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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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.
Prerequisites: 30 credit of 1100-level courses or higher
Transferable (refer to transfer guide)
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
Prerequisites: 3- credits of 1100-level courses or higher
Transferable (refer to transfer guide)