from Japan where they participated in a GLCA Japan Studies program. The GLCA received a grant from the Japan Foundation of New York to support interdisciplinary, investigative travel projects for faculty with little or no prior Japan expertise and representing a diverse set of disciplines. The goals of this travel project are to study how Japan's history and culture have impacted the modern Japanese perception of meaningful work, compensation, and leisure practice. Travel included time spent in Kyoto, Osaka, and Tokyo. Tours and visits with major company laboratories and offices, the Waseda University Campus, and some of the leading cultural and tourist sites in those parts of Japan were part of the experience. Through discussions with business, governmental and academic leaders, Smith and Johnston examined how work and leisure time are being influenced by the trend towards globalization. Professor Smith examined the physical activity trends in Japanese society with an emphasis on rising levels of obesity in youth. Professor Johnston studied a variety of issues related to global communication and women's constructions of work, motherhood, and leisure.
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