Osaka has long been known as the “Kitchen of Japan” For centuries, the city has been a center of food distribution, commerce, craftsmanship, and culinary culture.
Today, Osaka offers a unique setting for exploring how food connects history and culture with business, sustainability, technology, and everyday life.
Gustolab International’s Japan Summer Program transforms Osaka into a living classroom. Through field visits, cultural experiences, hands-on workshops, academic study, and direct engagement with food businesses and communities, students examine Japan through the lens of Food Studies.
This three-week academic program invites students to look beyond Japanese cuisine as something to taste and discover the larger systems, histories, people, and ideas behind the food on the table.
Why Study Food in Osaka?
Osaka offers a unique opportunity to study food as a window into Japanese society.
For centuries, the city has connected producers, merchants, markets, restaurants, and consumers. Its culinary identity grew from this commercial history and continues to evolve today.
Studying in Osaka allows students to explore:
How geography and history shape food culture
The relationship between food and commerce
Traditional Japanese food practices and fermentation
The development of Japanese food businesses
Markets and food distribution systems
Gastronomy and tourism
Sustainable agriculture and aquaculture
Food technology and future food systems
The social and cultural meaning of food
In Osaka, the dining table becomes a starting point for understanding a much larger world.
3 Weeks | 3 Courses | 1 Living Classroom.
What You’ll Explore
From traditional markets and historic foodways to contemporary food businesses and future food technologies, this program examines the many dimensions of Japan’s food culture.
Food & Food Culture
5 Credits
CoreTopics:
The geography, history, and culture of Osaka have had a critical impact on local and Japanese cuisine. You will learn all about Osaka, the Kitchen of Japan, gaining a holistic understanding of the foundational ideas behind Osaka’s food culture.
Hands-on Activities:
Monastic training experience at Mount Koya, visit to a traditional soy sauce brewery
Students will learn:
Mastering Japanese Culinary Culture
Learn to taste and analyze Japanese cuisine.
Understand the impact of geography, history, and economy on Osaka’s food culture.
Gain knowledge of seasonings, fermentation, and dashi (broth).
Familiarize yourself with Japanese food-related vocabulary for better communication.
Food Business & Innovation
5 Credits
CoreTopics:
Develop an appreciation of the Food business in Osaka, Japan, by way of a careful analysis of its circular economies, inclusive capitalism, and community coexistence. Form an understanding of agricultural and aquacultural development.
Hands-on Activities:
Visiting companies, farms, fisheries, and factories to learn about the business of food, opportunities for interviews with executives, managers, and staff.
Students will learn:
Exploring Food and Tradition
Understand the role of gastronomy tourism in Japan.
Study architectural aesthetics, traditional living, and Shojin Ryori (Buddhist cuisine).
Engage in monastic experiences and industry visits to explore food traditions and innovations.
Sustainability & Future Food
5 Credits
CoreTopics:
Understand Japanese food systems and their environmental impact. Generate insights into critical food issues and the realities of the food system, such as Sustainable agriculture, food waste reduction, and future food technologies.
Hands-on Activities:
Farm research, visits to agricultural and industrial factories, discussions with expert researchers.
Students will learn:
Analyzing the Food Industry and Future Trends
Evaluate the environmental impact of food systems with a Critical Food Studies perspective.
Examine Japan’s food industry, from traditional markets to modern corporations.
Explore food technology and sustainable business models.
Learn about global sustainability challenges and Japan’s strategies.
Learning Beyond the Classroom
Food Studies cannot be fully understood from a classroom alone.
Throughout the program, students learn directly from markets, farms, companies, cultural institutions, food producers, chefs, researchers, and local communities.
Field Visits
Students may visit:
Kizu Wholesale Market
Explore one of Osaka’s historic food markets and observe the relationships between suppliers, chefs, and consumers.
Osaka Castle & Historic Osaka
Investigate the history of Osaka’s commercial development and its emergence as Japan’s food hub.
Fuji Oil
Explore the food industry, food technology, and contemporary approaches to food production.
Yuasa Soy Sauce Brewery
Discover traditional fermentation and the cultural history of soy sauce production.
Mount Koya
Experience the spiritual and culinary traditions of Buddhist temple culture, including Shojin cuisine.
Kyoto
Explore the historical and cultural connections between food, tradition, craftsmanship, and tourism.
Ikeda City School Meal Center
Examine food, nutrition, education, and public food systems.
Osaka Museum of History
Connect the history of Osaka with the development of its food culture and commercial networks.
Additional visits may include food companies, farms, fisheries, factories, and other organizations connected to Japan’s food system.
Learn from Japan’s Leading Food Studies Community
Beyond the classroom, students engage with the Japan Food Studies College, an interdisciplinary academic community bringing together food culture, ecology, sustainability, biodiversity, and contemporary food systems. Through its scholars, chefs, researchers, and food activists, students encounter Japan not simply as a culinary destination, but as a living laboratory for understanding the relationships between food, people, culture, and the environment.
From the traditions of Japanese cuisine to the future of sustainable food systems, students learn directly from the people shaping the conversation.
President, Japan Food Studies CollegeProfessor Emeritus, Kyoto University Science · Ecology · Biodiversity
About Takakazu Yumoto, Ph.D. 湯本 貴和
Dr. Takakazu Yumoto is an internationally recognized ecologist and former professor and director of the Primate Research Institute at Kyoto University. His research has taken him from the forests of Japan to tropical ecosystems across Africa, Asia, and South America, focusing on the relationships between humans, animals, plants, and biodiversity. At Japan Food Studies College, he brings this scientific perspective to the study of food, exploring how human diets, food cultures, biodiversity, and ecosystems are deeply interconnected. His work offers students a powerful lens through which to understand food not only as culture, but also as part of the planet’s ecological future.
Founder & Executive Director Japan Food Studies College Cuisine · Culture · Sustainability
About Aiko Tanaka 田中 愛子
Aiko Tanaka is a chef, food studies researcher, food historian, and leading advocate for sustainable food culture in Japan. After decades of exploring Japanese and global food traditions, she has developed an interdisciplinary approach that connects cuisine with history, culture, education, and the future of food. She has presented Japanese cuisine and sustainable food systems at international conferences and has taught food studies at the university level. Through Japan Food Studies College, she brings students into direct contact with Japanese culinary traditions while encouraging them to ask a larger question: how can the way we eat contribute to a more sustainable future?
We welcome applications from university students (both undergraduate and graduate) and independent scholars or professionals from all fields of study.
No Japanese language proficiency required.
The program provides an introduction to the Japanese language, especially the vocabulary of food.
Eligibility Undergraduate and graduate students are required to have a minimum GPA of 2.5 and maintain a good academic and social standing at their home university.
If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Enrollment Fee
Early Enrollment Fee: $5,400 USD Regular Enrollment Fee: $5,900 USD
Application Deadlines
Early Bird Discount: by March 1, 2027 Regular Application: by April 5, 2027
Program Fees Include
Local accommodations and meals (homestay) Special program lunches and dinners Course materials and guided field visits Local transportation for study trips
Credits
Students can earn university credits upon completion of all course obligations by passing the final assessment. It is recommended that you consult your university advisor to discuss studying abroad and to ensure you receive full academic credit, either directly from them or through transfer credits.
Transfer credit transcripts are available through Portland State University for a transcript fee of $600.
All participants are awarded an official Certificate of Attendance.
Program Cancellation
Failure to recruit sufficient students will lead to program cancellation.
For more information contact
Jack D. Harris, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus Director, Extension Programs & International Development Gustolab International, LLC 28 College Avenue Geneva, New York 14456 USA +1-315-521-1387 jack.harris@gustolab.com
