Mottainai: Everyday Sustainability in Japan
Focus: Eco-Sustainability in Creative, Cultural, and Commercial Settings
Dates: May 19 – June 11, 2025
Location: Greater Tokyo metropolitan area
UNL Leaders: Marin Hanson, International Quilt Museum; Sophia Perdikaris, School of Global and Integrative Studies
Watch this video about the course: https://mediahub.unl.edu/media/23743
Japan Leader: Nao Nomura, Saitama University (suburban Tokyo)
What is Mottainai: A feeling of regret over acts of wastefulness
Visits: Artists’ studios, museums, businesses (second-hand clothing and merchandise stores), and more!
Experiential Educational Activities: Kintsugi (repairing broken ceramics), sandal weaving with recycled fabric, paper making with old milk cartons, fabric mending, and more!
Academic Activities: Participate in two Saitama University classes, “Ethical Consumption” and “Museum Studies” and collaborate with Saitama U. students on a sustainability-related project
Museum and Gallery field trips: Tokyo National Museum, Museum of the Showa Era (WWII and post-War), Mingei Folk Art Museum, Janus Textile Art Gallery, and more!
Optional day trips: Mt. Fuji, Kamakura, Odawara, Mt. Takao
More details at: https://mediahub.unl.edu/media/23743