Japan

This course provides an overview of the four research fields of computer science that bridge fundamental theories of computer science with the cutting-edge research in the Computer Science department at Tohoku University. The course consists of four parts, taught by four professors: algorithm theory, bioinformatics, communication network, and computability theory. 

The course provides a broad overview of the research areas in computer science. 

This course prepares students to participate in university lectures taught in Japanese. Students will learn how to write academic reports in Japanese and acquire the basics of academic writing required in university courses through report-writing activities on their chosen topics. They also learn how to make formal presentations. The target level is CEFR B2.2. Prerequisite: “J6:Japanese” or equivalent. Two class hours/week. 

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

• Create coherent, cohesive, and clear texts when writing essays and reports.
• Acquire basics of academic writing skills.
• Acquire basics of academic presentation skills.

Strong design cultures have proven to be a source of resilience and prosperity for nations, cities and enterprises. As recent AI developments portend disruption of industries, work, and familiar career paths, this course aims to equip students with a solid understanding of design principles and practice. Once associated with the built environment, physical products, and corporate illustration, design principles are widely applied to experiences, systems and processes, places and identities. In contrast to those familiar with humanities and sciences, the course demonstrates how design thinking represents a distinctive way of seeing and thinking yet complements and strengthens a liberal arts education. Design is optimistic, aims to make a difference through problem-finding and solving, and is inherently multi-disciplinary. By exploring the evolution of design practice through historical and contemporary examples, and a group project of design inquiry, students will begin to cultivate a design mindset. 

This course offers an intermediate (and a bit advanced) level of the study of welfare economics.   

Welfare economics is a particular branch of microeconomics with an intensive focus on equity issues of resource allocation problems. The course starts by reviewing and examining general equilibrium analysis using the model called exchange economy then onto the two fundamental theorems of welfare economics, which are concerned with the efficiency and equity of a Walrasian equilibrium. Then, it moves on to studying two basic concepts of equity: envy-freeness and egalitarian equivalence, in the context of exchange economy. Theoretical analysis of inequality and poverty measurement is also covered. Empirical data of income inequality and poverty will be shown to familiarize students with standard inequality and poverty measures. 

This is a listening and speaking course featuring replication of daily social interactions and listening comprehension. The course revolves on discussion topics such as self-introduction; asking questions; spring events; weekend plans; role playing; speech preparation; skits, etc. 

This course is intended for students without any or little background in physics and calculus. Important concepts in physics such as force, momentum, energy, angular momentum, and laws of conservation are introduced through Newtonian mechanics. In addition, these concepts are described in the language of mathematical equations, specifically through calculus. 

The course aims to teach Newton's laws of motion, momentum, and energy, and angular momentum as well as their conservation properties. In addition, students will be expected to be able to draw a free-body diagram, derive an equation of motion, and solve it using simple vector algebra and calculus. 

This course explores how labor markets work and analyzes a wide range of labor issues within Japanese and US economies. Each class begins with the theoretical background of labor economics, then students analyze a related research article to understand how and whether the standard, neo-classical model is applied to real economic life. It is strongly recommended to enroll in this course together with the course, LABOR ECONOMICS AND PUBLIC POLICY B.

This course studies the fundamental concepts of phonetic and phonological theories. The course begins with a review of classical taxonomic phonology and then moves on to the study of modern phonological theories.  

The course also covers practical phonetics, and students will practice producing speech sounds from languages spoken around the world, using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). Examples will be presented mainly from English and Japanese to help students understand the theories, but examples from various other languages will also be used to further explain the theoretical concepts. Students are expected to have a basic knowledge of phonetics and phonology. 

This course introduces students to the life and work of one of the most significant poets in English literature, W. B. Yeats (1865-1939). It also explores Yeats’ influence on modern and contemporary British and Irish poetry. The first half of the course focuses on Yeats’ development as a poet from his early to late years. The second half of the course studies the work of British and Irish poets who have been influenced by Yeats’ writing. These poets include: Louis MacNeice (1907-1963), Seamus Heaney (1939-2014), Derek Mahon (1941- ), Paul Muldoon (1951- ), Peter McDonald (1962- ), and others. 
 
Students will have the opportunity to practice writing their own formal poems and participate in peer review of classmates’ work in several poetry workshops. 

This course examines the way Japan was, and continues to be, perceived in Europe and North America. The course analyzes a series of historical documents from European and North American sources and investigates how the view of Japan has developed in these countries over time.  Three questions are at the core of this investigation:
- Which images and stereotypes about Japan can be found in these documents?
- How much did these images and stereotypes change with time?
- How much did they stay the same?

In addition, the class entails group presentations about certain key periods in the history of Japan's encounter with Euroamerica.