Japanese

In this class, two instructors, Paie and Takagishi, will teach "Japanese culture" in an omnibus format.　
　
Paie’s classes introduce Shinto and Zen Buddhism, the foundation of the Japanese way of thinking and spirituality. The course provides an overview of Shinto; its origin; relationship with Japanese lifestyle, and tradition of festivals. In addition, the course makes the connection between Shinto and martial arts, introducing Sumo and Aikido as Shinto martial arts. Furthermore, the course provides an overview of Japanese Zen Buddhism – the culture, the history and thought of Zen words and Zen paintings. Students will have a zazen experience with a priest from Rinzai and learn the characteristics of Japanese culture through these experiences.　

Takagishi's classes focus on the themes, "Japanese culture around me," "pop culture," and "language." The life of the founder of Doshisha, Jo Nijima, is traced through the themes, “Japanese culture around me,” “Kyoto festivals and events,” “Japanese kimono and culture,” and the “founding spirit of Doshisha.” "Pop Culture" deals with "Japanese Manga and Anime" and "Japanese Popular Songs" traces the history of popular songs from the post-war era to the present. By studying the Kansai dialect and young people's language, which are used in the city and on campus as "languages," students will notice the differences from the standard language; learn about the mechanism by which young people's words are created, and the way of thinking of young people in Japan. Through the introduction to various aspects of Japanese culture previously mentioned, students will deepen their understanding of modern Japanese culture.

This course teaches Aikido, one of the Japanese martial arts, to international students. The purpose is to learn the techniques and get in touch with the spirit of Aikido. The course also teaches Aikido as a self-defense technique that can relieve stress.

This course is for students with at least one year of prior study of Japanese. The goal of this course is for students to acquire well-balanced basic proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing, and to develop an understanding and command of basic grammar and its usage. Students practice listening comprehension and pronunciation using videotapes and CDs. They learn conversational expressions and phrases necessary in daily life, fundamentals of written expression, and how to read and write short passages on topics familiar to them using previously learned sentence patterns and vocabulary. By the end of term, students master 1500 basic words and 300 basic kanji.

This course is for students with at least one year of prior study of Japanese. The goal of this course is for students to acquire well-balanced basic proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing, and to develop an understanding and command of basic grammar and its usage. Students practice listening comprehension and pronunciation using videotapes and CDs. They learn conversational expressions and phrases necessary in daily life, fundamentals of written expression, and how to read and write short passages on topics familiar to them using previously learned sentence patterns and vocabulary. By the end of term, students master 1500 basic words and 300 basic kanji. 

This course provides an avenue for Japanese and international students to exchange opinions and cooperate on projects to gain an understanding of modern Japanese history and culture from a variety of perspectives. The class also aims to provide students with an understanding of the differences in historical and cultural backgrounds that create various values/worldviews and diverse intercultural communication skills.

The course begins with an overview of Japanese cultural and intellectual history from the 19th century onward. After initial lectures on cultural research methodology, students will conduct presentations, introducing historical events that occurred in modern Japan during the era to which they are assigned. There will also be lectures on the contents of presentations. 

Eligibility: This class will be conducted in Japanese. B2 level in the CEFR/JF Standard for Japanese-Language Education (N1 in the JLPT).

Target Students: Those who have partially completed elementary level studies.

Course Goals: To master the grammatical expressions learnt at the elementary level, as well as to develop understanding and command of upper elementary and intermediate level grammar and to improve the four skills of reading, listening, speaking and writing. To master the 2,000 basic words and 500 basic Chinese characters.

Contents: Mastering the elementary level grammar and developing understanding and command of grammar using an upper elementary level textbook, followed by introduction of basic sentence patterns of the intermediate level using an intermediate level textbook. Improving the four skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing through various class activities designed for developing each skill. Mastering the 2,000 basic words and 500 basic Chinese characters.

Target Students: Those who have partially completed elementary level studies.

Course Goals: To master the grammatical expressions learnt at the elementary level, as well as to develop understanding and command of upper elementary and intermediate level grammar and to improve the four skills of reading, listening, speaking and writing. To master the 2,000 basic words and 500 basic Chinese characters.

Contents: Mastering the elementary level grammar and developing understanding and command of grammar using an upper elementary level textbook, followed by introduction of basic sentence patterns of the intermediate level using an intermediate level textbook. Improving the four skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing through various class activities designed for developing each skill. Mastering the 2,000 basic words and 500 basic Chinese characters.

This course is for students with at least one year of prior study of Japanese. The goal is to provide well-balanced basic proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing, and to develop an understanding and command of basic grammar and its usage. Students practice listening comprehension and pronunciation using videotapes and CDs. They learn conversational expressions and phrases necessary in daily life, fundamentals of written expression, and how to read and write short passages on topics familiar to them using previously learned sentence patterns and vocabulary. By the end of term, students master 1500 basic words and 300 basic kanji. 

This is an introductory course tracing the genealogy of Western masters who established sociology over the past 100 years or so, from Durkheim, Weber to Baudrillard, Goffman, and Bourdieu. It oversees their research, theory and thoughts, providing students to gain a three-dimensional understanding of the constant interrelationships between society and sociology throughout history.

<Level V>
Target Students: Those who have partially completed intermediate level studies.
Course Goals: To develop understanding and command of the 200 important intermediate sentence patterns for further improvement of the four skills of reading, listening, speaking, and writing. To master the 6,000 basic words and 1,000 to 1,200 basic Chinese characters.

<General 1-5>
Goal: To develop balanced, intermediate-level proficiency in reading, listening, speaking, and writing.
Contents: Learning the 100 important intermediate sentence patterns and vocabulary and improving reading comprehension with an upper intermediate level textbook. Developing command of intermediate Japanese through short sentence composition exercises. Mastering the points learnt at the intermediate level to proceed to the advanced level smoothly. Increasing vocabulary by learning both the words introduced in the textbook as well as additional related words.
Improving the four skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing by understanding the textbook and exchanging opinions on it.