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November 7, 2025

By Basil Tutza

David Nguyen, BS in Teacher Education ‘27, was lost somewhere in Japan’s train system. He and his peers, all attendees of this year’s trip to Tamagawa University with the School of Education, had only been in the country for a few days; but, despite how “tough” it was, Nguyen describes the misadventure with a massive smile. "We asked the Tamagawa students, 'what's the best path, what's the way to go?' They were helping us out a lot!"

Nguyen was a proud member of the School of Education’s second-ever Japan cohort—a continuation of last year’s partnership with Tamagawa University. Jack Barnes, the School of Education’s Director of Student Recruitment, describes the purpose of the trip as, “More of a cultural immersion program—exploring Japanese culture both within the education system and the broader society outside the classroom.” Unlike the hands-on teaching experience offered through the school’s sister trip to Peru, the Japan program centered on cultural understanding through observation, reflection, and academic exploration.

That’s where Tamagawa University’s program comes in. “We took three classes at Tamagawa,” says Nguyen. “One was culture, one was elementary Japanese, and the third, the main one, was current issues in Japan. So, throughout the term, the program directors, along with other professors, would come in and lecture to us about what was going on in Japan; whether it be the economy, what tourism was looking like, what the government looks like, or what education looks like in its current state in Japan.”

Nguyen was particularly enthusiastic when it came to engaging with Japanese culture. “I've been to Vietnam a bunch of times, but I've never been really outside of that Southeast Asia realm,” Nguyen says. “Of course, I wanted to get through the classes and see what Japan's education and culture were like, but I also wanted to be able to experience Japan from a local level.” The presence of his School of Education peers cemented his decision to take the trip. “Having this opportunity of being able to go with a bunch of people that I knew and was comfortable with in the School of Ed was pretty awesome...and to still keep it in the focus of education was really cool.”

Alongside their lectures, Nguyen and his classmates were guided by their Japanese peers on a variety of cultural outings: Nguyen touched on being dressed in a yukata and kimono on the very first day of their trip, visiting temples in Hakone, and exploring Tokyo. Both Nguyen and Barnes heavily praised Tokyo’s teamLab Planets, which Nguyen describes as “this big interactive museum unlike anything I'd ever seen before. You could touch all the exhibits. It was almost like you were inside the exhibit; it wasn't like you were looking at one. You were a part of the experience.” Underscoring these moments is his appreciation for the Tamagawa students’ unwavering hospitality. “They took us out every single night to see something new, eat something different.”

But Nguyen spoke fondly of not only their larger excursions, but the day-to-day routine the Drexel students fell into as they were welcomed into Tamagawa. While he says, “getting into that rhythm was a little tough,” hence the train misadventure, he highlights how hard the Tamagawa students worked to make the transition as easy as possible. “Every day was sort of just having classes, and in the middle, we would have a lunch break. [The Tamagawa students] would show us around to 7-Eleven or local restaurants, and we would bring the food back into the classroom. It basically became a little cafeteria where we all got to know each other, learn about each other's backgrounds, and be able to communicate.”

It’s these connections which Nguyen cites as his biggest takeaway from the trip. While at first, he “felt awful for not speaking any Japanese,” Nguyen quickly adapted to conversing with the Japanese students as they jointly developed their final project at Tamagawa. “Through those classes, through those lunches, through them taking us after school, I've made a bunch of friends that I'm going to keep with me for a long time,” Nguyen reminisces. Nguyen says they still communicate in what was affectionately called a “cool kids’” group chat; and two of the student leaders from Tamagawa will even be visiting the United States in the spring. “In our group chat, we're like, ‘Alright, because of all the hospitality you showed us, please let us be your tour guides around here,’” Nguyen says. “We’re all going to go up to New York and show them around.”

As an educator, Nguyen cites the trip as a very physical reminder that differences in language or culture do not define a student’s intelligence. “Understanding student backgrounds is a big part of multicultural education, right? Understanding how those influence the students and how that drives them to do what they want to do. You shouldn't come in with the perception that just because someone speaks a different language than you, they are unaware of what to do.” Nguyen, hoping to go into math education post-graduation, says that the Japan experience is already present in his current co-op: “If I have an [English Language Learner] in my class, I know that they know how to do math, just my instruction is a little difficult for them to comprehend.”

When asked if he would take another trip, Nguyen offered a resounding yes. “This experience has been so awesome to me. I definitely want to come back as soon as possible, not only to see more of Japan, but also just reconnect with a bunch of my friends in Japan as well.” Barnes, emphasizing the success of these trips to their cohorts, commented, “I personally just saw so much growth and learning outside of the classroom. And I just love the way that we created an environment that allowed students to go out of their comfort zone and feel vulnerable.”