Film Studies and Japanese

Film studies and Japanese is a pairing that rewards genuine intellectual curiosity on both sides. Film studies is the critical analysis of cinema as an art form and cultural institution, examining how films are made, how they create meaning, and what they reveal about the societies and historical moments that produce them. Japanese, meanwhile, is one of the world's richest cultural languages, with a film tradition that includes internationally celebrated directors and a body of work that spans everything from Noh-influenced period drama to contemporary anime and horror.

Combining the two disciplines means you can engage with Japanese cinema on its own cultural and linguistic terms, while also developing the broader critical tools to analyse film across traditions.

At the School of Oriental and African Studies you will study both fields across four years of full-time study, beginning with a foundation year that prepares you for the demands of the programme. SOAS is particularly well placed to teach this combination, given its unparalleled expertise in Asian and African cultures and its commitment to non-Western perspectives in the arts and humanities. You will develop Japanese language skills from beginner or intermediate level through to genuine fluency, while building a critical vocabulary for film analysis that draws on theory, history and close textual reading.

Graduates with this combination of skills find careers in film journalism, criticism and broadcasting, in translation and cultural mediation between Japanese-speaking and English-speaking contexts, and in arts administration, festival programming and distribution. Academic careers in film studies, Japanese studies or cultural studies are a natural progression for those who continue to postgraduate research. The language skills in particular are valued in international business, diplomacy, publishing and any professional context requiring engagement with Japan.