TUJ Kyoto brings together Osaka high school students and TUJ students for English-language discussions on overtourism.
- With students from more than 90 countries and regions, Temple University Japan has one of Japan’s most international learning environments
- In TUJ’s international environment, high school students from Osaka explored the real-world challenge of overtourism through English-language discussions.
- Temple University Japan students served as facilitators and mentors, putting their global leadership skills into action
- Participants built skills beyond the classroom including cross-cultural communication, critical thinking, and intercultural skills through collaborative problem-solving
- Program implemented through TUJ’s partnership agreement with the Osaka Prefectural Board of Education
On July 18, 2026, Temple University Japan (TUJ) Kyoto hosted the “High School International Conference 2026” in collaboration with the Osaka Prefectural Board of Education. Approximately 80 students from Osaka Prefectural high schools joined about 40 TUJ students to discuss, entirely in English, the issue of overtourism facing Japan’s popular tourist destinations.
Rather than simply practicing English, students experienced the kind of collaborative, discussion-based learning that defines a Temple education. Guided by TUJ student facilitators, they examined real-world issues, exchanged diverse perspectives, and worked together to develop practical solutions.
With students representing more than 90 countries and regions, TUJ offers one of Japan’s most internationally diverse learning environments. The student facilitators participating in this program represented 18 countries and regions, with approximately 45 percent from the United States. Others came from Japan, Vietnam, Tanzania, Mongolia, Germany, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, China, and many other countries.
In this international setting, TUJ provided high school students with an authentic global learning experience, exposing them to different varieties of English, cultural perspectives, and ways of thinking.
Who Is a Tourist?
TUJ’s classes encourage students to think critically by starting with questions and discussion.
Associate Dean William Swinton opened the session by asking a simple question:
“Who is a tourist?”
He then followed with another question:
“You traveled from Osaka to Kyoto today. Does that make you tourists?”
Swinton, who was born in New York, has lived in Japan for more than 20 years and now resides in Kyoto. He then smiled and asked,
“Do you think I am a tourist?”
Most of the high school students shook their heads. Through these questions, TUJ introduced the high school students to its inquiry-based approach to learning, encouraging them to think through questions and deepen their understanding through dialogue. The discussion also encouraged students to recognize that they themselves can be tourists and to move beyond fixed assumptions as they explored overtourism and its impact from multiple perspectives.
Fourteen Groups, One Language: English
Participants were divided into discussion groups, each consisting of high school students and two or three TUJ student facilitators.
These TUJ students served as Teaching Assistants in the Academic English Program (AEP) and drew on the facilitation skills they had developed through their training. They encouraged hesitant participants, guided discussions, and helped every student feel confident sharing ideas in English.
Student Proposals for Sustainable Tourism
The discussions focused on challenges associated with overtourism and explored ways local communities and visitors can coexist more sustainably. The high school students recognized that everyone becomes a tourist when traveling, and guided by our TUJ students they considered multiple perspectives and learned to think more critically about possible solutions.
A “Study Abroad at Home” Experience
By the end of the afternoon, many students who had initially been hesitant to speak English were confidently sharing their ideas with classmates.
Over the course of just three-and-a-half-hours, participants experienced firsthand how different perspectives can lead to deeper discussions and more creative approaches to solving real-world challenges.
Learning with the World at Temple University Japan
Every day at Temple University Japan, students from more than 90 countries and regions learn with and from one another while tackling real-world issues. The program gave local high school students a glimpse of what it is like to study at Temple University Japan while providing TUJ students with an opportunity to put their leadership, communication, and facilitation skills into practice through meaningful community engagement.
A Growing Partnership for Global Education
Temple University Japan (TUJ) and the Osaka Prefectural Board of Education signed a partnership agreement in 2024 and have since worked together to advance a range of educational programs for high school students and teachers. This event marked the first program for Osaka Prefectural high school students under the partnership. The collaboration continues to expand, including professional development programs for English teachers at Osaka Prefectural high schools this summer. TUJ will continue to work with the Osaka Prefectural Board of Education to provide high-quality learning opportunities for students and teachers and contribute to the further development of international education.
Other related stories
- TUJ’s English Teacher Training Program Highlighted at Regular Session of Osaka Prefectural Assembly Session (June 25, 2026)
- Temple University, Japan Campus Signs Collaborative Agreement with Osaka Prefectural Board of Education (November 25, 2024)
- Temple University Japan Expands Full Degree Opportunities in Kyoto for Fall 2026 (May 25, 2026)