Courses - Fall 2026
JAPN101
Elementary Japanese I
Credits:
6
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F
Prerequisite: Must have appropriate World Language Placement (WLP) score.
Introduction to basic patterns of contemporary spoken Japanese and to the two phonetic syllabaries (Katakana and Hiragana).
JAPN201
Intermediate Japanese I
Credits:
6
Grad Meth:
Reg
Prerequisite: Minimum grade of C- in JAPN102; or or appropriate World Language Placement (WLP) score.
Contemporary spoken and written Japanese.
JAPN301
Advanced Japanese I
Credits:
6
Grad Meth:
Reg
Prerequisite: Minimum grade of C- in JAPN202; or permission of instructor.
Advanced conversation, oral comprehension, and selected readings.
JAPN311
Traditional Japanese Language and Culture
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg
Prerequisite: Minimum grade of C- in JAPN202; or permission of instructor.
Introduction to classical Japanese language (kobun) through representative texts and genres from the literary traditions of the Heian period (794-1185) to the Early Modern period (1600-1868). Taught in Japanese and English.
JAPN315
Reading Japanese Empire
Reading a wide variety of cultural, intellectual, and official texts, this course explores how Japan's age of empire (1869-1945) was understood, imagined, and lived in various colonial contexts and in the metropolitan center. Students will gain a textured understanding of the complexities and contradictions of Japan's imperial project and the fraught ways this history plays out today in Japan and Asia. Taught in English.
JAPN320
The Language and Culture of Japanese Food
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg
Prerequisite: C- or better in JAPN 202.
Explores Japanese food culture and related language, including terms used in recipes and menus for cooking techniques and ingredients. Also examines how sound-symbolic expressive words (gitaigo and giseigo) are used to describe sensory aspects of food such as taste, appearance, color, texture, and smell. Course culminates in a potluck meal to showcase a variety of dishes and preparations. Taught in English.
JAPN386
Experiential Learning
Credits:
3 - 6
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F
Prerequisite: Must have a Learning Proposal approved by the Office of Experiential Learning Programs, faculty sponsor, and student's internship sponsor.
Restriction: Junior standing or higher.
JAPN498B
Special Topics in Japanese Studies; The Supernatural and the Strange in Classical Japan
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg
Investigates supernatural and strange occurrences in novels, plays, folk tales, and ghost stories from the Heian, Medieval, and Edo periods.Through close reading of literary texts, picture scrolls, and performances, we will explore how the presence of eerie and otherworldlytropes provided a means to make sense of the natural, spiritual, and socio-political worlds in premodern Japan. Taught in English.
JAPN499
Directed Study in Japanese
Credits:
1 - 3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F
Flagship Institution of the University System of Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
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301.405.1000
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