Pharmacy Around the World: A Journey to Japan
LEXINGTON, Ky. (September 25, 2025) — The first morning in Tokyo began with the rush of commuters, the glow of neon signs, and a group of Kentucky pharmacy alumni stepping into an unfamiliar but welcoming city. They arrived in Japan not only to see the sights but to experience pharmacy through the eyes of another culture.
Pharmacy Around the World, an educational trip organized by the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy (UKCOP), brought together alumni and faculty for ten days of learning, connection, and discovery. Unlike past exchanges focused on current students, this was a chance for graduates and faculty to deepen a partnership with Kitasato University that has thrived for 35 years.
At Kitasato University, the group was greeted by Dean Tanabe and UKCOP alumna Rie Kubota, PharmD '97, who now serves as a professor at Kitasato’s School of Pharmacy. They toured the facilities and joined conversations about the evolving role of pharmacists in Japanese society. Walking through a hospital pharmacy, they watched the precision and teamwork that ensured each patient received the right medication at the right time.
In neighborhood settings — from Hinode to Qol Pharmacies — they saw community pharmacists at work, guiding patients through daily health decisions. At Nihondo Kampo Pharmacy, they discovered another layer of the profession: traditional herbal medicine practiced much as it has been for centuries, now living alongside modern approaches to care.
The group also immersed itself in Japanese tradition and everyday life. In Asakusa, they strolled beneath lanterns and temple gates before joining a tea ceremony, carefully whisking matcha as they sampled handmade sweets. In Kyoto, they walked bamboo paths and golden temples, then donned aprons for a washoku cooking class, learning how food itself tells the story of culture.
One morning was spent in a sumo gymnasium, watching wrestlers train and hearing how ancient health beliefs shape their routines. Another afternoon, in Tokyo’s Yanesen district, alumni and faculty tried their hand at calligraphy under the guidance of a shodō master.
In Kamakura, alumna Takako Komiyama, PharmD '87, and retired professor of Kitasato University, arranged a group dinner that reunited Kitasato alumni — now practicing pharmacists who had visited the UK more than 15 years ago as part of the UK-Kitasato exchange. Over the meal, they shared how those early experiences abroad had shaped their careers, turning the evening into hours of laughter, memories, and renewed friendships.
There were quieter moments, too: conversations on long train rides, or the collective pause as they stepped into TeamLab Planets, where light, water, and art blurred into something unforgettable.
For those who joined, the trip was more than travel — it was a reminder of how shared work can bridge cultures.
“Pharmacy is a global profession, and experiences like this help us understand that our work is both local and universal,” reflected Melody Ryan, PharmD, MPH, BCGP, BCPS, Professor, Director of International Professional Student Education, and Assistant Provost for Global Health Initiatives. “Our 35-year partnership with Kitasato University has enriched generations of students and faculty, and this trip was another reminder of the power of global collaboration.”
Pharmacy Around the World showed that crossing borders brings home more than professional insights and souvenirs. It brings friendships, memories, and a deeper understanding of what it means to serve patients, wherever they may be. And today, on World Pharmacists Day, that reminder feels especially meaningful. Pharmacists everywhere are central to healthier communities—ensuring access to medication, guiding patients, advancing research, supporting public health, and responding to global health challenges. This trip underscored that whether in Lexington, Tokyo, or beyond, the work of pharmacists is both universal and essential.