Students spend 13 days in Tokyo with a 5 day excursion to Kyoto. While the focus of the visit is an investigation of Japanese aesthetic values, students also explore the compelling surface of Tokyo and Kyoto. For the duration of their stay, the class lives in the question of what ties the old to the new.The outcome of the course integrates narrative with visual images and may take any form including 2D, 3D, time-based media, or performance art. Final projects are evaluated on the quality of research, analysis, creative thinking, form giving, and craft. Collaboration is always an option.