• Working with faculty who include renowned scholars of literature, media, language pedagogy, and translation, students engage with Japan’s 1,000+ years of literary history and contemporary Japanese media and culture. The program also encourages students to think beyond Japan itself to consider cultural and historical connections with the rest of East Asia and the world. While numerous courses are taught in English, a distinguishing feature of the program is its large number of courses that are conducted in Japanese and/or make use of original Japanese materials. We also offer training in pre-modern languages including classical Japanese and classical Chinese as it was used in Japan. Students regularly spend a semester or year studying abroad in Kyoto at the Kyoto Consortium for Japanese Studies or in Tokyo at Keio University.
  • Majors leave Boston University with a high degree of proficiency in Japanese, an understanding of Japan’s past and present, and a set of tools for describing and analyzing literature, film, and other media forms. They develop strong critical-writing skills and an appreciation for both human universals and cultural differences. This combination of knowledge and skills help them to function effectively in cross-cultural contexts and to contribute meaningfully to the global challenges of today’s world. Graduates have successfully pursued careers in translation, law, journalism, government, education, international business, and other fields.