30 Japanese Degree Programs in Japan

The Minor Course for Teaching Japanese as a Foreign Language in SU began in 1988. More than 30 graduates who completed this course, including overseas students, have taken Japanese language teacher jobs in Japanese language institutions in Japan and overseas.

In this class, you are going to acquire the reading and writing competence required to study in Japan in two years. In the first year, you are going to do reading exercises through short stories and sentences so that your way of speaking Japanese sounds natural. This course is also designed to allow you to completely understand Japanese sentences.

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.

Make Japan a part of your academic plan by studying abroad for the fall, spring, or the entire academic year. While at JCMU, you will immerse yourself completely in the Japanese language and culture and learn an entire year's worth of college-level Japanese each semester. There are no language prerequisites, though: we offer beginner-level courses all the way through to advanced. You will get the chance to participate in a wide range of classroom activities, including practice with a Japanese student and sitting in on a traditional Japanese tea ceremony. Through this, you will find that your ability to utilize Japanese on a day-to-day basis in Hikone will increase exponentially.

Through wide-ranging studies of literature, languages, writing, manners, and customs from ancient times to the present, the culture and spirit of the Japanese people are examined from many different perspectives. The department aims to contribute to the development of research and study of Japanese culture, thereby developing human resources which can disseminate Japan’s unique culture to the world.

The Japanese Language Program, offered by the Center for Japanese Language at Waseda University, is a one-year or half-year program to study Japanese language intensively. Through various courses provided in different levels, skills and themes, students can study Japanese language according to their own abilities and goals. Waseda University offers a comprehensive Japanese Language Program designed to help students achieve proficiency in Japanese. The program caters to a wide range of proficiency levels, from beginner to advanced, ensuring that each student receives instruction suited to their current skills.

JCMU's intensive Japanese language programming allows students to study 10 credits of college-level Japanese per term. Courses are offered at levels 1 (beginner) through 4 (advanced). No prior Japanese language study necessary to apply.

Short-term Japanese Program is organized and run by the center for Japanese Language Waseda University. The goal of this program is to cultivate students’ overall Japanese language ability.

To increase Japanese language abilities required for college education, and to deepen understanding of contemporary Japanese society and culture. In first semester classes, social problems will be introduced by the instructor; students will take turns presenting these problems and discussing them together. In the second semester, students will consider problems of contemporary Japanese society in comparison with the present situation of their own home country.

The Japanese Literature program offers an all-encompassing education in the literature of Japan, from the ancient to the medieval and early modern as well as modern and contemporary. The course involves detailed readings of individual works and suggests various ways to approach different authors and the prevailing trends of different eras, resulting in significant findings. Members of the faculty include Professor Iikura Yōichi (early modern literature), Associate Professor Saitō Masao (modern and contemporary literature), and Associate Professor Seta Michio (medieval literature).

International students from our partner universities are eligible for the Japanese Language Program (the intensive Japanese program). The program is divided into four levels: Beginner I, BeginnerⅡ, IntermediateⅠ, and IntermediateⅡ. Advanced-level Japanese class is available in the Credit Auditor Course [Economics Course] (Please note that applicants need to have N2 or above if they wish to apply for the Credit Auditor Course [Economics Course]).

In the Japanese Philosophy field, students approach Japanese language ranging from classical Japanese prior to 8th century to modern Japanese including dialects from multiple points of view. On the other hand, in the Japanese Literature field, students deeply study ‘waka’ and other forms of traditional poems and novels dating back to the ancient times to the late modern period, analyzing and evaluating them.

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.

Graduate Program in Japanese Literature aims to enrich and develop Onomichi literature and art history and to foster people who willfully contribute to society. This program focuses on the following: (1) Japanese ways of consideration and comprehensiveness of language culture This program explores the origin of Japanese literature / culture that has created the characteristics of the Japanese language. (2) Restoration of communication with human beings, history, environment, and nature Onomichi has a traditional art culture consisting of beautiful nature and enriched historical environment. Essential research and investigation of Japanese literature and culture could be an important starting point to promote precise human nature and expressive sensitivity. (3) Realization of genuine internationalization High-level adults and/or vocational specialists with genuine global sense are prospective resources to contemporary society.

Students study and have personal experience of Japanese history, thought, religion, art, etc., in order to understand Japanese culture as one's own inheritance and source of being. By becoming aware of the source of one's personality, students can deepen their understanding of international society and different cultures.