Japanese Studies BA

Core modules:

Exploring East Asia

This module introduces students to the study of modern East Asia. Beginning by encouraging consideration of what the subject of East Asian Studies is, it then introduces the following key topics: East Asian Geography and Environment, History, Culture and Media, Economics and Business, and Political Relations. In parallel with this content, the module also introduces core academic skills as follows: independent, lecture and seminar study; reflective practice; critical information, digital and visual literacy; evidence and argument in academic writing, and appropriate examination techniques. These two elements provide a firm foundation of knowledge and abilities for higher level study. 

20 credits

Japanese Language 1A

This module is focusing on receptive activities and written productive activities in Japanese language. It aims to enable students to acquire basic competence in grammar, reading, writing and translation both from and into Japanese. Every week carefully designed grammar structures and vocabulary will be introduced so that students will be able to do something practical in Japanese. Kanji (Chinese characters) as well as Japanese characters (hiragana and katakana) are introduced from the earliest stages. 

20 credits

Japanese Language 1B

This module is focusing on interactive activities in Japanese. It aims to enable students to acquire basic competence in speaking and listening skills. Every week carefully designed grammar structures and vocabulary will be introduced so that students will be able to communicate in Japanese through a variety of daily activities. 

10 credits

Japanese Language 2A

This module is focusing on receptive activities and written productive activities in Japanese language. This module builds on the achievement of Japanese Language 1A and introduces further grammatical structures of the Japanese language with a view to further developing reading, writing and translation skills. Every week carefully designed grammar structures and vocabulary will be introduced so that students will be able to do something practical in Japanese. At the end of this level students should complete the beginner's level which is roughly equivalent to JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test) N4 or CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) A2. 

20 credits

Japanese Language 2B

This module is focusing on interactive activities in Japanese. This module is built on the achievement of EAS1035 and develop speaking and listening skills further to provide the grounding necessary for intermediate study. Every week carefully designed grammar structures and vocabulary will be introduced so that students will be able to communicate in Japanese through a variety of activities. At the end of this level students should complete the beginner's level which is roughly equivalent to JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test) N4 or CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) A2.

10 credits

Approved modules:
You will take one of the following Understanding Japan modules. Each module has a humanities or social sciences focus and will look at a core text, which has played a significant role in developing an intricate, understanding of Japan. The content of these modules change regularly to ensure they are topical and make the best use of our staff expertise.

Understanding Japan 1

This module explores what it means to study Japan at university level, and considers how `area studies' research on Japan fits within a discipline such as political science, international relations or economics. We will work on a combination of new and established research to explore one core topic. We will consider how politics has been researched, how researchers use conceptual frameworks and types primary evidence to understand Japanese practice; how to navigate key debates in a field and evaluate competing arguments. You will finish this module with a deep understanding of our core topic and research, critical and writing skills that you can apply and develop in further study.

20 credits

Understanding Japan 2

This module explores what it means to study Japan at university level, and considers how `area studies' research on Japan fits within a discipline such as history or cultural studies. We will work on a combination of new and established research to explore one core topic. We will consider how studies of Japan are built, how researchers use primary evidence in text and/or images to understand change; how to navigate key debates in a field and evaluate competing arguments. You will finish this module with a deep understanding of our core topic and research, critical and writing skills that you can apply and develop in further study.

20 credits

Guided modules
You will take 20 credits from the following East Asian Studies modules and a list of guided modules available from departments across the university.

Understanding China 1

This module explores what it means to study China at university level, and considers how `area studies' research on China fits within a discipline such as history, political science, or cultural studies. We will work on a combination of new and established research to explore one core topic - in this year, the history of twentieth-century Shanghai as seen from the grassroots. We will consider how histories of China are built, how researchers use primary evidence in text and/or images to understand social change; how to navigate key debates in a field and evaluate competing arguments. You will finish this module with a deep understanding of our core topic and research, critical and writing skills that you can apply and develop in further study. 

20 credits

Understanding Korea 1

This module explores what it means to study Korea at university level, and considers how `area studies' research on Korea fits within a discipline such as history or cultural studies. We will work on a combination of new and established research to explore one core topic in depth. We will consider how research on Korea has changed over time, how researchers use primary evidence in text and/or images to understand change and practice; how to navigate key debates in a field and evaluate competing arguments. You will finish this module with a deep understanding of our core topic and research, critical and writing skills that you can apply and develop in further study.

20 credits

Understanding China 2

This module explores what it means to study China at university level, and considers how ‘area studies’ research on China fits within a discipline such as development, migration, and cultural studies. We will work on a combination of new and established research to explore core topics in contemporary China, and consider how Chinese society has changed, how researchers use different conceptual frameworks and types of primary evidence to understand change and its wider impact; how to use the different types of work published in the field and evaluate competing arguments in key debates. You will finish this module with a deep understanding of our core topic and research, critical and writing skills that you can apply and develop in further study.

20 credits

Understanding Korea 2

This module explores what it means to study Korea at university level, and considers how ‘area studies’ research on Korea fits within a discipline such as history or cultural studies. We will work on a combination of new and established research to explore one core topic in depth. We will consider how research on colonial Korea has changed over time, how researchers use primary evidence in text and/or images to understand change and practice; how to navigate key debates in a field and evaluate competing arguments. You will finish this module with a deep understanding of our core topic and research, critical and writing skills that you can apply and develop in further study.

20 credits

Core modules:

Japanese Language 3A

This module is focusing on receptive activities and written productive activities in Japanese language at lower intermediate level. This module acts as a transition between the teacher-centred learning required for the acquisition of basic language skills, and the autonomous and self-directed learning required to progress at intermediate and advanced levels. Translation and functional reading skills are extended, with texts including annotated topical materials. Techniques for tackling unseen materials are developed and grammar knowledge is consolidated and expanded. Practical knowledge of kanji is raised to roughly 800 characters. Students develop skills needed to make best use of the Year Abroad programme.

20 credits

Japanese Language 3B

This module is focusing on interactive activities in Japanese language at lower intermediate level working towards JLPT N3 and CEFRB1. Every week students are made aware of and given the opportunity to practise spoken applications of specific themes, which is shared with the grammar and writing components. Students develop skills needed to make best use of the Year Abroad programme.

10 credits

Japanese Language 4A

This module is focusing on receptive and written productive activities in Japanese language at mid-intermediate level. This module continues to act as a transition towards the autonomous and self-directed learning required to progress at intermediate and advanced levels. Grammar knowledge is consolidated and expanded and practical knowledge of kanji is expanded. Further functional reading skills and precise Japanese-English translation skills are introduced. The use of written Japanese appropriate to a variety of social contexts (i.e. life in Japan) is developed. The target level at the end of the level is roughly equivalent to JLPT N3 and CEFR B2.

20 credits

Japanese Language 4B

This module is focusing on oral and aural activities in Japanese language at intermediate level. This module is designed in the light of the year abroad in Japan. Students are made aware of and given the opportunity to practice spoken applications of specific situations. There will be two main themes: giving a presentation and settling-in in Japan. The target level at the end of this level is roughly equivalent to JLPT N3 and CEFR B2.

10 credits

Approved modules
You will take one of the following modules

Mass Culture and Digital Society in East Asia

This module takes a transcultural approach to the study of mass culture and digital society in East Asia, tracing the adoption, adaptation, and innovation of a variety of media over the twentieth and twenty-first century. We will examine how mass culture, from radio and literature to art, entertainment and social media have continuously negotiated the concept of “national” identity across East Asia.

20 credits

Gender and Identities in East Asia

This module offers an overview of the study of gender and its connection to social, cultural, political and economic discourses across East Asia. Covering key issues related to the structures and dynamics of gender in East Asia, we learn to situate these dynamics in their historical and cultural context using case studies drawn from across the region.

20 credits

Approved modules:
Plus one of the modules listed below

Contemporary Japanese Society

This module explores key factors shaping contemporary Japanese society, while developing core disciplinary skills in the contemporary social sciences - anthropology, sociology, geography and cultural studies. Our particular focus will be on the last twenty years as post-Bubble Japan has entered a period of economic decline, prompting a series of debates about the effects of this change on society. Students will develop a strong understanding of these social changes and the social scientific debates regarding them, and the methods and practices used to conduct contemporary social scientific research in Japan today. 

20 credits

Environment and Development of the Japanese Islands

This module takes geographical, ecological, socio-cultural and political-economic perspectives in charting the emergence of Japan as the world’s first non-Western developed country. Beginning with Japan’s geological formation in pre-history and ending with a speculative enquiry into the state of Japan in 2100, the module assesses the human and ecological consequences of Japan’s development within the country’s Asian, Pacific, and global contexts.

20 credits

Evolution of the Japanese Language

The module introduces the language and representative examples of the main literary genres - including poetry, travelogues, diaries, tales and military chronicles - from the Nara period to the mid-Edo period, focusing mainly on the language of the Heian and Kamakura periods. Grammar is taught in the first three weeks in parallel with the reading of a representative short text, focusing on the main differences between the Classical language and the modern language.

20 credits

East Asian Cinema

We will examine key film directors, cinematic movements and industry developments since 1945 from Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Mainland China. This module will introduce you to some of the key cinematic theoretical frameworks such as national and global cinemas, gender, spectatorship and will examine the ways in which selected East Asian films and directors interact with the history and culture of their respective nations. This module is designed to encourage students to critically examine both the text (the films themselves) and the context (the national environment, film festival circuit, film finance) that surrounds any film work.

20 credits

Postwar Japanese Politics

This module will examine postwar Japanese politics, economy and international relations with a focus on the change and continuity of political organizations and policy-making processes. The module is designed to equip students with analytical skills based on a framework generally applicable to political science so that they will be able to examine political phenomena in general, and particularly in relation to Japan, from a range of theoretical perspectives. Students will work together in a group presentation based on a case study and take a formal exam that will assess their ability to conduct critical analysis and make a coherent argument. 

20 credits

Modern Japanese History

This module will explore key themes in the modern history of Japan from the mid-nineteenth to the late twentieth century, while developing core skills in reading primary sources and historical analysis. Broad themes include identity and nation-building, social and economic change, war and its practical and cultural legacies. Key sub-disciplinary approaches will be based in social and cultural history, with some excursions into other historiographical approaches. It will be delivered through weekly lectures, and seminars structured around developing primary source analysis skills and relating these to appropriate secondary literature. 

20 credits

Experiencing 'Japan' through Literary Texts

This module enables students to understand the key debates and issues in Japanese culture and society as related in literature, from pre-modern to contemporary times. Taking a chronological and thematic perspective, the module engages with critical approaches to literature and its interpretation, and through these encourages students to develop and acquire critical thinking about concepts of Japan and Japaneseness.

20 credits

Guided modules
You will take 20 credits from the following East Asian Studies modules and a list of guided modules available from departments across the university.

Understanding Contemporary North Korea

This module is interdisciplinary in nature, but draws largely from the disciplines of anthropology and history to examine broad themes including media framing; colonialism and post-colonialism in Northeast Asia; charismatic leadership; ethnic nationalism and identity; political violence; and migration and memory. The course covers the historic trajectory of twentieth century Northeast Asia, from the early 1900s to the present. Students will develop core skills in critically analysing media reports, `reading' propaganda, and researching and presenting ideas in written and oral form. This module will be delivered through weekly lectures, seminars and independent study. 

20 credits

History of Korean Popular Music

This module examines the social history of (South) Korea from the 1930s to the dawn of the millennium through the lens of popular music. The module starts with songs on gramophone records made during the Japanese colonial period and ends with Psy’s ‘Gangnam Style,’ which achieved global popularity while satirising urban lifestyle in Seoul. Each week, students and the module lead perform a close analysis of the selected song(s), informed by relevant socio-historical contexts such as Japanese colonialism, national division, the Cold War, urban migration, state censorship, democratisation, and globalization. Secondarily, the module introduces students to issues that are relevant to the study of popular music in any national or transnational context.

20 credits

Urbanisation in China

More than half of the world’s population lives in urban areas, and the rate of urbanisation is rising quickly. Urbanisation in China has been an important part of this global development. In the past three decades China has witnessed the largest rural-to-urban migration in human history. The share of urban population increased dramatically from 18% in 1978 to 51% in 2011. This module provides an overview of the rapid urbanisation in the world’s most populated country, including its driving forces and social, economic, spatial and environmental consequences. It also compares and contrasts China’s urbanisation experience with that in other developing countries.

20 credits

Modern Chinese History: Beyond Revolution

This module will examine key themes in the histories of China's short twentieth century, and the ways in which new approaches in scholarship have influenced understanding of China's recent past. While the structure of the module is loosely chronological, our emphasis is not on the detail of events but on critical analysis of broad social and political changes. You will explore these developments through individual and group work on new historical scholarship on China and a range of primary textual and visual sources, and develop critical, research and writing skills and an understanding of how Chinese histories are built.

20 credits

Contemporary Korean Society

Since the end of World War II, the two Koreas have undergone rapid modernisation and radical social transformations that have created a number of opportunities and challenges. Through the disciplines of anthropology, history, and political science this module examines major social, political, and cultural issues in contemporary Korea, including the unfinished Korean War, ideological violence and reunification, migration and modernity, kinship and relations to the dead, and Korea’s place in the global community. Classes are in the format of a lecture, followed by a series of seminars during which students will engage with ethnographies to discuss the experiences of one of East Asia’s most dynamic nations; in other weeks there will be film screenings and guest lectures.

20 credits

Contemporary Chinese Society and Culture

This module introduces students to different ways of thinking about Chinese society and culture. In particular, we focus on sociological, anthropological and geographical approaches to contemporary Chinese society and culture, showing why and how China is important to current theoretical debates in these disciplines.

20 credits

Population and Environment in China

This module examines the interdependent relationship between population and environment in China. These are vitally important questions, in China and globally, that have attracted research by scholars of contemporary China, and in the wider academic disciplines of human geography and development studies. Through your work in lectures and seminars, you will gain a deep understanding of China’s population and environment and its relation to social and economic change and to local and national institutions; and you will develop transferable skills of research, writing and critical analysis.

20 credits

Core module:

Japanese Year Abroad

During the Japan Year Abroad students take the intensive Japanese language classes provided by our partner universities with the aim of developing their Japanese competency to approximately level N2 as measured by the Japanese Language Proficiency Test, supplemented by familiarity with the 2136 Chinese characters in general use. In addition, students will have the opportunity to take a wide variety of Japanese Studies subjects, taught in English and Japanese, and take part in a range of structured and informal learning experiences to develop their familiarity with the Japanese social, cultural and physical environments. Where extenuating circumstances prevent a cohort, or a large portion of a cohort, from completing a complete academic year abroad, the School of East Asian Studies will provide alternative arrangements for students to meet the language learning outcomes.

120 credits

Core modules:

Researching Japan 1

This unit explores some of the key debates and latest empirical developments in a specific field of research currently undertaken by a member of SEAS staff in Japanese Studies. It enables students to understand how research questions are formulated and answered by exploring the member of staff's disciplinary focus, the range of theoretical approaches employed, and the various methodologies available in researching this field.

20 credits

Japanese Language 5

This module builds on skills acquired at Levels 1 and 2 and during the year in Japan at upper intermediate to lower advanced level. It is divided into four sections, each one focussing on a key linguistic skill which is demanded of adult foreign users of the language. These skills are: translation in English; reading comprehension of sophisticated non-literary texts; writing in Japanese with a focus on formal correspondence; and speaking, with a focus on job interviews and presentations. Group work, with students selecting their own materials for study, is a key element of the module, enabling students to develop as independent learners.

20 credits

Japanese Language 6

This module builds on skills acquired at Levels 1 and 2 and during the year in Japan at upper intermediate to lower advanced level. It is divided into four sections, each one focussing on a key linguistic skill which is demanded of adult foreign users of the language. These skills are: translation in English; reading comprehension of sophisticated non-literary texts; writing in Japanese with a focus on formal correspondence; and speaking, with a focus on job interviews and presentations. Group work, with students selecting their own materials for study, is a key element of the module, enabling students to develop as independent learners. 

20 credits

East Asian Dissertation

The East Asian dissertation requires that students produce an extended and focused study of a subject of their own choice, within the scope of their degree programme, and allows students to refine and extend their independent research, analytical and writing skills. The unit is delivered through a combination of group meetings in lecture or seminar format and through individual supervision.

40 credits

Guided modules:
You will take 20 credits of guided modules. This could be the following East Asian Studies module or you chose from a list of guided modules available from departments across the university.

The content of these modules change regularly to ensure they are topical and make the best use of our staff expertise

you can take up to 20 credits in guided modules from across the University.

Japan Research Project 1

In this module, you will work as part of a small team within a scenario set by a SEAS staff member that relates to his/her field of research as explored in EAS3033. You will answer a research question by choosing an appropriate methodology, allocating specific tasks within your team, organising your time and reflecting on the research process both individually and collectively. Specific projects will include appropriate research training provided by the module organiser and/or 301. At the end of the module you will produce a research output and display it as part of a programme-wide and School-wide event to specialised/non-specialised audiences.

20 credits