NEWS

APU is offering the special lecture “Language in Action (LIA)” in the Spring 2026 semester. LIA is a practice-based language education course in which students use a language in real-world contexts while exploring challenges faced by local communities. This semester focuses on Korean, with students investigating challenges facing Arita Town, Saga Prefecture, and conducting a comparative field study in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, in August.

During a preparatory class on June 10, Mr. Hisatomi and Ms. Egami from the Commerce and Tourism Division of Arita Town joined the class as guest speakers. They introduced students to the history and industry of Arita Town and Arita ware, while also presenting local challenges for students to explore through their research in South Korea.

In the second half of the class, Associate Professor James LOFTUS from Institute of Science Tokyo gave a lecture on the history of Arita ware and the value of material resources from an archaeological perspective. On July 4, all participating students visited Arita Town, where they explored sites including the Izumiyama Quarry, the Uchiyama district, and Arita Sera. They also visited local ceramics shops to conduct interviews. In the afternoon, each group gave an interim presentation on their research in front of Arita Town Mayor Mr. Washio and members of the Arita Town Office.

Building on these experiences and the feedback they received, the students are further developing their research topics. In August, they will conduct field research in South Korea using Korean, with the goal of bringing the insights gained there back to Arita Town.