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Japanese Studies

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Japanese Studies at Durham dates back to the early 1980s, but interest in Japan goes back much further, with the Oriental Museum collecting Japanese objects from the 1950s onwards.

  • Most of our undergraduate students study Japanese as part of our BA in Japanese Studies; all students on this BA take an East Asian history module in each of their first two years in the History department, and some take further optional modules in History
  • The BA in Japanese Studies has different pathways in the language for beginners and post A-level students.
  • You can also study Japanese through the Liberal Arts programme in combination with modules from Classics, English, History, Music, Philosophy or Theology
  • Alternatively you can take Combined Honours in Social Sciences if you want to combine Japanese with subjects such as Politics and International Relations, Management, Economics, Geography or Anthropology
  • These routes are all suitable for students who want to spend their third year abroad at a partner university in Japan studying the Japanese language
  • Studying Japanese with us provides a significant boost to your employability and projected earnings

The School of Modern Languages and Cultures has six full-time Japanese language teachers, three teaching on the BA in Japanese Studies and three teaching optional courses in Japanese at the Centre for Foreign Language Study. In addition, we have three staff members researching different aspects of Japanese culture who teach modules on literature, history and film as part of the BA in Japanese Studies degree. They also contribute a Japanese dimension to other degrees at MLAC: the BA in Visual Arts and Film, the MAs in Translation Studies, in Languages, Literatures & Cultures, and in Visual Culture, as well as supervising PhD students.

 

University student
Studying Japanese has been one of the most challenging but rewarding experiences of my life so far. My year abroad in Japan not only completely transformed my language ability, but also allowed me to build meaningful connections with people from all over the world who shared my passion. I couldn’t recommend it more.

Jamie
Durham University languages student

Research-Led Teaching

The approaches of our research-led modules in historical, literary and visual studies are unique, and include:

  • The body and the senses
  • Political culture and thought in modern Japan (History)
  • Science and technology in early modern Japan
  • Anime, film and popular culture
  • Performance, dance and installation

The Department of History and the School of Government and International Affairs also have specialists who contribute modules in East Asian history and international relations that can be taken as part of the BA in Japanese Studies degree. 

Optional modules also allow students to take subsidiary Korean or Chinese language in each year of study in Durham and to work with Japanese objects in the Oriental Museum.

The autumn light in Tokyo. Photo taken by our student Takeo Broadhurst on their year abroad.

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BA Japanese Studies with Year Abroad Course Page

Find out how to apply, all course details and structure, entry requirements and more.

BA Japanese Studies with Year Abroad Course Page
University student
Japanese Studies at Durham has been a wonderful linguistic and cultural journey. Durham provides rigorous academic teaching in an immersive, engaging environment with friendly teaching staff. The course varies from developing language skills, to discovering the richness of Japanese literature and history, to the allure of present-day popular culture.

Oli
Durham University languages student

Year Abroad

Our partner universities in Japan, where Durham students study during their 3rd year abroad, include six out of the ten top ranking universities. Studying there, in addition to the intensive Japanese language classes, offers many opportunities outside class to participate in Japanese cultural activities and practise speaking Japanese, and to keep up your Korean or Chinese by chatting to fellow students.

Teikyo University in Durham, a branch campus of a Japanese university, makes its facilities, including an extensive library of works in Japanese, available to our students, and the Anglo-Japanese Society provides a forum for Durham students to meet regularly with Teikyo students for academic, cultural and social activities.

 

University student
Studying Japanese at Durham is a rewarding and enriching experience. The teaching staff go above and beyond to create a very enjoyable learning atmosphere. The language and literature modules have introduced me to a beautiful new culture that I am looking forward to joining during my year abroad in Tokyo!

George
Durham University languages student

Postgraduate Study

Japanese / English translation is taught on our MA in Translation Studies. This offers a combination of common modules which MA students of all languages take, so you get the opportunity to mix with a wide range of students, and dedicated teaching for Japanese / English translation. There is also the opportunity to go on to a PhD degree in translation studies.

 

Discover more

Find out more about our members of staff responsible for Japanese studies, other language courses, employability, study abroad and scholarships.

Modules

Find out more about our modules for Japanese studies.
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Staff

See a complete list of all members of staff responsible for Japanese studies.
Staff Meeting

Courses

Find out more about other language courses we offer.
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Employability

Find out more about job prospects and careers with a degree from MLaC.
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Study Abroad

Find out more about where and how to study abroad.
Study abroad

Scholarships

Find out more about scholarships for eligible undergraduate students.
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BA Japanese Studies Course Page

Find out how to apply, all course details and structure, entry requirements and more.
Traditional Japanese architecture with Mount Fuji in the background

Meet our alumnus Harry

Harry studied on the BA in Japanese Studies and graduated in 2023. He is now Coordinator for International Relations (CIR) on the JET Programme.
Find out more about Harry's experiences studying Japanese and his career
Harry Broughton