School of Arts and Sciences
Department of International Literary and Cultural Studies

Minor in Japanese

The Minor in Japanese offers a strong foundation in the Japanese language and introduces students to many facets of Japanese culture from the classical to the postmodern through studies of literature, film, and visual culture.

Questions about program requirements should be addressed to the following faculty members:

Japanese Program Director, Hosea Hirata
Japanese Language Coordinator, Kiyomi Kagawa

Program Requirements and Policies

  • Six courses above the intermediate level (JPN 003-004) are required for the Minor in Japanese. 
  • Students may not complete a minor and a major in the same discipline.
  • Minor Forms, once completed, must be signed by either the Program Director, Hosea Hirata, or the Language Coordinator, Kiyomi Kagawa. Submit one signed form to the main office, Olin 326 and one to Student Services in Dowling Hall.

Course Requirements

  1. Any four of the following language courses:
    • JPN 21, JPN 22: Reading and Conversation (Third-year)
    • JPN 121, JPN 122: Advanced Japanese (Fourth-year)
    • JPN 123, JPN 124: Advanced Readings in Japanese Culture (Fifth-year)
    • JPN 95, JPN 96: Japanese Teaching Internship
       
  2. Two of the following culture courses (taught in English except 191J and 192J)
    • JPN 61, JPN 161: Introduction to Japanese Culture
    • JPN 62, JPN 162: Modern Japanese Literature
    • JPN 63, JPN 163: Postwar Japanese Literature
    • JPN 71: Love & Sexuality in World Literature
    • JPN 80: Japanese Film
    • JPN 81: The World of Japanese Animation: Culture, Cult, and Commerce
    • JPN 82: Animism, Lyricism, Monstrosity
    • JPN 83: Disney/Ghibli: Comparing Two Animation Studios
    • JPN 91, JPN 92: Special Topics
    • JPN 110: Major Japanese Writers
    • JPN 111: Japanese Poetry: Traditional to Avant-garde
    • JPN 112: Major Japanese Film Directors
    • JPN 113: Japanese Visual Culture
    • JPN 114: Gender in Japanese Culture
    • JPN 115: Haruki Murakami
    • JPN 116: The Writings of Natsume Soseki
    • JPN 118: Haruki Murakami and World Literature
    • JPN 117: Horror and Reverence in Japanese Culture
    • JPN 119: Nothingness
    • JPN 170: The "Orient" in the Mind of the West
    • JPN 191, JPN 192: Seminar on Special Topics