The Bachelor of Arts (BA) is Otago's most flexible undergraduate degree Program, enabling students to study from a selection of more than 40 arts and social science subjects, as well as papers offered elsewhere in the University. Academic breadth is complemented by in-depth knowledge gained through majoring in one or two subjects with the option of minors in one or two others.

Take our Japanese Studies degree and you'll truly discover Japan. Immerse yourself in the language and culture of a country with rich traditions and vibrant modern life. And find out for yourself that there’s more to this incredible country than cherry blossoms, bullet trains and sushi.

North Central is one of the few colleges or universities in Illinois offering a Japanese major. With a full range of courses in Japanese for all four years and a vibrant Japanese study abroad program, the College offers a rigorous, distinctive experience in a small, friendly environment. You’ll learn Japanese culture while improving your proficiency in oral and written communications in Japanese.

As one of the world’s top economies and exporters of cultural capital, Japan is an integral piece of our increasingly globalized world. Japan is widely recognized as one of the world’s chief producers of automobiles, robotics, medical innovation, and a host of other products; it is also known for its unique cultural contributions, including animation, music, philosophy, literature, martial arts, and sport.

The main object of the Japanese Language and Literature Department is to train Japanese Language and Literature undergraduates, with all the powers and responsibilities as provided by law, who have a capability of talking, writing, reading in Japanese and who can communicate with Japanese, translate Turkish-Japanese or Japanese-Turkish and who have good knowledge about Japanese culture, Japanese literature and Japanese history.

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.

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.

Under the motto of “exploring cultures through a hands-on approach,” this department engages in cultural research activities that extend beyond the campus. Students study Japanese culture from diverse angles and deepen their understanding through hands-on experiences in one of the four domains of Language, Literature, Thought & Art, and Society & Folklore.

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 best way to understand a culture directly is through its language. Studying Japanese opens the door to learning firsthand about Japanese society through language, literature, culture, and civilization.

The Division of Japanese aims at nurturing Japanese-speaking experts with a high level of practical skills who can play active parts on the global stage. For that purpose, the Division is equipped with an efficient learning system for students to have a native-level Japanese proficiency including the interpretation and translation competence, learn Japanese cultures, and understand the current situations in that area through a high-tech advanced mass-media.

The Faculty of Letters aims to develop practical skills acquired by students through the study of various writings. They will learn how to approach writings as research subjects and how to feel the emotions that emanate from the world of language and expression. In addition to literature, students will also study human behavior as well as social and cultural phenomena.

The Department offers courses in Japanese language and literature, from classical literature (e.g., Manyoshu, the Tale of Genji, and Heike Monogatari) to contemporary literature (e.g., works of Soseki Natsume, Haruki Murakami, Shuntaro Tanikawa). The Department also provides various courses such as courses in Media, on Child literature, and on Performance.

The Department of Japanese Literature and Culture offers a curriculum with numerous elective courses that students can choose according to their interests. The courses include classical and modern literature, traditional culture, theater, movies, and animation.