ATS3309 Producing and consuming Japan: A study tour through local geographies and consumption practices
ATS3309 Producing and consuming Japan: A study tour through local geographies and consumption practices
This intensive study program enables students to recognise and assess the nature of consumption practices in Japan.
Japan is famous internationally for its production of consumer goods. This unit addresses more specifically the diversity of scales of production, and examines the cultural discourses that accompany and frame the marketing and consumption of consumer goods - both tangible as material objects and intangible as experiences, spaces or feelings. Throughout their travels to cities, towns and villages in Japan, students are encouraged to recognise and critically assess such discourses, and to use them to reflect on the diverse and multifaceted nature of contemporary Japanese society, experiencing these places as local geographies, each with their own cultures of production and consumption.
Students come out of their experience equipped with a more sophisticated understanding of Japanese society and culture, and the nature of production and consumption in a post-industrial, increasingly globalised world.
Throughout the study tour, we will explore the culturally and economically vibrant local geographies of Tokyo and the surrounding areas through a blend of traditional and modern experiences. We will examine the consumption and production practices that have come to shape the Japan that we recognise today. These encompass history, advertising, popular culture and shared spaces.
| Dates / Deadlines: | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Term | Year | App Deadline | Start Date | End Date |
| Winter | 2026 | 18-Mar-2026 | 5-Jul-2026 | 19-Jul-2026 |
| Information Sheet | |
|---|---|
| Course level | Undergraduate |
| Awarded Credit Points | 06 |
| Program Type | GST - Global Study Tour |
| Program Duration | 2 weeks |
| Leading Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
| Minimum WAM | 60% |
| Eligible Monash Campus | Monash Australia |
| Minimum Credits | See 'How to Apply' tab |
| Funding Available | Monash Abroad Travel Grant |
Program Costs
Non-refundable deposit: $800 per person due Monday 6 April 2026
Interim Payment: $1708 due Monday 20 April 2026
Final Balance: $1708 due Monday 4 May 2026
Total Cost: $ 4,216.00
Program costs include:
- Twin-share accommodation
- Breakfast daily
- Transportation to and from program-related events/activities
- Entry fees to scheduled activities
- Guided tours of select venues
- Travel insurance.
Program costs do not include:
- International flights and transfers
- Monash tuition fees*
- Visa (if required)
- Local travel outside of program activities
- Medical expenses (which may be claimable via the insurance policy)
- Meals and drinks not included in the program
- Personal expenses.
*Monash students will be enrolled in a 6-credit point unit and charged standard fees according to their verified funding status. This fee will appear on your Monash Fee Statement.
Information Session
Place: Japanese Studies Centre Auditorium
Date: Thursday 12 March
Time: 4:30pm-5:30pm
Travel Insurance
If you are an actively enrolled Monash student and participating in an approved international program, you will be provided with complimentary travel insurance. You will automatically be covered once your application has been approved and your enrolment updated to reflect your study overseas.
Under this policy, travellers will also receive access to 24/7 emergency assistance provided by Global 24 Emergency Assistance and limited coverage for personal travel days.
Visas
Monash Abroad will issue you with supporting documentation to lodge your visa application once you have completed all Monash Abroad requirements and are approved for travel. If you require supporting documentation earlier in the process, please contact Monash Abroad. Please note that Monash Abroad cannot provide advice regarding visa requirements.
Centrelink support documents
For the purposes of maintaining your Centrelink benefits during your overseas program, Monash Abroad will provide you with a letter confirming your participation in a study tour. Please note that this will be issued to you once you have completed all Monash Abroad requirements and are approved for travel.
Important Note:
The Monash Abroad Travel Grant and OS-HELP loan (if applicable) will be paid approximately 2-4 weeks prior to program commencement and only when all Monash Abroad requirements are completed by you. Therefore, these funds will function to reimburse you for monies paid and should not be considered as your primary source of funding to pay program related deposits and balances.
Monash Abroad Travel Grant
Monash students studying in Australia who are enrolled into a credit-bearing unit for this program will be assessed for eligibility to receive a Monash Abroad travel grant if they are not otherwise receiving any other travel scholarship.
You do not need to apply separately for this grant as your eligibility for this grant will be assessed as part of your application.
OS-HELP Loan
OS-HELP is a Commonwealth Government loan program that provides financial assistance to eligible Commonwealth Supported Place students, to undertake some of their study overseas.
If you are eligible for the loan and wish to apply, please submit your application as per the relevant OS-HELP loan term deadline, even if you have not been accepted into your overseas program by that deadline.
Student Loans
If you need help with study-related expenses, please refer to the student loans website and talk to a student adviser at Monash Connect.
Travel Scholarships
Please refer to the travel and placements scholarship website for more information.
| Dates / Deadlines: | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Term | Year | App Deadline | Start Date | End Date |
| Winter | 2026 | 18-Mar-2026 | 5-Jul-2026 | 19-Jul-2026 |
Eligibility
Places are limited and applications will be assessed on a competitive basis. To apply for this program, you must:
- have a minimum WAM of 60%
- must have completed a minimum of 48 credit points at the time of applying
- Provide a personal statement (200-250 words) that responds to the following:
Why do you want to participate in the study tour to Japan and what do you hope to gain through your participation?
Also, list in the personal statement field if participation in an international study program is necessary for the completion of your degree (this will not be counted in the word limit stipulated above).
At all times Monash University embraces and celebrates true diversity. We strongly welcome applications from our students living with disabilities, who are Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, students with caring and/or parenting responsibilities, who identify as LGBTIQA+, people of colour, and those whose identities intersect with more than one of the above.
How to Apply
Step 1: Submit an application for this program
APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED.
Step 2: Selection and enrolment
The Faculty will review all applicants after the deadline to assess eligibility to participate in this overseas. Please note that this generally takes two weeks after applications have closed.
Step 3: Additional data collection and travel approval
If you are accepted into the program, you will be issued with an outcome email and you will be enrolled into the associated unit. You will also receive an email alert with additional Monash Abroad tasks for you to complete:
Passport and Medical Details form
Travel Approval Request Form
Mandatory pre-departure module.
Once you have completed these tasks, Monash Abroad will approve you for travel. You will then have access to the travel insurance coverage and be issued with any relevant grants, loans and/or scholarships.
Important note: you must have a valid passport that does not expire until at least six months after the program end date.
Program contacts
Academic content and course-related enquiries: Jason Jones, jason.jones@monash.edu
All other enquiries, please contact Monash Connect and flag for attention to Global Programs and Partnerships.
Eligibility
- have a minimum WAM of 60%
- must have passed a minimum of 24 credit points at time of program commencement (for postgraduate students)
- must have completed a minimum 72 credit points at time of program commencement (for undergraduate students)
- submit a personal statement (see below).
At all times Monash University embraces and celebrates true diversity. We strongly welcome applications from our students living with disabilities, who are Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, students with caring and/or parenting responsibilities, who identify as LGBTIQA+, people of colour, and those whose identities intersect with more than one of the above.
How to Apply
Step 1: Submit an application for this program
Click here - Select "Monash led programs" as the program type.
Applicants must submit a personal statement of 200 words, clearly addressing the following questions:
- Why do you wish to take part in this program?
- How will the program add value to your degree and/or future career aspirations?
The Faculty will not assess your application without this.
Step 2: Selection
After the application deadline passes, the faculty/ies will review all applications and determine the outcome. If necessary, your faculty/ies will do a course progression check to see if this unit fits into your course. If you are accepted by the faculty/ies, you will receive instructions on how to commit to your place.
Selection criteria is based on overall WAM and your personal statement. Please be aware that the number of places is limited and applications will be assessed on a competitive basis. Unfortunately, due to the high volume of applications, we are unable to provide individual feedback.
Step 3: Enrolment and travel approval
If you are accepted into the program, you will be issued with an outcome email and you will be enrolled into the associated unit. You will also receive an email alert with another two forms for you to complete:
1. passport and medical details and
2. Travel Approval Request Form.
Once you have actioned both of those forms, Monash Abroad will approve you for travel. You will then have access to the travel insurance coverage and be issued with any relevant grants and scholarships.
Important note: you must have a valid passport that does not expire until at least six months after the program end date.
Program contacts
Academic content and course related enquiries: Associate Professor Nell Kimberley, Nell.Kimberley@monash.edu
All other enquiries, please contact Monash Connect and flag for attention to Global Programs and Partnerships.