Japanese

Explore Japanese literature, film, or popular culture in English, or learn how to express yourself in Japanese while you fulfill you language requirement.

How can Japanese courses be used? 

  • Electives to complement your degree
  • Fulfilling your language requirement
  • Selected culture courses can be used as requirements for Cultural Studies (BA)

Japanese Studies (JPST) courses can open your world to a whole new perspective.

Japanese Language Japanese Language

JPST language classes are full of in-class activities that develop essential speaking, listening, writing and reading skills. Many classes include online language exchange with native speakers or other learners of Japanese, and all classes include online practice and exercises for independent study.

Japanese Culture Japanese Culture

Taught in English, JPST culture courses use the analysis of anime, food culture, manga, modern literature, TV dramas, video games and visual culture to develop skills in critical thinking and writing. Selected courses are cross-listed and will meet requirements for a BA in Cultural Studies.

Courses taught this year Academic Calendar

  • Japanese Food Culture

    This course introduces students to a range of literary and cultural topics such as film adaptations, travel writing, manga, horror, and food culture.

    Japanese cuisine (washoku) has been gaining recognition and popularity over the last decade. Japanese cuisine is also believed to be healthy and that is one of the reasons why it received such praise. In this course, students will explore various aspects of Japanese food throughout its development and understand the phenomena and food related activities that we see today. (Course: JPST 395A)

  • Animated Kanji Videos

     

    Do you need some help remembering all those interesting and fun kanji (Chinese characters) that you have to learn when you study Japanese?  Try these online video mangas for Genki I and II that use storytelling and visual mnemonics (memory aids) to illustrate the kanji for several chapters of the Genki textbooks.

  • Research Fellowship

    Nina Langton is an Associate Professor at UBC Okanagan, teaching Japanese. In 2016, she was awarded a Hakuho International Research Fellowship, and spent six months at Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto, Japan, investigating best practices for developing and using digital language learning materials.  She has since developed a hybrid online version of JPST 100 that allows students more flexibility in and control over their introductory Japanese language studies.

    (photo: Ms. Langton visiting the national Open University of Japan in Chiba.)