Waseda University

Culture is very much a combination of lifestyle and art. This course explores the development and transition of Japanese aesthetic in lifestyle from the prehistoric Jomon Period all the way to today, with special emphasis on the crafts and arts of Edo, Meiji, Taisho, and Showa eras. In Japan, there are fine arts, fine crafts, Mingei (the people’s arts and crafts), and design. The course examines the trends in art and lifestyle from ancient times; how traditional crafts and arts appeared in art history, and how Japanese arts and lifestyle transformed with the industrial revolution during the Meiji Era with a newly applied idea of “fine arts,” followed by the emergence of the philosophy of Mingei. The course finishes by discussing how art and crafts influence our everyday lifestyle; what it means to us today, and what you think will happen in the future.

This course considers the ethical duties that come with citizenship and political participation. It encourages students to critically assess their own beliefs about the role of the state in their lives. During this process, students will be expected to practice constructively exchanging ideas with their peers while remaining tolerant of those with differing perspectives.

This course provides an overview of the development of the Japanese economy from the end of World War II to the present. Compared with other courses on Japanese economic history, this course emphasizes the application of basic economic theory to review the postwar history of the Japanese economy and then discusses current issues for the Japanese economy.

This course covers the economics of financial institutions and markets as well as the role of central banks. It begins with an overview of the financial system and introduction to money and its role in the economy. The course then focuses on: (i) the behavior of interest rates; (ii) basic theories for stock prices; (iii) banks and bank management; (iv) the money supply process, and (v) the conduct of monetary policy.

This course teaches students to write their own personal history on a theme of their choice. Students evaluate and provide feedback to each other, encouraging further self-reflection and understanding of each other's values and ways of thinking. Upon completion of the course, students are expected not only to improve their writing and communication skills, but also to acquire the skills to work collaboratively with others; find problems, and solve problems. 

This course studies English phonetics and phonology, dealing with segmental and prosodic aspects of the language. Lectures will focus on the typical characteristics of the sound systems of English in relation to phonetic and phonological theories. This course focuses mainly on theory, but practical pronunciation training is included, whenever appropriate, in order to help understanding of the theories. The course is aimed at students who are interested in teaching English as a foreign language. Participation is highly encouraged.

This advanced Japanese course is designed to improve writing skills. A different theme concerning Japanese culture and society is chosen for each course and students are split into groups to engage in activities, discussion, and group work concerning the selected topic. The goal of the class is for students to widen their perspectives and deepen their knowledge regarding various issues related to Japan and Japanese society. The program offers various theme courses and students may take multiple sections.

This advanced Japanese course is designed for students to acquire the necessary skills to express one's thoughts and opinions. Students are split into groups to engage in activities, discussion, and group work concerning a selected topic. The goal of the class is for students to widen their perspectives and deepen their knowledge regarding various issues related to Japan and Japanese society. The program offers various theme courses and students may take multiple sections. 

Today, as conditions of contemporary globalization have stimulated demand for “international education,” higher education internationalization has become the focus of governments and higher education institutions around the world. However, the meaning of higher education internationalization itself is contested, and there are various rationales for pursuing these activities, including those that are economic, political, socio-cultural, and academic. Moreover, different stakeholders (e.g. students, faculty, institutions, governments, etc.) each have their own distinct rationales for engaging in these activities. This course focuses on: 1) general contexts and trends relating to higher education internationalization around the world, and 2) the specific national contexts and trends of higher education internationalization that can be observed in the cases of various countries. We will focus on several key questions: What is the function of higher education in society, and how has this evolved over time? How have the conditions of contemporary globalization shaped higher education internationalization in universal and specific ways? What are the main universal trends that characterize higher education internationalization today, and how do these apply differently in particular countries? What are the future trends and possibilities for higher education internationalization?

This advanced Japanese course choses a different theme concerning Japanese culture and society to discuss each week. Students are split into groups to engage in activities, discussion, and group work concerning the selected topic. The goal of the class is for students to widen their perspectives and deepen their knowledge regarding various issues related to Japan and Japanese society. The program offers various theme courses and students may take multiple sections.