Department of Japanese Language and Literature

Introduction

Students learn from literary works that have been cultivated throughout Japanese history and on Japanese soil, while constantly maintaining a "modern" perspective.

Covering the three areas of Japanese Literature, Linguistics, and Language Education, our department is one of the country's leading centers for research and education in Japanese Literature. Our curriculum covers all periods of Japanese literature, starting from the Kojiki in the ancient period, and including the Heian, medieval, modern, and contemporary eras up through Haruki Murakami. We also offer courses on Chinese Literature, which has had a profound effect on the course of Japanese literature. For our Japanese Linguistics curriculum — that is, the study of the Japanese language itself — we cover everything from ancient and classical Japanese to the popular Japanese in use today. Our Japanese Education curriculum includes, among other topics, teacher training for teachers of Japanese-as-a-second-language. Our department can thus boast a diversity of faculty unseen at other universities. Our classes are attractive to students because of our innovative pedagogy that puts its focus on practical exercises that encourage students to take the initiative in their learning. We help stimulate the intellectual curiosity of our students by ensuring that we do not only teach to existing frameworks, but also provide intensive courses on the latest research from scholars at the forefront of their fields. It is our goal to, through language, analyze the truths common to humanity, and nurture a perceptiveness in our students that will serve them well when working in a modern, international society.

Our curriculum begins with classes focused on examining what it means to study Japan’s literature and language in the first year, and is followed up in years two and three with classes that cultivate in students a greater specialist understanding of these and other topics. This class content ramps up in stages, eventually culminating in the completion of a graduation thesis in year four that is supported by a research supervisor. First year classes are conducted as large-scale lectures, however from the second year onward classes become smaller seminars that allow for more minute guidance from staff; the formation of tight-knit relationships between students and staff is one of the Japanese department’s defining features.

For those students who wish to pursue a higher level of research in Japanese Literature or Language after graduation, we also have master’s and doctoral courses available.

Campus : Aoyama(Shibuya)

Website of Department of Japanese Language and Literature (Japanese Only)

Curriculum

Lists electives

Required Credits for Graduation / 126 Credits

Elective Subjects
Aoyama Standard Subjects
Foreign Language Subjects
Free Elective Subjects

Elective Subjects

Category	Subjects
Core Subject	Seminar in Methods for Studying Japanese Literature Ⅰ Seminar in Methods for Studying Japanese Literature Ⅱ History of Japanese Literature (1) History of Japanese Literature (2) History of Japanese Literature (3) History of Japanese Literature (4) Undergraduate Research Undergraduate Research (BA Thesis)
General Remarks and Introduction Subject	Introduction to Studies in the Department of Japanese Language and Literature Introduction to Japanese Classical Literature Ⅰ Introduction to Japanese Classical Literature Ⅱ Introduction to Japanese Modern Literature Ⅰ Introduction to Japanese Modern Literature Ⅱ Introduction to the Chinese Literature Ⅰ Introduction to the Chinese Literature Ⅱ Data Processing on Japanese Linguistics and Japanese Literature Ⅰ Data Processing on Japanese Linguistics and Japanese Literature Ⅱ Introduction to the Japanese Language Ⅰ Introduction to the Japanese Language Ⅱ History of Japanese Language Ⅰ History of Japanese Language Ⅱ Introduction to Studies of Culture and Representation Ⅰ Introduction to Studies of Culture and Representation Ⅱ Introduction to Japanese Studies Introduction to International Literary Exchanges Practice in Japanese Composition A Practice in Japanese Composition B Practice in Oral Japanese Expression A Practice in Oral Japanese Expression B Introduction to Japanese Education Ⅰ Introduction to Japanese Education Ⅱ Methods for Teaching Japanese Ⅰ Methods for Teaching Japanese Ⅱ
Seminar Subject	Seminar in Japanese Literature Ⅰ Seminar in Japanese Literature Ⅱ Seminar in Chinese Classical Literature Seminar in Chinese Classical Literature Seminar in Chinese Literature and Thought Ⅰ Seminar in Chinese Literature and Thought Ⅱ Seminar in International Literary Exchanges Ⅰ Seminar in International Literary Exchanges Ⅱ Seminar in Translation of Literature Ⅰ Seminar in Translation of Literature Ⅱ Seminar in Japanese Language Ⅰ Seminar in Japanese Language Ⅱ Seminar in Japanese Education A Ⅰ Seminar in Japanese Education A Ⅱ Seminar in Japanese Education B Ⅰ Seminar in Japanese Education B Ⅱ
Lecture Subject	Reading of Japanese Literary Works Ⅰ Reading of Japanese Literary Works Ⅱ Reading of Chinese Classical Literary Works Ⅰ Reading of Chinese Classical Literary Works Ⅱ Advanced Japanese Linguistics Ⅰ Advanced Japanese Linguistics Ⅱ Theory of Culture and Representation Ⅰ Theory of Culture and Representation Ⅱ Lecture on Japanese Literature Ⅰ Lecture on Japanese Literature Ⅱ Lecture on Japanese Literature A Lecture on Chinese Classical Literature Ⅰ Lecture on Chinese Classical Literature Ⅱ Lecture on Chinese Literature and Thought Ⅰ Lecture on Chinese Literature and Thought Ⅱ Lecture on Japanese Language Ⅰ Lecture on Japanese Language Ⅱ Introduction to Japanese Culture and Literature A Introduction to Japanese Culture and Literature B Lecture on International Literary Exchanges A Lecture on International Literary Exchanges B English Reading and Writing for Studies of Japanese Literature A English Reading and Writing for Studies of Japanese Literature B Lecture on the Relations Between Japanese Literature and the West Lecture on the Relations Between Japanese Literature and the East Practice in Calligraphy and Lecture on Its History Ⅰ Practice in Calligraphy and Lecture on Its History Ⅱ Theories of Calligraphy Ⅰ Theories of Calligraphy Ⅱ Lecture on Japanese Education Ⅰ Lecture on Japanese Education Ⅱ
Practice Subject	Practice in Teaching Japanese Ⅰ Practice in Teaching Japanese Ⅱ

The Aoyama Standard Subjects

1st - 4th year :

School-wide universal education system where experts in wide-ranging academic fields transcending the framework of colleges/schools and departments stimulate interest in learning and provide guidance.

The Aoyama Standard

Foreign Language Subjects

[ Foreign Language I ] 1st year :

English Reading (I), Oral English (I), English Composition

2nd year :

English Reading (II), Oral English (II)

Free Elective Subjects

1st - 4th year :

Students can freely select from departmental subjects, Aoyama Standard Subjects, Foreign Language Elective Subjects (take at least minimum credits required), Universal Subjects in the College of Literature, subjects in other departments of the College of Literature, as well as subjects offered by other colleges.