Japanese Studies

Japanese studies is a discipline that opens access to one of the world's most distinctive and fascinating cultures, a civilisation with a continuous history of thousands of years that is also one of the most technologically advanced and economically significant societies on the contemporary planet. Japan has its own profound literary, artistic, philosophical, and religious traditions, its own forms of political and social organisation, and a relationship with modernity and globalisation that has been both creative and contested. Studying Japanese studies develops not only linguistic fluency but a genuine understanding of Japanese society, history, and culture.

At Birkbeck you will study this three-year full-time programme, developing a near-fluent command of the Japanese language alongside stimulating academic expertise in Japanese culture, history, and society. Birkbeck's programme is grounded in cutting-edge research on Japan, ensuring that your academic engagement with the subject is informed by current scholarly work rather than outdated or superficial accounts. You will develop your reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills in Japanese, working from foundational competence towards high levels of proficiency, while also engaging with Japanese history, literature, film, politics, and contemporary society in ways that deepen your cultural understanding and analytical capabilities.

Graduates of Japanese studies work in translation and interpreting, diplomacy, international business and trade, journalism, broadcasting, education, tourism, and cultural organisations with interests in Japan and East Asia. Japan's economic significance and its deep cultural distinctiveness mean that graduates with genuine language skills and cultural knowledge are valued wherever Japanese-speaking clients, partners, or markets are involved. Many graduates also continue to postgraduate study in Japanese studies, East Asian studies, translation, or international relations, building on the language foundation the degree provides.