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Global Leadership Summit

Tokyo & Leadership Conference: Connecting Through Pop Culture

9 days in Tokyo and Kyoto

Crowded Shibuya Crossing, Tokyo Japan at night with colorful billboards
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OVERVIEW

Discover how Japan uses pop culture and technology to build connection across generations and around the world

Japan has long been known for using its popular culture and technology as a global force for connection. From the arcade floors where communal gaming was born, to interactive miniature worlds and augmented reality sports, students will experience how Japan uses its culture to forge connection across generations and perspectives. Along their journey, students will join the EF Global Leadership Summit in Kyoto to collaborate across cultures, hear from changemakers, and discover their role in a world being transformed by emerging technology.

What makes this tour special?

Download a tour overview
Immerse yourself in Small Worlds, where miniature recreations of iconic landmarks and beloved anime worlds use technology to bring fans and cultures together

Immerse yourself in Small Worlds, where miniature recreations of iconic landmarks and beloved anime worlds use technology to bring fans and cultures together

Visit the Golden Pavilion, a Zen Buddhist temple that’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Kyoto’s most celebrated landmarks

Visit the Golden Pavilion, a Zen Buddhist temple that’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Kyoto’s most celebrated landmarks

Join EF’s three-day leadership conference to explore where emerging technology is taking us—and how you can help lead the way

Join EF’s three-day leadership conference to explore where emerging technology is taking us—and how you can help lead the way

route map of Tokyo to Kyoto on summit tour

What you’ll do

Explore a sample itinerary

Day 1: Fly to Japan

EF Summits are open to rising 9th graders through graduated seniors.

Board your international flight to Tokyo

Day 2: Tokyo

Meet your Tour Director at the destination airport

Day 3: Tokyo

Explore Small Worlds, where technology and creativity come together to bring miniature worlds to life and connect fans across cultures

Discover the world of Japanese gaming culture with a visit to a local arcade

Suit up in augmented reality gear and compete at Hado Arena, Japan’s largest techno sports facility

Day 4: Tokyo • Kyoto

Explore the Asakusa Kannon Temple

Travel by bullet train to Kyoto

Day 5: Kyoto • Leadership Conference

Take a guided tour of Kyoto

Visit the Golden Pavilion, a Zen Buddhist temple

Visit Nijō Castle, where the Tokugawa shogunate kept a second home

Kick off the leadership conference in the afternoon. Step outside your comfort zone as you discover your leadership style and get to know the team you will work with over the next few days.

Day 6: Kyoto • Leadership Conference

Dive into workshops and discussions led by experts on the Summit’s theme of Emerging Technology. Work together with your team using the design-thinking process to create innovative solutions to the Summit challenge, all while strengthening your critical thinking and collaboration skills.

Day 7: Kyoto • Leadership Conference

Hear from more thought leaders, sharpen your public speaking skills, and finalize your project. Come together with teams from across the conference to present your project, vote for your favorite idea, and celebrate the solution that earns a place in the Nobel Prize Museum.

Day 8: Kyoto • Tokyo

Participate in an activity exploring how Japan uses technology and storytelling to connect its past and present

Travel by bullet train to Tokyo

Day 9: Depart for home

Board your flight home from Tokyo

All of our tours are powered by our proven EF Method

Learn more

2028 EF global leadership summit theme

A closer look at Emerging Technology

Technology has always been at the heart of human progress, shaping how we learn, work, and connect across cultures. And right now, emerging technology—from robotics and artificial intelligence to digital communication and beyond—is transforming our lives faster than we ever imagined. The question isn’t whether change is coming; it’s how we can fully embrace it. Journey through Asia and join us in Kyoto, Japan for EF's 2028 Global Leadership Summit on Emerging Technology. Students will discover how we can use it to reimagine education, redefine careers, and reshape the way humans connect in the world we all share. Sound big? It is. We decide where technology takes us. Let’s choose somewhere worth going, together.

See all the 2028 EF Summit tours

What's included

Everything that’s included on a Summit tour

Your students’ price covers it all—round-trip flights, transportation, guided tours, and every detail you haven’t even thought of yet. All your students have to do? Show up ready to try new things, explore new places, discover new interests, and make new friends.

  • The EF tour experience

    We’ll book it all for you—transportation, an expert Tour Director and local guides, hotels, select meals, guided tours, and more.

  • The Summit experience—plus college credit

    Everything during the three-day leadership conference is covered, like workshops, keynote sessions, meals, and more. Also, students can earn 3 college credits as part of their experience at no extra cost.

  • Industry-leading safety measures

    EF staff are on the ground in 114 countries, ready to support you 24/7. With 60+ years of experience, we’re prepared for anything.

  • A whole wide world of support

    We’ll help you plan every detail, get your students and families excited, and make sure you feel confident and ready to go.

Unlock your lowest price

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We're sorry, this departure date is not available. Please choose another date.

Payment plan options

Pay over time interest-free or pay all at once

Fundraising

Every traveler receives a no-fee donation page

Global Citizen Scholarship

Every year EF awards $100,000 to student travelers

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Reviews

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Frequently asked questions

Let’s unpack that

We’ll connect you with your personal Tour Consultant—someone who works with other teachers in your area and specializes in planning EF tours . They’ll walk you through our 2028 Global Leadership Summit itineraries, explain student pricing, and show you just how easy it is to partner with EF.

Once you decide to lead an EF Summit tour, your Tour Consultant will help you get school administrators on board, students excited, and families ready to enroll. You’ll host an informational meeting to kick off the enrollment period, and we’ll provide everything you need—from a digital presentation to printed handouts, parent resources, and more.

You’ll have a dedicated Tour Director who will guide your group from the moment you land in your first destination until your final goodbye. They:

  • Take all the same transportation and stay in the same hotels as your group, including during the leadership conference

  • Speak the local language (but lead the tour in English!)

  • Support you 24/7 as your right hand

  • Offer deep cultural context to help students feel connected to their destination

  • Handle all the logistics, so you don’t have to

  • Are the secret ingredient that makes your tour truly shine

Yes! You earn a free spot on tour as soon as six paying travelers enroll. For every additional six paying travelers, you earn another free spot for an adult chaperone of your choosing. For example, if 30 students sign up, that’s four free chaperone spots in addition to yours.

All travelers on international EF tours must have a valid passport. When it comes to documentation, every traveler and destination is different, so once your group starts enrolling, we’ll help direct you and your families to relevant resources.

Passports should have at least three blank pages and be valid for at least six months after your return date.

Yes! As an accredited institution, EF offers academic courses for both students and educators traveling on a Summit. These courses follow our educational philosophy, the EF GPA, and are designed to deepen travelers’ learning experience before, during, and after tour.

Once a teacher has started planning and students have signed up for a Summit tour, they can enroll in one of our courses. The deadline for registering and beginning coursework is 60 days before your Summit tour departs, as there are required pre-travel assignments in addition to ones that learners complete during and after tour.

As part of the 2028 Global Leadership Summit experience, students can earn 3 college credits at no extra cost! They’ll still need to enroll in the course 60 days before departure, but EF will waive their registration fee.

The leadership conference takes place in Kyoto, Japan from July 9–11, 2028. You’ll travel on your educational tour between a specific range of dates (depending on your itinerary), and participate in the leadership conference either at the beginning, at the end, or in the middle of your tour experience.

Every EF Global Leadership Summit offers a dedicated Professional Learning track for adult learners. Adults attend exclusive workshops, hear from global changemakers in small-group settings, and network with other educators from around the world. The programming is designed to challenge and inspire, with a variety of hands-on sessions and activities to choose from—all focused on the leadership conference theme and the future of education.

We’re here to help! Start a live one-on-one chat with a team member.

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Where learning meets life