This department offers students a curriculum with a wide range of courses, including classical, modern, and contemporary Japanese literature and Japanese language studies. It also provides an opportunity for students to participate in lectures and to do research to develop their abilities and characteristics. For their majors, students select a research topic of their choice and plan their courses and lectures accordingly. The Association of Japanese Language and Literature flourishes with participation of its members consisting of students, faculty and graduates. The activities include the publication of academic journals, lectures by outside speakers, seeing plays, going on short excursions and extended trips to places of literary note.
There is also a special course for training students to become teachers of Japanese as a foreign language to non-Japanese.
Student teaching and apprenticeship programs are held in New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan and China.
Graduate School
Japanese Language and Literature (Master's Program 2 Years)
This is a course for those who have completed four years of undergraduate studies, and wish to do further research, enrich their knowledge of this field, or go on in this field as researchers and / or instructors. Students select their own topics for research and under the guidance of a full-time faculty member, will submit a master’s thesis. The degree of Master of Arts will be conferred upon fulfilling all other requirements and passing an examination. Besides the courses offered in general Japanese literature and various language and literature courses of specific times and genre, there are courses in comparative literature, folklore studies and Chinese literature.
