Japanese

An exploratory culture course for foreign students, Japanese Culture A offers insights into various aspects of the living culture of Japan. The course comprises of three basic approaches: Discussing certain cultural characteristics of the nation; reading some representative literature and conducting fieldwork at venues of cultural significance. This course examines the interconnection between the history and culture of the Tohoku Region, encompassing the rebuilding efforts from the 2011 earthquake and tsunami to outreach to the rest of the world. 

Students can also enroll in Japanese Culture C; the course contents of both classes alternate between fall and spring semesters. Fall-only students can enroll in one class but may join fieldwork activities of the other class if there are openings available. 

A continuation of Japanese Language Pre-Intermediate. Teaching enables students to speak, read, and write Modern Japanese at a lower to mid-intermediate level of the language, equivalent to Japanese Language Proficiency Test level between N4 and N3, or Common European Framework of Reference for Languages level A2/B1.

This basic Japanese course is designed to improve speaking 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 overall goal of the class is for students to widen their perspectives and deepen their knowledge regarding various issues related to Japan and Japanese society. Meeting three times a week, the program offers various theme courses and students may take multiple sections.  

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.

This advanced Japanese course is designed to improve reading skills. A 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 class focuses on the grammar, vocabulary and expressions that are commonly used in Japan, practicing both comprehension and production skills. Students become familiar with the language and cultural background of everyday life situations likely to be encountered in contemporary Japanese society. This course also helps students to read sentences mixed with Kanji, compose simple sentences, and write short essays.

This course builds upon the basis of Japanese 1 and aims to develop basic linguistic and socio-cultural skills and expand the repertoire of the daily topics and situations with simple structures. While more emphasis is placed on the development of oral communication skills, students also learn how to read short passages and write short compositions. Approximately 100 new kanji characters are introduced.

This course deals with the new trend of Japanese modern literature after the Great Kanto Earthquake (September 1920), which had a major impact on Japanese modern culture.  The devastating blow to the Tokyo metropolitan area and its subsequent rapid recovery was influential on Japanese literature and arts. 

Modernization occurred after the Meiji era (1868-1912) and achieved a certain degree of success during the Taisho era (1912-1926); however, after the earthquake these achievements were destroyed, and new experimentation developed. It is a common practice in literary history to distinguish the period of “modern times” based on the year of the earthquake. 

This course develops Japanese language skills and characters.

This is a Japanese language course for non-JLP students. It is designed for students who have completed elementary-level courses and aims to facilitate a mastery of the oral communication and listening skills that are necessary in daily conversation. Students learn expressions used in various daily situations and practice speaking and listening skills to communicate smoothly in Japanese.