Minor
Advisor: Ian Condry (email)
A minor in Japanese leads students who have already reached an intermediate level of proficiency (above Japanese II) into a more advanced study of the language and culture. The program:
- Consists of 6 subjects arranged in 3 levels of study (Tier I, Tier II, and Tier III) starting at Japanese III or higher*
- 5 of these subjects overlap with the 8-subject HASS GIR. The remaining 6th subject counts for 12 units beyond GIR
A student can concentrate and minor in the same field.
*Please note that Japanese I & II do not count towards the Minor. They do count towards the Concentration.
Sample Roadmap Japanese Minor and Nuclear Science and Engineering (Course 22)
SHASS Minor Guidelines and Procedures
Concentration
Advisor: Takako Aikawa (email)
There are several concentration options, depending on whether your focus is language or literature and culture. A language concentration consists of 3 or 4 language classes, depending on your incoming language competence. An upper level concentration may include 3rd or 4th semester language plus upper level classes taught in the foreign language.
If a student’s incoming level is Japanese I:
- 4 subjects, Japanese I through Japanese IV are required to complete the concentration
If a student’s incoming level is Japanese II or above:
- 3 subjects at Japanese II or above are required to complete the concentration
An upper-level concentration may include three subjects, such as Japanese III or Japanese IV and/or intermediate to advanced classes taught in Japanese. Certain subjects offered in English that pertain to Japanese studies may be applied towards fulfilling certain concentration requirements; please see the concentration advisor for approval
For the online HASS Concentration Form, click through to studentformsandpetitions.mit.edu!
Current Brochure
OTHER OPTIONS
Asian and Asian Diaspora Studies
- Concentration
- Minor
- Major Departure
Japanese
The subjects below are taught in Japanese and include offerings in language, literature, and cultural studies.
The indication of prerequisites for specific Japanese offerings does not apply to students who have already completed equivalent work. For further placement advice, consult one of the field advisors in Japanese.
Fundamental Language Subjects
21G.501 Japanese I
(
, 
) 
(Subject meets with 21G.551)
Prereq: None
Units: 4-0-8
Lecture: MTRF9 (4-249) or MTRF10 (4-249) or MTRF12 (16-654) or MTRF1 (16-654)
Introduction to modern standard Japanese. Emphasis on developing proficiency in speaking and listening, using basic grammar and vocabulary. Basic skills in reading and writing are also taught. Lab work required. For graduate credit see 21G.551. Limited to 16 per section.
W. Maekawa
Textbooks (Fall 2018)
21G.502 Japanese II
(
)
(Subject meets with 21G.552)
Prereq: 21G.501 or (placement test and permission of instructor)
Units: 4-0-8
Enhancement of the four basic skills. Extension of basic grammar. Vocabulary and kanji (Chinese characters) building. Lab work required. For graduate credit see 21G.552. Limited to 16 per section.
Staff
21G.503 Japanese III
()
Prereq: 21G.502 or (placement test and permission of instructor)
Units: 4-0-8
Lecture: MTRF10 (14N-225) or MTRF12 (14N-225) or MTRF1 (14N-225)
Students further develop their skills in speaking, listening, reading and writing. Involves continued vocabulary and kanjibuilding. Coordinated language lab. Limited to 16 per section.
M. Ikeda-Lamm
Textbooks (Fall 2018)
21G.504 Japanese IV
()
Prereq: 21G.503 or (placement test and permission of instructor)
Units: 4-0-8
Review and expansion of basic skills. Emphasis on application of basic grammar and vocabulary in various situations. Lab work required. Limited to 16 per section.
Staff
21G.505 Japanese V
()
Prereq: 21G.504 or (placement test and permission of instructor)
Units: 4-0-8
Lecture: MW9-10.30,F9 (14N-313) or MW10.30-12,F10 (14N-313)
Systematic development of reading, writing, and oral communication skills. Introduction to advanced grammar that deepens the understanding of Japanese culture and society through reading and discussion. Lab work required. Limited to 16 per section.
T. Aikawa
Textbooks (Fall 2018)
21G.506 Japanese VI
()
Prereq: 21G.505 or (placement test and permission of instructor)
Units: 3-0-9
Continuation of 21G.505. Further development of reading, writing, and oral communication skills. Extension of advanced grammar and further enhancement of advanced vocabulary. Variety of cultural elements studied through readings, video, and discussion. Lab work required.
Staff
Advanced Subjects
Graduate Language Subjects
21G.551 Japanese I
(, )
(Subject meets with 21G.501)
Prereq: None
Units: 4-0-5
Lecture: MTRF9 (4-249) or MTRF10 (4-249) or MTRF12 (16-654) or MTRF1 (16-654)
Introduction to modern standard Japanese. Emphasis on developing proficiency in speaking and listening, using basic grammar and vocabulary. Basic skills in reading and writing are also taught. Lab work required. Same as 21G.501, but for graduate credit. Limited to 16 per section.
Staff
Textbooks (Fall 2018)
21G.552 Japanese II
()
(Subject meets with 21G.502)
Prereq: 21G.551 or (placement test and permission of instructor)
Units: 4-0-5
Enhancement of the four basic skills. Extension of basic grammar. Vocabulary and kanji (Chinese characters) building. Lab work required. Same as 21G.502, but for graduate credit. Limited to 16 per section.
Staff
Japanese Language Option Subjects
21G.590 Visualizing Japan in the Modern World
() 
Not offered regularly; consult department
(Subject meets with 21G.027[J], CMS.874[J])
Prereq: 21G.504 or permission of instructor
Units: 3-0-10
Subject Cancelled
Studies how visual images shape the identity of peoples, cultures, and events in Japan. Uses visuals from major collections in the US and Japan to introduce the conceptual and practical issues involved in "visualizing cultures." Projects look at American and Japanese graphics depicting contacts between Japan and the West in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Taught in English with a project that requires research in Japanese. Uses material and features of edX subject, including videos and online discussion. Enrollment limited; preference to Japanese minors.
S. Miyagawa
21G.591 Gender and Japanese Popular Culture
()
(Subject meets with 21A.143[J], 21G.039[J], WGS.154[J])
Prereq: 21G.504 or permission of instructor
Units: 3-0-10
Examines relationships between identity and participation in Japanese popular culture as a way of understanding the changing character of media, capitalism, fan communities, and culture. Emphasizes contemporary popular culture and theories of gender, sexuality, race, and the workings of power and value in global culture industries. Topics include manga (comic books), hip-hop and other popular music, anime and feature films, video games, contemporary literature, and online communication. Students present analyses of materials during in-class discussions and develop a final project based on a particular aspect of gender and popular culture. Several films screened outside of regular class meeting times. Taught in English with a project that requires research in Japanese. Preference to Japanese minors.
Staff
21G.592 Introduction to Japanese Culture
()
(Subject meets with 21G.064)
Prereq: 21G.504 or permission of instructor
Units: 3-0-10
Lecture: T1-4 (4-249)
Examines the major aesthetic, social, and political elements that have shaped modern Japanese culture and society. Includes readings on contemporary Japan and the historical evolution of the culture. Students study literary texts, film and art, and analyze everyday life and leisure activities. Taught in English with a project that requires research in Japanese. Limited to 18; preference to Japanese minors.
CP. Roquet
No required or recommended textbooks
21G.593 Japanese Literature and Cinema
()
(Subject meets with 21G.065)
Prereq: 21G.504 or permission of instructor
Units: 3-0-10
Lecture: R EVE (7-10 PM) (4-249)
Surveys both cinematic and literary representations of diverse eras and aspects of Japanese culture, with emphasis on the modern period. Includes topics such as the classical era, the samurai age, wartime Japan and the atomic bombings, social change in the postwar period, and the appropriation of foreign cultural themes. Directors include Akira Kurosawa and Hiroshi Teshigahara. Authors include Kobo Abe and Yukio Mishima. Films shown with subtitles in English. Taught in English with a project that requires research in Japanese. Preference to Japanese minors.
Staff
Textbooks (Fall 2018)
21G.594 Cinema in Japan and Korea
() 
(Subject meets with 21G.094)
Prereq: 21G.504 or permission of instructor
Units: 3-0-10
Focuses on landmark art cinema from both countries while providing a thorough introduction to film style. Each week examines a different component of film form, using the close analysis of specific films in their cultural and historical context. Explores the use of video essays as a form of critical analysis. Taught in English with a project that requires research in Japanese. Preference to Japanese minors. Limited to 18.
Staff
21G.596 Anime: Transnational Media and Culture
()
(Subject meets with 21G.063)
Prereq: 21G.504 or permission of instructor
Units: 3-0-10
Explores anime (Japanese animated films and TV shows) as a study in flows among media and cultures. Discusses Japan's substantial share of the TV cartoon market and the reasons for anime's worldwide success. Focuses on cultural production and the ways anime cultures are created through the interactive efforts of studios, sponsors, fans, broadcasters, and distributors. Uses anime scholarship and media examples as a means to examine leading theories in media and cultural studies, gender and sexuality, technology and identity, and post-industrial globalization. Taught in English with a project that requires research in Japanese. Preference to Japanese minors.
I. Condry
21G.597 Digital Media in Japan and Korea
()
(Subject meets with 21G.067)
Prereq: 21G.504 or permission of instructor
Units: 3-0-10
Examines the social, cultural, and political stakes of digital culture in Japan and Korea. Focuses on digital media use (and abuse), including the internet, streaming and mobile media, gaming, robots, and augmented realities; the digital remediation of older media; and methods for the study of online life. By considering how digital media use has developed in each country and reshaped identity, politics, public space, and creative practice, students build a conceptual and critical vocabulary for the comparative study of algorithmic cultures. Taught in English with a project that requires research in Japanese. Preference to Japanese minors.
P. Roquet
For Japanese Literature and Culture subjects offered in English, see 21G.027, 21G.039, 21G.063, 21G.064, and 21G.065.
