An informal research project with high local relevance was developed for a first-year sociology course at an Australian rural university campus. The project developed students' sociological insight by challenging them to investigate "truths" about their own region, rather than immediately pushing them to comprehend new and different…

Asserts that the United States and Japan exist in a symbiotic partnership and that sociology courses provide an excellent opportunity to teach about multicultural issues. Describes a college-level course on the sociology of Japan. Discusses teaching methods, instructional materials, and the potential for team-teaching. (CFR)