Japanese Course Descriptions (Undergraduate)

Fall. This course is designed to introduce students to the everyday language of Japan. Lessons will be organized around natural conversational topics, leading students from fundamental aspects of grammar to readings in simple texts.

Spring. Continuation of Japanese 101. Students will learn vocabulary, expressions, and sentence structures to become able to meet basic communication needs in Japanese. All four skills (speaking, listening, reading, and writing) will be incorporated, and accurate and appropriate language use will be emphasized.

Fall or spring as needed. Focus on special aspects of Japanese culture or language.

Fall. Continuation of Japanese 102. This course aims to further develop language skills and increase familiarity with Japanese society. The emphasis is on accurate communication in Japanese, both spoken and written, that is appropriate to the given context.

Spring. Continuation of Japanese 201. This course is designed to complete the introduction and practice of basic grammar of Japanese. More authentic language material will be introduced.

Prerequisite: Japanese 201 or consent of instructor. Provides an in-depth knowledge of the Japanese language in relation to culture and society, focusing on Japanese modes of thinking that lie behind language usage. Taught in English.

(Same as ASIA 234 and LING 234.) This course examines aspects of Japanese language from a linguistic perspective. It will introduce basic concepts in linguistics such as phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics, using examples from Japanese language. It aims to provide opportunities to deepen the understanding of the Japanese language as well as to deepen the understanding of world languages by examining Japanese. This course should be of interest to students who are learning Japanese and are interested in the structural aspect of the language and to those who are interested in broadening their knowledge of different languages.

(Same as ASIA 270WR.) This course explores various aspects of life and society in Japan, including writing, gender, memory and history, geography and the environment, aesthetics, and the formation of national identity.

Fall. Prerequisite: Japanese 202 or consent of instructor. This course is designed to develop fluency in spoken Japanese as well as enhance writing skills. Cross-cultural awareness will be emphasized and close attention will be paid to developing sophisticated expressions and nuances in the language.

Spring. Prerequisite: Japanese 301 or consent of instructor. This course provides opportunities for reading authentic materials and discussion on the content of the materials, as well as for learning how to write with systematic instruction on composition. Students will write essays on topics such as jibun-shi (autobiography).

This class helps students develop the skills necessary to read Japanese-language texts independently, without the aid of an instructor. Classroom assignments emphasize vocabulary building and kanji recognition, strategies for decoding complex sentence structures, understanding of the nuances of language and literary style, and the use of dictionaries and other reference materials. Students should come out of this class with a sophisticated understanding of the ways in which word choice and tone of expression affect the meaning and intent of the passages studied.

(Same as ASIA 360SWR and WS 385SWR.) Though Japanese women produced much of the great literature of the classical period (ca. 1000), literary production by women subsequently dwindled, to gain new life only in the modern era. This course familiarizes students with the multiplicity of the female voices that (re-)emerged in Japanese literature from the Meiji period (beginning 1868) to the late twentieth century. Texts are in English translation.

(Same as ASIA 361WR, WS 361WR.) This course will use the text of the Tale of Genji as a centerpoint from which to explore various issues in poetry, aesthetics, the visual arts, religion, history, politics, and gender in Japanese cultural history.

Fall or spring. An examination of the image of the warrior in Japan through literature and its effect on many areas of Japanese culture, including philosophy, literary history, religion, music, the visual arts. Emphasis is on the exploration of primary texts.

(Same as ASIA 363WR, ARTHIST 363WR.) Fall or spring. An exploration of the complex interactions between written texts and the visual arts in Japan from the classical era to the present. Discussion will include prose, poetry, printing, picture scrolls, calligraphy, woodblock prints, and film.

(Same as ASIA 372WR.) Surveys Japanese literature from the mid-19th century to the present. Introduces the nature and range of literary genres as they developed in the context of Japan's confrontation with modernity. The course opens for discussion issues in contemporary literary theory in order to understand aspects of Japanese literature and culture, such as gender, nationalism, intertextuality, Orientalism, and identity. Texts are in English translation.

(Same as ASIA 374WR.) A survey of Japanese literature in translation from the 8th through the 21st centuries in which students both read representative works from various genres in the Japanese canon and writing in those genres themselves. Texts are in English translation.

Fall or Spring. Variable credit. An interdisciplinary course that introduces students to Japanese culture. No knowledge of Japanese is required.

(Same as ASIA 378WR.) This course examines the way the postwar Japanese experience has been reflected (and constructed) through various types of popular media. Through film, television, magazine, newspapers, music, and manga, we will explore the various ways in which Japanese society has narrated its experiences of recovery and rebuilding after World War II, and the role these media sources have played in this reconstruction.

Fall or spring. Approval by department is required. Variable credit.

Fall. Prerequisite: Japanese 302 or consent of instructor. Conducted in Japanese, the course focuses upon Japanese culture through readings and discussion of literary texts and materials from current periodicals and newspapers.

Spring. Prerequisites: Japanese 401 or consent of instructor. This course will provide exposure to business and technical Japanese. Students will practice formal styles of communication and read texts with technical orientation. In addition, basic skills of translation will be introduced. The course is conducted solely in Japanese.

Students are encouraged to develop a sophisticated understanding of issues and topics current in contemporary Japanese life and to converse on these topics in both concrete and abstract terms with fluency and ease. They will learn Japanese styles of discussion and argument. A variety of short compositions and long-paper assignments will enable them to strengthen their expository writing skills.

Students are encouraged to deepen their understanding of current events in Japan and their significance. Building on progress from the previous semester's class, they will practice and hone their skills in reading advanced materials and discussing them fluently and in translating texts from Japanese to English. Students also will be given regular writing assignments in which they reflect on and further explore the topics discussed in class.

This advanced seminar is devoted to intensive reading and discussion of fiction and essays by a single modern Japanese author who had clearly influenced contemporary Japanese culture, as well as earned international acclaim and recognition for his or her work.

Fall. Contact the department for further information. Approval by department is required.

Spring. Contact the department for further information. Approval by department is required.

Fall or spring. Approval by department is required. Variable credit.