Japanese at FSU

View the course descriptions below or explore the Course Curriculum Chart [PDF].

JPN 1120. Elementary Japanese I (4). This course stresses speaking and listening, although the acquisition of reading and writing skills is also an integral part of the course. Some fundamental syntactic and morphological points introduced are word order, nominal particles, verbal endings, verb classification, speech levels, and the formation of some complex sentences. In addition, an introduction is given to the Japanese syllabaries and kanji. May not be taken by native speakers. May not be taken concurrently with JPN 1121, 2220 and/or 2300.

JPN 1121. Elementary Japanese II (4). Prerequisite: JPN 1120 or equivalent. This course continues to stress speaking, reading, listening, and writing skills using the syntactic and morphological points introduced in JPN 1120. Further study is made of the Japanese syllabaries and kanji. May not be taken by native speakers. May not be taken concurrently with JPN 1120, 2220 and/or 2300.

JPN 2220. Intermediate Reading and Conversation (4). Prerequisite: JPN 1121 or equivalent. May not be taken by native speakers. This course continues to emphasize speaking and listening and introduces more of the essentials of Japanese syntax. In this course more time is devoted to reading and writing. About 400 kanji are introduced. May not be taken concurrently with JPN 1120, 1121 and/or 2300.

JPN 2300. Review Grammar and Syntax (4). Prerequisite: JPN 2220 (C- or better). This course is designed to give students an opportunity not only to strengthen their knowledge of basic Japanese, but to gain better insight into the structure of modern Japanese. Through graded exercises students are taught to write sophisticated Japanese. May not be taken by native speakers. May not be taken concurrently with JPN 1120, 1121 and/or 2220.

JPN 3202. Readings in Short Stories and Essays (3). Prerequisite: JPN 2300. This course introduces selected materials in modern Japanese literature, humanities, and social sciences. The objectives of this course are to train students to be able to read some annotated works in original Japanese and to bring to students' awareness various cross-cultural differences. May not be taken by native speakers.

JPN 3240L. Conversational Japanese (3). Prerequisite: JPN 2300 or equivalent, or instructor permission. This course enables students to develop intermediate-level communicative skills in Japanese. Students communicate in Japanese on sociocultural issues and topics pertinent to daily life, interpret spoken language, and learn expressions critical to spoken fluency in Japanese.

JPN 3250. Practical Skills in Japanese Communication (3). Prerequisite: JPN 2300. This course prepares students at the high-intermediate level in Japanese. Students develop oral communication skills that enable them to perform appropriately in Japanese in various authentic, real-life situations. Liberal Studies Designation: Oral Communication Competency.

JPN 3303. Writing and Reading Japanese (3). Prerequisite: JPN 2220, or instructor permission. This course is designed to augment the skills students acquire in 1000- and 2000-level Japanese courses by stressing reading and writing skills at the intermediate level.

JPN 3440. Business Japanese (3). Prerequisite: JPN 2300. This course trains students to utilize appropriate expressions in various business-related situations in Japan.

JPN 3441. Business Japanese II (3). Prerequisite: JPN 3440. This course is a continuation of Business Japanese I. It is designed to further develop students' language skills and knowledge of socio-cultural customs in Japan for business purposes, preparing students to utilize appropriate expressions and behaviors in various business-related situations in Japan.

JPN 3390. Creative Drama in Japanese (3). Prerequisite: JPN 2300. This course is designed to expose students to a variety of authentic speaking styles and to provide opportunities to build vocabulary and grammar knowledge, to learn intonation and pronunciation, and to develop cultural awareness through various activities such as acting out existing Japanese skits/dramas, creating their own skits/dramas, improvising, etc.

JPN 4412. Advanced Japanese (3). Prerequisite: JPN 3202. This course leads qualified students to develop their advanced-level skills in Japanese by reading and discussing various types of writings, ranging from newspaper articles to literary stories and essays.

JPN 4413. Advanced Japanese B (3). Prerequisite: JPN 3202. This course prepares students at the upper-intermediate to advanced level in Japanese. It aims to improve students' communicative fluency and accuracy in Japanese through emphasis on speaking, listening, reading, and writing.

JPN 4414. Advanced Japanese C: Reading and Writing (3). Prerequisite: JPN 3202. This course targets intermediate and advanced students of Japanese. Students improve reading skills by practicing various reading techniques. Focus is placed on written Japanese and the acquisition of natural reading ability.

JPW 4130r. Advanced Readings in Japanese Literature 1 (3). Prerequisite: JPN4412, JPN4413, JPN4414 or instructor permission. This course introduces students to a selection of texts—including prose fiction, poetry, and essays—by representative authors of postwar and contemporary Japan (roughly the 1940s through the present). Texts change with each offering of the course. All primary texts are presented in the original Japanese.

JPW 4136. Advanced Readings in Japanese Literature 2 (3). Prerequisite: JPN4412, JPN4413, JPN4414 or instructor permission. This course introduces students to a selection of texts—including prose fiction, poetry, and essays—by representative authors of the Meiji (1867-1912) and Taisho (1912-1926) periods. Texts change with each offering of the course. All primary texts are presented in the original Japanese.

JPW 4143. Introduction to Classical Japanese (3). Prerequisite: JPN4412, JPN4413, JPN4414 or instructor permission. This course is an introduction to reading classical Japanese (bungo), the written language used in Japan from the seventh century to the twentieth century. The course combines the systematic study of the grammar and lexicon of classical Japanese genres with the exploration of works of Japanese literature in the original.

JPW 4551r. The Art of Translating Japanese (3). Prerequisites: JPN 4413 and instructor permission. This course gives advanced language students the opportunity to study the art of translating literary Japanese. Students explore how translators of Japanese have approached the task of translation, compare Japanese literary works in translation with the original, and participate in a collaborative workshop where students translate a Japanese literary work into English. May be repeated to a maximum of six credit hours.

JPN 4905r. Directed Individual Study (3). In this course, students arrange with individual faculty members to undertake specialized study in areas outside of or in addition to the regular curriculum. May be repeated to a maximum of six semester hours.

JPN 4930r. Special Topics (3). Prerequisite: Divisional coordinator permission. This course allows students to study literary topics of a special kind, depending on student interest and faculty expertise. May be repeated to a maximum of twelve semester hours.

JPN 4931r. Topics in Japanese Language (3). Prerequisite: Divisional coordinator permission required. This course allows students to study advanced Japanese language topics based on student interest and faculty expertise. May be repeated to a maximum of nine semester hours.

JPN 4942r. Internship in Applied Japanese (1–6). (S/U grade only.) Prerequisite: Advanced standing in Japanese. This course provides academic credit for students working in governmental agencies or private business where students employ the foreign language. Departmental permission required. May be repeated to a maximum of six semester hours.

JPN 4956r. Overseas Study (1–15). This Japanese language course provides a mechanism by which coursework taken as part of an approved study abroad program can be recorded on the Florida State University transcript and counted toward graduation. Topics vary.

JPN 4970r. Honors Thesis (3). This course is designed for students in the Japanese Program who wish to receive honors in the major by working on an honors thesis or project. Students will spend two-to-three semesters developing a thesis or project the will further consolidate their knowledge of Japanese language and culture, as well as contribute to Japanese studies.

JPN 1112r. Kanji Drill (1). Prerequisite: JPN 1120 (C- or better). This course is designed to develop students’ Kanji skills in both writing and reading. Students learn and practice approximately 300 Kanji during the semester, in addition to acquiring knowledge of Kanji radicals and origins, which facilitates additional Kanji comprehension and memorization. May be repeated to a maximum of two semester hours.

JPN 2501r. Japanese Calligraphy (1). Prerequisite: JPN 1120. This course teaches beginners of Japanese how to use a calligraphy brush and write hiragana, katakana, and basic kanji characters, following proper stroke order and practicing different styles. The course includes brief lessons on the Japanese writing system, the importance of writing skills in Japanese society, and other related cultural topics.

JPN 1301r. Kanji Drill II (1). Prerequisite: JPN 1112 or JPN 2300, or equivalent. This course continues to develop students' Kanji skills in both writing and reading. Students learn and practice approximately 200-250 intermediate-level Kanji during the semester, in addition to building knowledge of Kanji radicals and origins.

JPN 1132. Listening Drill I (1). Prerequisite: JPN 1121. This course prepares students at the advanced-elementary level in Japanese. Students are exposed to authentic Japanese in order to master basic listening skills. Emphasis is placed on conversational Japanese and basic daily situations to familiarize students with common structures, vocabulary, and grammar, and to facilitate improved oral comprehension in Japanese.

JPN 1133. Listening Drill II (1). Prerequisite: JPN 2300. This course prepares students at the intermediate level in Japanese. Students are exposed to authentic Japanese at natural speed in order to master intermediate-level listening skills. Emphasis is placed on conversational Japanese, daily situations, news, stories, and explanations to prepare students to pick significant components out of complex speech, and to facilitate improved overall oral comprehension in Japanese.

JPT 3122r. Modern Japanese Literature in Translation (3). This course covers short stories and novels of major authors in modern Japanese literature after 1868, giving students an understanding of various aspects of modern Japan. May be repeated to a maximum of six semester hours. Taught in English. Liberal Studies Designation: Diversity

JPT 3330r. Premodern Japanese Literature in Translation (3). This course provides an overview of Japanese literature from its beginnings to the late 19th century, exposing students to fundamental works from a variety of significant genres. The course focuses on the coexistence of multiple literary traditions in Japan and on the characteristic dynamics that informed literary, social, cultural, historical, and economic developments; emphasis is placed on gender, genre, and class as major categories of sociocultural and textual organization. Taught in English. Liberal Studies Designation: Diversity

JPT 3391r. Japanese Film and Culture (3). This course is for students interested in Japanese film and culture, and culture in translation. Students learn the skills of analyzing films and come to understand the development of Japanese film and culture. May be repeated to a maximum of six semester hours. Taught in English. Liberal Studies Designation: Diversity & “W” (State-Mandated Writing)

JPT 3510r. Japanese Economy and Environment (3). This course introduces students to current topics related to Japan's economy and social environment. Students learn about and discuss significant issues, such as employment, education, international trade, and energy, to better understand contemporary Japanese society. May be repeated to a maximum of six semester hours when topics vary.

JPT 3511r. Japanese Popular Culture (3). This course explores Japanese popular culture from a range of perspectives. Students investigate cultures of reception, shifting demographics and key developments in multiple media, and various forms of leisure and modes of consumption, to consider their relationship to history, culture, and lived experience. Liberal Studies Designation: Diversity

JPT 3512r. Contemporary Japanese Culture (3). This course investigates contemporary developments in Japanese culture, focusing on features both that are particular to Japan and that tie Japan to global culture. Students explore the connections between various forms of cultural production and social interaction and other social, political, and economic institutions in Japan, as well as the relationship between new technologies and markets and the global exchange of cultural forms and social ideas. May be repeated to a maximum of nine semester hours.

JPT 4124r. Contemporary Japanese Literature in Translation (3). This course introduces students to contemporary literature in Japan. It approaches principal developments in literary production since the 1980s from multiple perspectives. Focus is placed on how these texts resonate with both sociocultural contexts in Japan and global issues in literary and media studies. May be repeated to a maximum of nine semester hours.

JPT 4310. Japanese Manga (3). This course traces the history of manga from its hybrid prehistory to its developments as a postwar industry and cultural form, investigating manga's connections to adjacent media practices and its social and cultural importance both domestically and abroad.

JPT 4503r. Japan’s Media Mix (3). This course surveys Japan’s vibrant media mix cultures spanning the histories of anime, cinema, and gaming through the intersections of film and media studies. Students learn about the diversity of Japanese media culture, including the emergence of “new” media technologies from silent film to augmented reality. Taught in English. Liberal Studies Designation: Diversity

JPT 4504. The Culture of Tea in Japan (3). This course introduces students to the Japanese Tea Ceremony, from its inception in medieval Japan to its metamorphosis under 20th century nationalism and its global expansion during the postwar economic boom. Taught in English. Liberal Studies Designation: Diversity

JPT 4505. War and Representation (3). This course examines how Japanese artists respond to war, how war shapes aesthetic thought, and how war is represented in literary form and other media from the late nineteenth through the twentieth century. Students will learn how aesthetic form affords an artist an ethical position about war. Texts include poetry, fiction, travelogue, memoir, reportage, painting, photography, and film. Liberal Studies Designation: Upper-Division Writing Competency

JPT 4934r. Special Topics in Japanese Studies (3). This course allows students to study Japanese literary and cultural topics of a special kind, depending on student interest and faculty expertise. Course is taught in English. May be repeated to a maximum of nine credit hours when topics vary.

JPT 4957r. Overseas Study (1–15). This Japanese culture course provides a mechanism by which coursework taken as part of an approved study abroad program can be recorded on the Florida State University transcript and counted toward graduation. Topics vary.

ASN 3822. Traditions of East Asian Humanities (3). This course introduces the humanities traditions of China, Japan, and Korea through major works in literature, philosophy, religion, history, and arts. It studies each tradition in its own sociopolitical contexts from antiquity to the 19th century, and also examines the historical patterns of contact and influence among these traditions. Liberal Studies Designation: Diversity

ASN 4463. Conceptualizations of the Imagination in East Asia and Beyond (3). This course examines the content, function, and limits of the "imagination" in the Chinese, Japanese, and English literary traditions. This course concentrates on poetry and literary works that are "poetic," or that which makes us think of poetry. By reading literary criticism and exploring how other literary forms, genres, and media are informed by the poetic tradition, students develop a thick description of the "imagination." Liberal Studies Designation: Upper-Division Writing Competency

* IDS 3459. Cinema Gone Global (3). On the basis of various cinema traditions today negotiating between the global and its “discontents,” this course will focus on the aesthetic, technological, economic, and philosophical issues that increasingly connect cinemas across the globe and speak to critical changes in the contemporary world. Course taught in English. Liberal Studies Designation:  Diversity, and “W” (State-Mandated Writing)

* When taught by Japanese faculty and/or course content includes Japanese cinema.