- College of Literature, 2026 Academic Year Course Catalog
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Learning Characteristics and Curriculum (Department of Japanese Language and Literature)
CURRICULUM Learning Features and Curriculum
Characteristics of learning
This department has a wide range of research subjects, including literature, language, and Japanese language education, and offers a practical curriculum. Through the study of "words" written in Japanese from the past to the present, we connect with the "other" on the other side of the words. Through the eyes of the "other," we look at our own existence once again and cultivate deep insight that is applicable to the international community.
Let us always look at the world of art that has been cultivated over the years and by Japan's climate with a contemporary perspective.
Department of Japanese Language and Literature College of Literature Aoyama Gakuin University University is one of Japan's leading research and education centers, specializing in the three fields of literature, language, and Japanese language education. Its periodicity spans from ancient times through the Middle Ages, Middle Ages, Early Modern, and Modern eras to the present day.
In the field of literature, the range of subjects is from the Kojiki to Haruki Murakami (including Chinese literature, which is closely related to Japanese literature), in the field of language, which deals with the Japanese language itself, the range of subjects is from ancient languages to modern popular words, and in the field of education, which teaches Japanese to foreigners. For this reason, the faculty boasts a diversity not found at other universities.
Attractive classes developed with innovative approaches, such as "Representation and Culture Theory," which focuses on the relationship between literature and film. A curriculum that encourages active learning centered on exercises. Intellectual curiosity is stimulated by approaches that go beyond existing frameworks, such as intensive lectures on cutting-edge fields by leading researchers from outside the university. Approach the universality of human existence through language and cultivate deep insight that is applicable to the international community.
COURSE MODELS ?
Japanese Literature Course
Students will study Japanese literature and classical Chinese literature from ancient times to the present, incorporating various perspectives such as "literary exchange" and "representational culture."
Japanese Language and Japanese Language Education Course
Students will study Japanese linguistics, which studies the history and modern language of the Japanese language, and Japanese language education, which teaches Japanese to people whose native language is not Japanese.
*The course model introduced here is just an example.
COURSE FEATURES Features of major courses
Japanese Literature Course
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Introduction to research on representational culture I/II
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This course explores the relationship between "representation" and "reality," focusing on a wide range of research subjects, including linguistic "representation" such as literature, visual "representation" such as film and photography, and psychological "representation" such as the images that appear in our minds and the patterns of how we perceive things. In this modern age of ever-expanding media, this course cultivates the ability to critique culture and create one's own culture.
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Introduction to Japanese Studies
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We will learn about the methods and background of "Japan Studies" such as "The Chrysanthemum and the Sword" and "The Japanese," which capture Japanese language, literature, and culture from an outside perspective. Through critical examination of these works, we will develop the ability to grasp what "Japan" is. Using an outside perspective as a medium, we aim to create "Japan Studies" by ourselves, as native speakers.
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Japanese Literature Seminar I & II[12]
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A small group will read the text of The Tale of Genji in detail. In the process, students will deepen their understanding of the basic propositions of what a work is and what the text is, and at the same time acquire the ability to express their own views logically and the desire to organize and sublate diverse opinions in discussions.
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Japanese Literature Special Lecture I/II [9]
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Some Japanese books from the Edo period contain illustrations, and it is expected that the text and illustrations are enjoyed as one. Furthermore, there is also interaction with theatrical fields such as Kabuki and Bunraku puppet theater. Learn from the Edo period about the existence of hybrid literature that cannot be understood from text information alone.
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Japanese Literature and Asia
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Japanese literature has had diverse relationships with Asian literature and culture from ancient times to the present. This course examines the characteristics of Japanese literature within the Asian region, and looks at how Japanese literature has been received and the influence it has had in Asian countries. Students will acquire a perspective that allows them to view Japanese and Asian literature and culture in a two-way manner.
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History of Japanese Literature (1)
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The study of literary history is not simply about memorizing works and authors. It is about learning historically what people feel and think through words, how they create expressions in the form of works, what expressions each work is made up of, what the relationships between the works are, and what kind of interaction the readers have with them. In this lecture, we will consider these issues, focusing on waka poetry and stories, covering the period up to the Heian period.
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Introduction to Chinese Literature
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Chinese literature has been an indispensable part of culture in Japan from ancient times to the modern era. This lecture aims to provide an overview of the characteristics of various fields of Chinese literature that were established from the pre-Qin to the Qing dynasty, and to consider their influence on Japanese literature.
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Japanese Language and Japanese Language Education Course
| Subject Name | Features |
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Introduction to Japanese Language I & II
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This course aims to acquire knowledge in various fields, such as phonetics and phonology, vocabulary, meaning, grammar, style, and dialects, which are necessary for research on the Japanese language and Japanese language education. The classes are conducted in a lecture format, but they are visual classes using multimedia, and the content allows students to learn about the Japanese language comprehensively.
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Japanese Language History I & II
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This is a course that reconstructs the history of the Japanese language from a modern perspective and allows students to discover and learn new topics. In particular, the historical aspects of the Japanese language in the field of grammar are reexamined. The course also incorporates a comparative perspective with other languages, and pursues the history of the Japanese language from a unique perspective.
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Introduction to Japanese Language Education I & II
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Although the fields related to Japanese language education are broad, this subject focuses on the main themes such as the current state of Japanese language education both in Japan and overseas, the diversification of learners, instructional content, teaching methods, evaluation methods, classroom activities, etc. The course is conducted in a lecture format, but audiovisual materials are also used to help students understand the specific situation in the field of education, and the course aims to encourage students to "think," so there are also activities such as discussing and writing about issues.
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Audio expression method
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This is a course that aims to improve oral expression in Japanese. In addition to acquiring basic knowledge about the sounds of Japanese, students learn breathing and vocalization techniques, aiming to improve their skills in speaking clearly and in an easy-to-understand way. In class, students will also practice using spoken language appropriate to the situation through language activities such as reading aloud, speeches, and presentations.
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Japanese Language Education Seminar AⅠ?Ⅱ
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The aim of this course is to teach research methods in Japanese language education, and to develop the ability for each student to use that knowledge to conduct their own research and compile a report. First, students learn about research methods in language education, then read several papers that use different research methods to deepen their understanding of research methods in practice and how to write a paper. After that, each student will choose a theme and conduct their research. As an interim report, each student will present the content of their research and analysis, which will be discussed by the entire class. Presenters will submit a report summarizing their research. When submitted reports are returned, students will receive individual guidance on any problems.
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Special Lecture on Japanese Language Education I
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This course will provide an overview of the history of Japanese language education up to the present day, and will also study the issues and prospects for Japanese language education that can be seen from this history. By looking back at the history of Japanese language education, the course aims to provide suggestions for current Japanese language education, knowledge that will be useful for students' own future practice and research, and guidelines that will contribute to formulating a future vision for Japanese language education.
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Special Lecture on Japanese Language I [1]
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We will present materials using actual corpora (digitized data on Japanese language) for each field of grammar, and discuss methods of description based on these. We will learn the basics of natural language processing by actually programming in Python. The goal is to ensure that students master the methodology appropriate for each research topic.
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