Course Descriptions

Students study in Japan for one semester; a typical schedule looks like:

• Area Studies (3)
• Japanese Language (4-5)
• Digital Literacy (3)
• Writing Workshop (3)
• Junior Seminar (3)
• Directed Independent Study (3)

Survival Japanese
(2 credits)
This is a required course for both beginners and false beginners. Classes meet five days per week, three hours per class, for a period of two weeks. This course introduces students to the basic vocabulary and structures that allow for immediate dialogue in daily  such as shopping, introducing oneself and others, counting, telling time, asking for, giving and getting directions and the like. In addition, it provides students with the fundamental linguistic patterns upon which to base the grammatical skills that they continue to learn in their subsequent language classes. This course is taught using a variety of teaching techniques to keep motivation at a peak. Quizzes and homework are given regularly so that students may acquire conversational skills rapidly.

Japanese Language
(3-4 credits)
This intensive required course of study suited to the student’s level in Japanese language encompasses the four main areas of language learning: speaking, hearing, reading and writing. The text Yookoso is used to provide students with a background in conversational Japanese. Homework and written tests are given on a regular basis. Classes meet three times per week for two hours per class for a period of 10 weeks. It is expected that students complete at least two hours of outside language study for every class hour. Contact hours: 60

East Asian Studies
(3 credits)
This required area studies course is a general introduction to some of the many aspects of Japanese culture. In addition to the cultural component, students are also introduced to Japanese society, history and politics. Students participate in an extensive array of seminars, lectures, workshops and demonstrations within and outside the Japan Center, in addition to fieldtrips to historic sights and artisan’s workshops, which are supplemented by readings to orient them to the region. Students are expected to research the course topics further in order to obtain a clear understanding of the subjects of the seminars. As the term progresses, seminars are designed to focus on the particular interests of the students.

Junior Seminar: Behind the Mask - Alternative Japan
(3 credits, spring only)
This required junior seminar examines past and present aspects of Japanese demographics and explores the unique history and psychology of the Japanese people. On an island where more than 99% of residents are native Japanese, Japan’s homogeneity gives birth to much tension surrounding minority groups. Students study the situations of these groups, including the indigenous Ainu, Burakumin, Okinawan/Ryukyuan, South Americans of Japanese heritage (nikkeijin), as well as the resident Chinese and Korean population (zainichi). By studying the discrimination taking place in Japan, students are able to better grasp the dynamics of “in-groups” and “outgroups”, while experiencing firsthand the effects that this discrimination can have on the fabric of a society. Students choose specific aspects of modern Japanese culture to explore more deeply in an independent research project. They participate in an array of lectures, seminars, workshops, and demonstrations, and have the opportunity to make field excursions during which they can meet with leading scholars and activists in their respective fields.

Junior Research Seminar
(3 credits, fall only)
This course provides students with the skills and knowledge necessary to research, organize and write a thesis proposal as well as a fully developed research paper that incorporates multiple primary and secondary resources that students evaluate according to the pyramid of sources and through critical readings. Students also learn to narrow down a general topic into a manageable project, organize it through scheduling, notes and interviews and become familiar with the various ways of citing sources and avoiding plagiarism. This course is a prerequisite for the Independent Study Semester.

Digital Literacy
(3 credits)
Digital Literacy is a hands-on, experiential elective course designed to help students support their other learning. Students use peer-topeer (P2P) internet technology, such as weblogs (blogs), wikis, social networking and aggregation tools, to document their learning process, construct an archive of discourse, and build a personal learning network with people from all over the world. In the process of network immersion and through communicating with other internet users and reflecting on the online trail of discussion, students can take in multiple perspectives and see patterns in their thinking and behavior, shed light on blind spots in their learning, and increase their selfawareness. Aside from running a blog, students learn computer networking skills to cultivate a personal learning community and to access resources relevant to their studies. Along the way, students also learn how to use open source web publishing, RSS, and aggregation software; make podcasts and vidcasts, as well as employ various social networking tools and strategies.

Writing Workshop
(3 credits)
This required workshop is conducted on both a one-to-one basis with students and their faculty advisors, as well as in a workshop with student peers. The written material for the course consists of response, position and research papers that students write for other Japan Center seminars. A variety of writing styles and perspectives is explored; this is the raw material for individualized writing study and criticism.

Introduction to Classic Japanese Cinema
(3 credits, fall only)
This elective course serves as a general introduction to classic Japanese cinema during its peak years. The course begins with Yasujiro Ozu’s 1934 silent feature Floating Weeds and concludes with Kon Ichikawa’s 1964 Tokyo Olympiad. In between, students view film classics such as Rashomon by Akira Kurosawa, Ugetsu by Kenji Mizoguchi, among other complete films and selected excerpts. In the process students should expect to grasp the essentials of Japanese aesthetics through the medium of artistic cinematic narrative. Film showings are supplemented with selected readings including source texts. Students are evaluated on a combination of writing assignments (position papers, précis, film reviews, short explications) and class participation.

Creative Writing Workshop
(3 credits)
In this elective workshop, all participants read their assignments to the group and give critical feedback to all the members. Writing exercises are geared toward improving character development, plot movement and sensory description, primarily in the context of short story writing. In depth assignments are completed outside of class and are critiqued through a peer review process before being revised. Experimenting with different writing styles and techniques and developing a “voice” as an author is encouraged.

Teaching English as a Second Language
(3 credits)
This elective is a practical course exploring various methods and techniques of teaching English as a Second Language. Through demonstrations, peer teaching and examination of current teaching materials, students are encouraged to develop a personal approach to teaching English through examination of their own language learning and teaching experiences. All students are required to intern as language teachers to refine their own teaching techniques. In addition to classroom visits and supplementary readings, students keep a teaching journal as a basis for reflecting upon, analyzing and documenting their teaching experiences.

Japanese Literature
(3 credits)
This is a guided, but independent, course in contemporary Japanese literature from the Meiji period forward. Short stories are selected from anthologies such as Modern Japanese Literature, edited by Donald Keene, Contemporary Japanese Literature, edited by Howard Hibbet and Modern Japanese Stories, edited by Ivan Morris. Novels are selected by the student from a list including novels by Yasunari Kawabata, Kenzaburo Oe, (Japan’s two Nobel Prize winners for literature), Kobo Abe, and Yukio Mishima, among others.

Directed Independent Study
(3 credits)
In the fall semester at the Japan Center, students have individual flexibility in conducting a Directed Independent Study with guidance from their Faculty Advisor. There may also be opportunities for Independent Study Projects (2-4 credits), Service Learning Projects (2-4 credits) and/or Internships (2-4 credits).

Global College
1-287 Akasaka-cho
Kinugasa, Kita-ku
Kyoto 603 Japan
Phone: 011-81-75-462-7271
Fax: 011-81-75-462 7242
E-Mail: fwcjapan@mbox.kyoto-inet.or.jp
Web: http://friends-world.org/eastasiacenter

Kyoto, Japan is 13 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time.
9:00am in New York City = 10:00pm in Kyoto, Japan
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