Japanese business culture focus of new study abroad offering at MSU

BOZEMAN - This summer, the inaugural faculty-led trip to Japan was jam-packed with new experiences for Montana State University students, helping instill valuable business and cultural knowledge about a unique country that has strongly rooted itself in global business and trade.

From staying in dorms at Kumamoto Gakuen University and meeting local students, visiting the Atomic Bomb Museum in Nagasaki, and learning about traditional Japanese culture during a formal tea ceremony, the study abroad offering left students with a deeper understanding of life in the world's fourth largest economy, which will serve as an asset in their future careers.

For 16 days earlier this summer, 15 MSU students ranging from freshmen to seniors traveled to Japan for a business class called JapanX. The course was taught by Thomas Lechner and Maritza Espina, professors in MSU's Jake Jabs College of Business and Entrepreneurship.

The group spent time doing various activities in Tokyo, Kumamoto and Nagasaki, and also drove through the Japanese countryside visiting smaller towns and scenic areas.

The class was designed specifically to help strengthen entrepreneurship in Japanese markets, equipping students with insights into the country's economy and culture.

"The idea was kind of, how do small to medium-sized enterprises enter a market like Japan? What are some of the challenges?" Lechner said. "The main theme of the class was how to enter that market - and it's hard to find a culture that's more different from the U.S. than Japan. So really trying to pay attention to both the way products are packaged, the way they're advertised, things like that."

To hone insight into Japanese markets, the instructors took students to an array of Japanese businesses, including Asaki Glass - a manufacturer of specialty and industrial glass and certain chemicals - a nearly 300-year-old sake brewery and a soy sauce factory.

The group also had several classroom sessions at Kumamoto Gakuen University where they interacted with local students, many of whom spoke English.

Strengthening the relationship between Montana and Japan has been a historic and current priority of the Montana state government and MSU. Montana is a key trading partner of Japan, exporting mostly premium wheat and coal to the island country, and is a sister state with Kumamoto. According to state data, Japan consistently ranks as one of Montana's top five export destinations, purchasing more than $265 million in goods annually.

One motivator for the trip was reigniting the sister-university relationship that MSU has with Kumamoto Gakuen University, Lechner said. The two institutions have a history of exchanging students for study abroad opportunities, and Lechner still keeps in touch with a Japanese student who came to MSU during his undergraduate experience. He noted that two MSU students in the class expressed interest in returning to live and work and Japan.

Unlike many faculty-led trips that utilize tour groups to create itineraries, Lechner planned the study abroad agenda in its entirety. That's because he has ample experience in and connections to the country, first initiated by studying abroad there himself when he was an MSU student in the 1980s. He went on to participate in the Japan Exchange and Teaching program and later started a business taking tourists there. Over time he has lived in Japan for a total of 15 years.

On the trip, in between educational tours and learning about Japanese business practices, there was also plenty of time for fun, in the form of activities that strengthened appreciation for the country's unique culture.

"My objective was also cultural understanding," Lechner said, "because sometimes the business part is easier than understanding a particular culture that is so different from ours."

Some highlights were the tea ceremony that also included making traditional Japanese sweets and watching a baseball game in Fukuoka.

"One of the more gratifying things for me on a personal level was the amount of times that students were off their phones, talking to people, playing cards, you know, taking in the scenery," Lechner added.

Students agreed that the ability to experience a culture so different from life in the U.S. was foundational for their growth and confidence to pursue future opportunities abroad.

Morgan Burr, a sophomore interested in business finance from Bozeman, said the experience prepared him well for a longer study abroad trip to New Zealand that he is currently on through MSU.

"From the people to the food, it is all so mind-opening and very awesome to be a part of. What I learned about myself is that I am a pretty good traveler, and I can handle myself well when I am in a room with people I have never met," Burr said. "And I think the Japan trip helped me realized what I needed to prepare (for New Zealand)."

Payton Ducey, a junior marketing major from Golden, Colorado, said going to the smaller towns, which many tourists miss, on their road trip inspired her to explore more rural areas in future travels. She recommended studying abroad as a chance to step outside one's comfort zone, and said that the experience helped her grow in ways she didn't expect.

"Studying abroad taught me that I am much more independent than I realized. Traveling through Japan can be overwhelming when you don't speak or read the language, and that initially felt intimidating. However, I learned that I was capable of navigating unfamiliar situations on my own and becoming comfortable with the unknown," Ducey said. "This experience showed me that not knowing exactly what to do or say shouldn't stop you from exploring the world. I know this confidence and independence will help me in both my personal life and future career."

Lechner said the trip saw such success that he's already set dates for the class next year, and he hopes to lead additional experiential learning opportunities in Japan.

"The recent faculty-led trip to Japan is an excellent example of how Jabs helps students become truly global citizens, with an understanding and appreciation of the many different cultures and relationships that shape the world," said Brian Gillespie, dean of the Jake Jabs College of Business and Entrepreneurship. "We are lucky to have our professors share their expertise and inspire so many students to leave their comfort zones, seek out new experiences and learn about the world."