Japanese (JAPN)
This is a list of the Japanese (JAPN) courses available at KPU.
Courses at the 1100-level are open to students who have no knowledge of that language.
Students with competence in a language beyond the level of the courses available are not permitted to register. In the event that they do register, they will be required to withdraw. Students who are not sure of their language level should contact an instructor for an assessment. Generally, students who are native speakers of a language are not permitted to register in the related Modern Language course. For information on some exceptions, please contact the instructor of the language of interest.
JAPN 11003 Credits
Basic Japanese I
Students who have little or no previous knowledge of Japanese will learn basic communication skills used in a Japanese cultural context. They will develop their ability to speak, comprehend, read, and write Japanese through various communicative tasks.
Transferable (refer to transfer guide)
JAPN 11013 Credits
Basic Japanese II
Students who have completed Japanese 1100 or an equivalent course will continue learning spoken and written Japanese. They will develop basic oral and written communication skills used in a Japanese cultural context through the study of vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar, and short essay writing.
Prerequisites: JAPN 1100 or assessment by instructor.
Transferable (refer to transfer guide)
JAPN 12003 Credits
Introduction to Contemporary Japanese Society and Culture
Students who have an interest in Japan, but little or no background in Japanese studies, will gain a broad overview of contemporary Japanese society and culture. They will read, watch, listen to, discuss, and write about a variety of materials introducing topics such as Japan's geography, history, customs and events, social structure, religion, family, demographics, regional cultures, minority groups and subcultures, politics, economy, sports, literature and arts.
NOTE: Students may earn credit for only one of JAPN 1200 and CUST 1200 as they are identical courses.
Transferable (refer to transfer guide)
JAPN 22003 Credits
Intermediate Japanese I
Students will build on previously acquired listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. They will further develop intercultural communication skills and increase their understanding of modern Japanese culture.
Prerequisites: JAPN 1101 or assessment by instructor.
Transferable (refer to transfer guide)
JAPN 22013 Credits
Intermediate Japanese II
Students will build on previously acquired skills and become more fluent and accurate in speech and listening comprehension. They will develop reading and writing skills while increasing their understanding of modern Japanese society and culture. Students will further develop intercultural communication skills in both social and workplace situations.
Prerequisites: JAPN 2200 or assessment by instructor.
Transferable (refer to transfer guide)
JAPN 33003 Credits
Upper Intermediate Japanese I
Students will develop their proficiency in a variety of contexts with written and spoken Japanese to an upper-intermediate level. They will focus on complex grammatical structures and specialized vocabulary. Students will identify aspects of Japanese culture reflected in the language they learn. They will be introduced to strategies for becoming independent language learners.
Prerequisites: JAPN 2201 or assessment by instructor
Transferable (refer to transfer guide)
JAPN 33013 Credits
Upper Intermediate Japanese II
Students will extend their proficiency in a variety of contexts with written and spoken Japanese at an upper-intermediate level. They will further explore complex grammatical structures, particularly those related to levels of formality, and will focus on expanding specialized vocabulary and analyzing aspects of Japanese culture reflected in the language they learn. Students will be encouraged to use strategies for directing their own learning.
Prerequisites: JAPN 3300 or assessment by instructor
Transferable (refer to transfer guide)
JAPN 33103 Credits
Japanese Culture and Business
Students will explore the role and characteristics of business in Japan and the powerful influence of business on contemporary Japanese culture. First, they will follow the development of industry and business in Japan from the beginning of the Edo Period until the end of the Second World War. Then students will examine the remarkable recovery and development of Japan's postwar economy that culminated, in 1980s and 90s, in theories and stereotypes relating to the concept of a unique Japanese business style. Finally, students will examine changes in the Japanese economy since the bursting of Japan's "economic bubble" in the mid 1990s and the effects of these changes on business, society and culture today. Students will read texts as well as current articles in newspapers (such as the Wall Street Journal or The Daily Yomiuri (English edition)), journals and magazines (such as The Economist), and watch movies and documentaries in order to explore a broad range of topics, from the role of business in Japan's international relations to its effects on the lives of individual Japanese and their environment.
NOTE: Students may earn credits for only one of JAPN 3310 and CUST 3310 as they are identical courses. The course will be conducted in English. This course does not serve to fulfill the second language requirement of the Bachelor of Arts degree framework.
Prerequisites: 30 credit of 1100-level courses or higher
Transferable (refer to transfer guide)
JAPN 33203 Credits
Japanese Culture Through Film
Students will deepen their understanding of contemporary Japanese art and culture by viewing important post-war Japanese movies. They will focus on influential directors and characteristic genres, including but not limited to comedies, samurai epics and anime [animation]. Students will view a variety of works (in English or Japanese with English subtitles), discuss important themes and cultural references, and connect these movies to the broader Japanese culture, especially youth culture. They will observe how movies both make and question "culture" and, in turn, how culture determines the content of movies and their popular success. Students will read works by critics who examine various characteristics of Japanese culture, especially its "visual bias", evident in arts ranging from Japanese writing (Kanji) and wood-block prints (ukiyo-e) to contemporary movies, magazines, commercials, and fashion. Students will also identify the contributions of Japanese film to international "movie culture" and discuss, more generally, the importance of visual media in the post-modern, post-literate, non-rhetorical age of film, television and the Internet. Finally, they will consider how the increasing success of Japanese animation in foreign markets might contribute to Japan’s cultural integration into the global community and discuss the future of post-modern technological societies.
NOTE: Students may earn credits for only one of JAPN 3320 and CUST 3320 as they are identical courses. The course will be conducted in English. This course does not serve to fulfill the second language requirement of the Bachelor of Arts degree framework.
Prerequisites: 30 credits of 1100-level courses or higher
Transferable (refer to transfer guide)
JAPN 33506 Credits
Contemporary Japanese Society and Culture: Field School
Students will consolidate their knowledge of Japanese society and culture through living and studying in Japan. Students will interact with Japanese students and people in the communities they visit, attend lectures and visit historically and culturally significant sites. They will identify aspects of Japanese culture and society of special interest to them and undertake individually-structured research projects designed to deepen their knowledge in their areas of interest.
Note: Students must be nineteen years or older. They will spend two weeks at Kwantlen and three weeks in Japan. This course and its activities will be conducted in English.
Students may earn credits for only one of CUST 3350 or JAPN 3350 as they are cross-listed courses.
Prerequisites: 30 credits of 1100-level courses or higher, including JAPN/CUST 1200, or permission by instructor
Not Transferable
JAPN 43203 Credits
Understanding Japanese Culture through Literature
Students will deepen their understanding of the history, complexity and beauty of Japanese culture by exploring its writing systems and literature. They will closely examine, in English translation, examples from various genres in order to better understand how the written language interrelates with other aspects of Japanese culture. They will critique theories that attempt to explain Japanese culture in relation to writing. Students will observe how Japanese literature represents the living culture of Japan at various time periods (but especially since the Meiji Restoration of 1868), and they will question how these representations contribute to nation-making and to forming Japanese identity.
Note: The course will be conducted in English. It isn't necessary for students to be able to speak or read Japanese, as all texts will be in English translation. Students may earn credit for only one of JAPN 4320 and CUST 4320 as they are identical courses.
Prerequisites: 60 credits of 1100 courses or higher, including one of the following: JAPN/CUST 1200, JAPN/CUST 3310, JAPN/CUST 3320, JAPN 1101(or assessment by instructor), ANTH 1100, ENGL 2319, HIST 1150, LING 1300.
Transferable (refer to transfer guide)
JAPN 44003 Credits
Advanced Japanese I: Conversation
Students will expand their proficiency in a variety of social and academic contexts with spoken Japanese at an advanced level. They will refine their knowledge of Japanese oral communication skills, including complex grammatical structures and specialized vocabulary, as well as analyze aspects of Japanese culture reflected in the language they learn. They will further develop discourse and sociolinguistic competence through a variety of activities using authentic materials in the popular media. Students will also learn how to utilize texts and written work in support of their developing oral skills.
Prerequisites: JAPN 3301 or assessment by instructor
Transferable (refer to transfer guide)
JAPN 44103 Credits
Advanced Japanese for Business
Students will develop their Japanese language skills at an advanced level for careers in business, trade, and commerce. They will learn how to prepare documents of the type commonly used in Japanese business environments. They will also expand their intercultural communication skills in the Japanese business environment and enhance their ability to participate in various business activities in Japanese in a culturally appropriate manner.
Prerequisites: JAPN 3301 or assessment by instructor
Transferable (refer to transfer guide)