Course descriptions for Japanese

Introduces the background knowledge and basic concepts of language and culture for Japanese. Includes movies, guest speakers, and field trips. Involves mastering the Japanese phonetic alphabets and basic Kanji. Covers word processing and Internet access in Japanese. Provides Japanese-oriented career information. (Offered only as interest warrants.)

Introduces the Japanese language for students with no prior Japanese by developing listening, speaking, reading, and writing (Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji). Looks at Japanese society and the features of Japanese culture that influence the use of the language in daily life. Students learn useful expressions for communicating with native speakers. Requires active participation in instructor-coordinated multimedia and online activities as a mandatory component. (Offered fall semester.)

Continues to teach the Japanese language by developing listening, speaking, reading, and writing (Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji). Looks at Japanese society and the features of Japanese culture that influence the use of the language in daily life. Students learn useful expressions for communicating with native speakers. Requires active participation in instructor-coordinated multimedia and online activities as a mandatory component. (Offered spring semester.)

Introduces contemporary Japanese through reading and writing Kana and Kanji. (Offered fall semester.)

Continues to teach contemporary Japanese through reading and writing Kana and Kanji. (Offered spring semester.)

Studies a particular topic relative to the Japanese language or culture. May be repeated for credit when topics vary.

Individualizes student placement for field study as related to Japanese. Offered as interest warrants.

Allows lower-division students to independently study a particular aspect of Japanese culture and language. A written proposal for the study/research must be approved in advance by the sponsoring faculty member and the program chair. Number of credits depends on the nature of the student's academic goals and the consent of the faculty advisor.

Develops proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, writing, and developing cultural awareness. Students learn useful expressions and communication strategies for everyday situations in Japanese. Integrates the use of technology for Japanese word processing and Internet access. Requires active participation in instructor-coordinated multimedia and online activities as a mandatory component. (Offered fall semester.)

Continues to develop proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, writing, and developing cultural awareness. Students learn useful expressions and communication strategies for everyday situations in Japanese. Integrates the use of technology for Japanese word processing and Internet access. For students with one year of Japanese. (Offered spring semester.)

Continuation of JAPN 103-104. Intermediate courses in the reading and writing of Kana and Kanji of contemporary Japanese. Required, must be taken concurrently with JAPN 201-202. (Offered fall semester.)

Continuation of JAPN 103-104. Intermediate courses in the reading and writing of Kana and Kanji of contemporary Japanese. Required, must be taken concurrently with JAPN 201-202. (Offered spring semester.)

Introduces Japanese culture, history, and geography using Japanese art forms, literature, philosophy, customs and traditions, economy, and politics. Covers family life, education, occupations, and work. Includes the infrastructure of modern Japan, the cities, homes, transportation, and rural Japan. Explores traditional cultural arts such as the tea ceremony, flower arrangements, Noh drama, music, and Matsuri. Examines contemporary culture including cinema, music, literature, and pop culture topics such as Manga and Anime. (Offered every third semester.)

Manga, Anime & Modern Japan: Reality of an Illusion - This class uses Japanese manga (cartoons) and Anime as modern mirrors that reflect the Japanese experience of rapid economic and social transformation over the past 150 years. Starting with the examination of ancient Japanese style of visual expression, in this course we will trace how popular visual texts such as Manga and Anime sketch out a parallel world that is linked both historically and culturally to the "imagined community" of the Japanese nation-state.

Studies a particular topic in Japanese. May be repeated for credit when topics vary. (Offered only as interest warrants.)

Student and faculty member select topic of study and number of credits. (Offered as interest warrants.)

This course is a bridge course from intermediate to advanced Japanese language course. It continuously develops proficiency in interpersonal, interpretive and presentational modes of communication in speaking, listening, reading and writing. Students continuously develop communication strategies and cultural knowledge. Conducted in Japanese.

Continues to build proficiency as defined by the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines. Develops listening, speaking, reading, and writing using content-based instruction on Japanese geography, climate, transportation, communication systems, agriculture, fisheries, and trading. Integrates Japanese word processing and Internet activities. For students with two or more years of proficiency. (Offered fall semester.)

Expands upon JAPN 301 content with an experience that enhances the students' language skills through extensive aural, reading, writing, and cultural presentation experience in Japanese. (Offered fall semester.)

Continuation of JAPN 301. (Offered every other spring semester.)

Advanced conversation course that focuses on the situations and events that occur in the daily business environment including formal introductions, interviewing, telephone skills, making appointments, and requesting or refusing requests. Presents and expands on cultural concepts as they impact the business world using Internet business culture and videos from Japan. (Offered as interest warrants.)

Develops reading and writing skills by introducing frequently used technical vocabulary related to computers and science. Emphasizes Kanji and Katakana technical words along with grammar for reading technical reports, documents, and journals. Covers acquisition of: 1) technical Japanese grammar, 2) reading skills and strategies, 3) speaking and listening skills, and 4) writing skills. Includes roleplaying activities, developing presentation skills, and writing activities for faxes, letters, and resumes. (Offered as interest warrants.)

For world languages and cultures majors emphasizing Japanese language and culture. See course description for JAPN 205. (Offered every third semester.)

Project-based course that looks behind the social mask the Japanese present to the outside world by examining the people, their life, and their "inner culture." Covers modes of thinking and communicating, negotiating, and decision making; ethical systems; the central role of social status and consequent hierarchical relationships; patterns of making friends and influencing others; psychological factors such as dependence and duty; and the Japanese addiction to perfection. (Offered every third semester.)

Focuses on the Japanese American experience from the 1860s to the present day as an ongoing study in ethnographic assimilation. Includes early immigration and the U.S. response; immigration and labor laws; property rights; and WWII internment. Students identify issues of the ethics of assimilation, racial and ethnic discrimination, educational opportunity, social justice, and cultural identity. Students evaluate these issues according to when they occurred, by contemporary standards, and their own values. (Offered every third semester.)

Explores post WWII Japanese music, literature, artistic media, and hi-tech products. Investigates social themes ranging from post-holocaust Japan to adult hedonism to childhood by looking at adult comic books (Manga) and animated movies (Anime). Includes popular music from Enka to Rock to Karaoke, fashion and style, popular technology, consumerism, and environmental issues. Explores the evolution of pop culture and its impact on society. Examines the development of multimedia technology in Japan and America. (Offered every third semester.)

Taught in English and covers Japanese literature translated into English including The Tale of Genji, the works of Yukio Mishima, Yasunari Kawabata, the legend of Miyamoto Musashi, and others. (Offered as interest warrants.)

An introductory scrutiny of major Japanese directors and genres with attention to film composition, choices of subject and character, ideas of the cinematic, and the relationship of cinema to Japanese culture and society. Students will analyze and critique films. Discussion of films will deal with the production of their historical, social, and cultural context, as well as issues dealing with popular culture and equity. (Offered every third semester.)

As the drive to rebuild modern Japan after WWII has slowed, latent and new social problems have become visible. Offers interdisciplinary perspectives on issues such as care of the elderly and homeless, equal treatment of minorities, gender and labor issues, domestic and world ecological concerns, and relevant institutions that promote or attack prejudice towards heterogeneous social groups. (Offered every other year)

Designed for students interested in developing a functional use of Japanese for the professions (education, business, research, technology, government, travel and hospitality, etc.), from a Japanese cultural perspective. Students have an opportunity to practice and develop their listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. Japanese culture courses provide the context and content area. (Offered as student interest warrants).

Manga, Anime & Modern Japan: Reality of an Illusion - This class uses Japanese manga (cartoons) and Anime as modern mirrors that reflect the Japanese experience of rapid economic and social transformation over the past 150 years. Starting with the examination of ancient Japanese style of visual expression, in this course we will trace how popular visual texts such as Manga and Anime sketch out a parallel world that is linked both historically and culturally to the "imagined community" of the Japanese nation-state.

Visualizing Japan: Visualizing Japan provides a sweeping survey of historical and modern Japanese society using art works, photography, film, maps, and other visual documents. Students will learn to extract information from images as part of a visual anthropology, and they will also deal with social geographical methods for understanding population density, urban flows, economic disparities, transportation and infrastructure, and built environments in Japan. Throughout the course, students will actively compare what they see in Japan with other, more familiar environments.

Introduces the language and culture of Japan in a thematic approach. Selected topics are geography, climate, population, and industries. Designed to develop Japanese language skills and introduce various aspects of Japanese culture related to course topics using technology and web-based materials. Hybrid course of synchronous and asynchronous learning. (Offered as student interest warrants).

Studies a particular topic relative to the Japanese language or cultures. May be repeated for credit when topics vary.

Individualizes student placement for field study as related to Japanese. Offered as interest warrants.

Individual study of a particular aspect of Japanese language, culture, or civilization. A written proposal for the study/research must be approved in advance by the sponsoring faculty member and the program coordinator. Number of credits depends on the nature of the student's academic goals and the consent of the faculty advisor.

Develops advanced proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing, using realistic and authentic materials. (Offered as interest warrants.)

Project-based course continues to develop advanced proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing, using authentic materials.

Introduces contemporary Japanese through reading and writing Kana and Kanji. (Offered fall semester).

Continues to teach contemporary Japanese through reading and writing Kana and Kanji. (Offered spring semester.)

Examines the evolution of Japanese economic institutions emphasizing the foundations of institutions necessary to the sequential stages of economic development. Includes the emergence of merchant families and banking houses during the Edo and Meiji eras. Explores the development of currency systems, institutions of public finance, transportation, international trade, the economic structure and institutions of modern Japan, and Japan's role as a leading industrial nation. (Offered as interest warrants.)

Focuses on the Japanese business world from the rebirth of Japan after WWII into a modern industrial, technological, and economic super power. Includes the development of technology, trade strategies and policies, and Japan in the 21st century. (Offered as interest warrants.)

Studies a particular topic relative to the Japanese language or cultures. May be repeated for credit when topics vary.

Individual study of a particular aspect of Japanese language, culture, or civilization. A written proposal for the study/research must be approved in advance by the sponsoring faculty member and the program coordinator. Number of credits depends on the nature of the student's academic goals and the consent of the faculty advisor.

Studies a particular topic relative to the Japanese language or cultures. May be repeated for credit when topics vary.

Individualizes student placement for field study as related to Japanese. Offered as interest warrants.

Individual study of a particular aspect of Japanese language, culture, or civilization. A written proposal for the study/research must be approved in advance by the sponsoring faculty member and the program coordinator. Number of credits depends on the nature of the student's academic goals and the consent of the faculty advisor.