9 Language BA Degree Programs in Japan

Chinese philosophy – of which the Hundred Schools of Thought is representative – offers profound insight into the world and human nature and has majorly influenced culture formation in East Asia, including in Japan. Students in this major study the important Confucian, Taoist, legal, and military thinkers who contributed to the formation of Chinese thought. In addition to classical works, they revisit commonly accepted theories in light of new materials discovered in recent excavations.

In 1854, Japan surrendered to the might of Commodore Perry’s Black Ships with the signing of the Convention of Kanagawa, ending the country’s long isolation under sakoku . Proving that such a famous event actually took place requires unearthing numerous historical documents and going through various different steps. To then contextualize the signing of the Convention of Kanagawa within the broad framework of East Asia may bring to light new aspects that differ from previous understanding.

What images come to mind when you think about “Japanese studies”? It can be quite hard to visualize in comparison to other majors, like literature and history. This is because Japanese studies aims to engage in cross-disciplinary research and education. Students taking this course will cast aside their pre-existing perceptions of Japan to approach the topic using a range of methods and perspectives including Japanese history, folklore, anthropology, cultural study, research into gender and sexuality, and representation analysis.

This course covers the three fields of Contemporary Japanese Linguistics, Sociolinguistics, and Applied Japanese Linguistics. Contemporary Japanese Linguistics approaches Japanese as one of many languages and aims to empirically analyze its systems of grammar, vocabulary, phonemes, and transcription. Sociolinguistics considers and analyzes the diversity of the Japanese language as it presently exists in modern society—including differences in language according to region (dialect), age, or setting—as well as the resulting linguistic and social issues.

From medieval fables and magical stories of chivalry to the 20 th century’s Sartre and Foucault such as today’s Modiano or Houellebecq, French literature has always been at the forefront and a major influence on world literature and thought. Students taking this course will study the allure of French literature from various perspectives. The course has been designed to satisfy a wide array of interests. Lectures and classes cover the medieval period through the modern age as well as the full range of genres, including novels, poetry, plays, philosophy, and French linguistics.

The complex currents of German literary tradition first appeared in the 18 th century with works from great writers such as Goethe and the Grimm Brothers, followed by Thomas Mann and Brecht, and later enriched by the writings of German Jews like Kafka and Freud. In a broad sense, this literary “flow” denoted a social and cultural phenomenon and the changes of an historic German-speaking area in Europe.

The Chinese literature major is a relatively recent addition to the course list at Osaka University. It comprises the study of literature and various issues to do with people, such as the politics, economics, history, language, philosophy, and arts of the classical period. While the course respects the tradition of Chinese studies, it offers students a fresh and energetic approach to the subject.

This course covers all periods and genres of Japanese literature, starting with waka poetry, Sino-Japanese poetry of the early modern period, the monogatari style of literature (e.g., The Tale of Genji )), setsuwa , and essays from ancient and medieval times. This course also includes the study of haikai poetry, ukiyo-z ōshi , yomihon , as well as the literature of the modern period, ranging from Meiji-era voices, like Higuchi Ichiyō and Natsume Sōseki, to contemporary literature. This course prioritizes students’ acquisition of basic techniques, such as bibliographical knowledge, which is required to handle literary sources such as old manuscripts, Japanese bound books, and letters.

Students majoring in Anglo-American literature will receive a general overview of the world of English-language literature with a central focus on Britain and America, as well as the characteristics of different genres and their formation and development from a range of cultural perspectives. This foundation serves as a basis to consider specific works, including novels, poetry, plays, and criticism. As they refine their literary sensibilities, students develop their abilities to read literary works with accuracy and precision as well as analyze the methodology of literary studies. Students are given the freedom to choose their research topics based on their interests, which they pursue as a graduate thesis.