Japanese

This course is designed for students who have some experience learning Japanese, aiming to enhance one's reading and writing skills as well as to acquire the skills to use elementary-level vocabulary and grammar. The course design is based on sentence structures and grammatical
patterns learned in the textbook, "Elementary Japanese for Academic Purposes Vol. 1". 

Textbook: Elementary Japanese for Academic Purposes Vol. 1 (Tokyo University of Foreign Studies Press).

This course reads canonical works of great Japanese literature from the early twentieth century, with a focus on their perceptions of modernity. Thematically, the course is divided into two parts. The first half explores works written during the Meiji period to understand how they conceptualized 'modernity,' 'the West,' and their own identities. The writers discussed in this section include Higuchi Ichiyo, Natsume Soseki, Mori Ogai, and Nagai Kafu. The second half of the course addresses works by modernist and Marxist writers, examining how their concepts of 'modernity' and their relationships with 'the West' evolved as Japan expanded its influence into Asia. This part includes an analysis of the literary representation of modernity in the works of Tanizaki Junichiro, Yokomitsu Riichi, Hayashi Fumiko, Kobayashi Takiji, Edogawa Rampo, and Kawabata Yasunari.

All readings course are in English translation therefore the ability to read the Japanese original work is not required. Knowledge of modern Japanese history and culture is recommended. 
 

This is a class for advanced Japanese language learners to freely express their own subjective thoughts through writing. It provides training to write appropriate sentences according to the purpose of the text (content, reader, etc.). The class provides opportunities for students to express their own thoughts and ideas about the given assignments in writing. 

This course is aimed at students who have experience studying at the intermediate level. It provides a comprehensive study of upper-intermediate Japanese language, preparing students to move on to the advanced level. Through close reading of textbooks, the course increases one's knowledge of grammar, vocabulary, and kanji, and improves one's reading comprehension and written expression skills. Similarly, the course improves one's oral expression skills to explain and discuss what they have understood.

Textbook: "Let's Learn Intermediate Levels: Intermediate Levels" by Etsuko Hirai and Sachiko Miwa (2009), Three A Network.