Politics and Japanese

Politics and Japanese is a combination that brings together two of the most globally significant frames of reference available to a student today. Japanese is one of the world's major languages, spoken by more than 125 million people in Japan and by significant communities internationally, and it is the key to engaging directly with one of the world's most distinctive and influential cultures. Politics provides the analytical tools to understand how power operates, how institutions function, and how societies make and contest collective decisions.

Studying both at degree level creates an exceptionally informed perspective on Japan, East Asia, and international affairs more broadly.

At the School of Oriental and African Studies this four-year, full-time programme includes an optional foundation year. SOAS has unmatched depth in Japanese language teaching, with specialist staff and academic networks in both Japanese studies and political science who bring together language, cultural knowledge, and analytical rigour. You will develop your Japanese across all four skills, reading, writing, speaking, and listening, to a high level of proficiency, while also engaging with Japanese history, literature, and society.

The politics component covers political theory, comparative government, and international relations, with particular opportunities to focus on the politics of Japan and East Asia.

Graduates with Japanese and a politics background are well placed for careers in diplomacy, international business, journalism, think tanks, international development, cultural organisations, and any role requiring deep engagement with Japan and the Asia-Pacific region. The combination is particularly valued in the Foreign Office, in multinational companies with Japanese operations or partnerships, and in international organisations working across East Asia. Many graduates continue to postgraduate study in Japanese studies, East Asian politics, international relations, or a related field, and the programme provides strong foundations for doctoral research in any of these areas.