Japanese
Study Japanese language and culture to become a global professional.
"I wasn’t sure what to expect when I signed up to take Japanese 101, but I was pleasantly surprised. The teachers started at the beginning and explained everything thoroughly. They were always available to answer any questions I had, and I definitely had a lot. It was also really interesting to listen to the weekly cultural discussions; It’s now a dream of mine to attend a Japanese festival!"
Zachary Rifkin
(B.A. in International Studies and Public Policy Leadership '28)
Why study Japanese?
Japan is one of the most populous countries in the world with a population of about 122 million people and the third largest nation in economic size. As such, the country plays important roles in the world through cutting-edge industries such as computers, artificial intelligence, electronics, robotics and new materials. It also exports popular culture such as anime, kawaii, fashion, film, martial arts, video games, manga comics, and more.
Our Japanese Program
The Department of Modern Languages offers an undergraduate Japanese minor with elementary, intermediate, and advanced courses that emphasize the language and culture of Japan. Students may also study Japanese to fulfill a possible general education language requirement.
The Japanese minor consists of 15 hours of Japanese courses at the 200 level and above, of which a maximum of 9 credits for the minor may be taken through one of the many approved study-abroad universities in Japan.
Japanese language students study the language and cultures of Japan. Our classes feature low faculty-to-student ratios allowing students to work closely with the Japanese faculty, who have expertise in sociolinguistics, pragmatics, methodological study, Japanese intonation and accent. Language proficiency and cultural understanding students develop make them better-informed citizens of the world, as well as job candidates with highly sought-after skills.
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Welcome to the Japanese Program!
The Japanese program offers courses for students at all levels. The first-year courses are beginner-friendly, allowing students to improve their language skills as they advance through higher-level courses.
In class, students learn about many aspects of Japanese culture such as calligraphy, customs, and holidays. At tutoring sessions and the Japanese language table, students can get extra help as well as participate in conversations with native speakers. It is a great opportunity to make friends with Japanese exchange students!
Interested in studying abroad in Japan? Students can select programs from a variety of locations, such as Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto. Some of the students go to Japan to teach English after graduation.
Let’s have fun studying Japanese!
Dr. Kaoru Ochiai, Croft Instructional Associate Professor of Japanese
kochiai@olemiss.edu
(662) 915-3772
Featured Course
JAPN 301: Conversation and Composition I
In this course, students further develop their speaking and writing skills, including creative expression, work with higher-level text types, and study selected grammatical structures.
"I have learned more Kanji faster than ever before, with a greater understanding of the people who have contributed to Japanese history. The cooking + explanation video has been my favorite class project so far, as it allowed me to test my vocabulary and speaking abilities in a way that was relatable to me. I would recommend this class to students whose interests lie in academic Japanese and those wanting to familiarize themselves with Kanji more deeply."
Jay Allen (B.A. in International Studies '26)
Beyond the Classroom
Japanese Conversation Group
Our weekly informal conversation group meets once a week. Join us for games and conversation. Omachi shite masu!
— Second and Fourth Wednesdays 6:00p-7:00p @ the South Residential College
Japanese Club
Students decide on fun activities to learn more about Japanese culture. Examples have included movie nights, playing Japanese card games and shoogi (Japanese chess), calligraphy workshops, painting paper umbrellas, creating stone/sand gardens, and learning Japanese tea traditions, and cooking Japanese food.
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Japanese National Honor Society
Membership in the national Japanese Honor Society is offered to students of Japanese that demonstrate extraordinary academic performance.
Japanese National Honor Society
Study Abroad
Tokyo: Aoyama Gakuin University
Near the famous Shibuya Scramble Crossing, Aoyama Gakuin University is a private university founded in 1949 that has ~19,000 students. There are 2 campuses-Aoyama (main) Campus in Shibuya, Tokyo and Sagamihara Campus in Fuchinobe, Kanagawa. Aoyama has 7 departments in humanities, social sciences, business, communications, and creative studies. Sagamihara has 3 departments: Science and Engineering, Social Informatics, Global Studies and Collaboration.
Tokyo: Sophia University
Located between Shinjuku City and the Imperial Palace, Sophia University is a private, research university of ~12,000 undergraduates founded by the Jesuits in 1912 as the first Catholic university in Japan.
Students from beginner to advanced level can study Japanese, and choose between the intensive track (8 hours) or non-intensive track (4 hours) of Japanese. They complete their 12 hour minimum requirement by adding courses in English in a wide range of liberal arts fields, accounting and business.
Tokyo: Waseda University
Waseda University has a main campus located in Shinjuku City, home to a large entertainment, business and shopping area in the heart of Tokyo. This private, research university was founded in 1882 and has nearly 40,000 undergraduate students.
Students can study a wide range of topics in addition to Japanese, including Art History, Asian Studies, Business, History, International Relations, International Studies, Japanese, Political Science, Religion/Theology, and Sociology.
Hirakata: Kansai Gaidai University
Hirakata is a city of nearly 400,000 halfway between Osaka and Kyoto. It is located on the Yodo Riverand is a short train ride to many interesting destinations.
Kansai Gaidai University has 11,000 students and is a private university founded 1945 with a strength in foreign language studies. It is particularly known for its Asian Studies program; students participating in the Asian Studies Program during the spring semester can apply for Kansai Gaidai Internship Program (KGIP) for the summer.
Kyoto: Ritsumeikan University
Just over 2 hours by bullet train from Tokyo, Kyoto is a city of 1.4 million that is considered the cultural capital of Japan with many temples, shrines, palaces and gardens designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Ritsumeikan University's main campus was founded in 1869 and has 17,000 undergraduates. This liberal arts-oriented campus has strengths in social sciences and natural sciences & engineering. Students can enroll in a summer program or traditional exchange for a semester or year.
Osaka: Osaka Gakuin University
Osaka is a port city and commercial center of Honshu island with about 2.7 million citizens. The 16th century Osaka Castle is found alongside modern architecture and fun nightlife along the Dōtonbori canal. As the "Kitchen of Japan,” Osaka has many street-food areas.
A private liberal arts university of 5,000 students, Osaka Gakuin University offers five different levels of Japanese languages classes. The university focuses on law, economics, and international studies, but still provides a wide array of other subjects for study in English and Japanese.