Japanese is a very popular major offering a broad range of courses in Japanese language, literature, linguistics, theater, religion, and film. Students are required to achieve advanced levels of proficiency in modern spoken and written Japanese, as well as broad and detailed knowledge of Japanese premodern, modern, and contemporary culture. Students who complete this major have the linguistic and cultural competence to work in various fields related to Japan, including business, finance, trade, journalism, diplomacy, cultural institutions and non-profit organizations, education, and academia.
Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrated advanced written and oral knowledge of the Japanese language
- Demonstrated broad knowledge of Japanese cultural history from ancient times to the present
- Demonstrated specific skills and expertise, including research, analysis, and writing, of a specialized topic in the study of Japanese language and culture
- Ability to identify primary sources in Japanese and analyze them within their historical and cultural context
- Working knowledge of scholarly discourse on a specialized topic in Japanese culture
- Conception and execution of research projects that identify and engage with a specialized topic in Japanese culture
Curriculum & Requirements
All students who wish to take an Asian language course at UCLA must take the appropriate language
placement exam (see ALC website for more information). The exam determines which course is most
appropriate for the student’s current level of proficiency. Students who have obtained college credit for a
class may not repeat those courses for credit.
The Japanese major is based on the following two pillars: Language Acquisition and Humanities-based Interdisciplinary Study
- All majors will graduate with at least 3rd-year level of Japanese, having acquired advanced-level proficiency in Korean language or beyond
- All majors will graduate with discipline-specific knowledge of Japan, fulfilled through upper-division courses in literature, linguistics, history, or religion.
- Majors will also develop analytical and literary foundations through the completion of one Japan-based General Education (GE) course and one Japanese literature course.
- Majors are required to take at least two upper-division electives in Asian, China, Korean, South Asia, or Southeast Asia (includes Vietnamese electives)
Lower Division Preparation
Lower division
- Intermediate Japanese: Completion of Japanese 6, 6A or equivalent
- One (1) of the Japanese civilization/culture courses
The Major
Upper Division (11 courses)
- Five (5) upper division language courses in Japanese
- One (1) upper division course in Japanese literature
- Three (3) upper division courses on Japan
- Two (2) upper division electives in Asian, Korea, South Asia, or Southeast Asia
To plan for the Japanese Major, please consult the UCLA Registrar Catalog and the ALC Department Japanese Major Worksheet:
Faculty in Japanese Studies
Paula R. Curtis
Academic Administrator
prcurtis@g.ucla.edu
Torquil Duthie
Professor, Department Chair
Premodern Japanese literary culture
duthie@humnet.ucla.edu
Michael Emmerich
Professor, Yanai Initiative Director
Japanese Literature
Nadia Kanagawa
Assistant Adjunct Professor
Michiko Kaneyasu
Associate Professor, Language Program Coordinator (Japanese)
Japanese Linguistics
kaneyasu@humnet.ucla.edu
Yumiko Kawanishi
Senior Lecturer
Japanese language
kawanish@humnet.ucla.edu
Seiji M. Lippit
Professor
Post-war Modern Japanese Literature and Film
lippit@humnet.ucla.edu
Yoko Nogami
Lecturer
nogami@humnet.ucla.edu
Satoko Shimazaki
Associate Professor, Director of Graduate Studies
Early Modern Japanese Theater and Literature
shimazaki@humnet.ucla.edu
Jordan Smith
Assistant Adjunct Professor
oyabaka@ucla.edu
Mai Takeuchi
Lecturer
Japanese language
takeuchim@ucla.edu
Yuki Taylor
Lecturer
Japanese language
yukit@g.ucla.edu
Links
For more information about our majors, please contact the ALC Undergraduate Student Affairs Officer
Ryan Chae
Student Affairs Officer (Undergraduate)
ryan.chae@humnet.ucla.edu