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Japanese

Beautiful wooden gazebo over the lake in Nara City, Japan.

At a Glance

Japanese has become one of the most widely taught foreign languages in the United States, reflecting its importance in politics, business, education, and technology. Guided by dedicated professors and native-speaking Target Language Experts, Carthage students go beyond reading, writing, and speaking Japanese to understand the nation’s history and culture. All majors study abroad in Japan for at least six months.

Major

  • Japanese

Minor

  • Japanese

View Degree Requirements

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Are you interested in speaking a language that is very different from your own? Do you want to add an important language skill to your resume? If your answer to any of these questions is “yes,” then the Japanese program at Carthage is for you.

The core of the Carthage Japanese program is the four-year language curriculum. The goal of the Japanese program is to help students develop proficiency in Japanese in a socio-cultural context. Students not only gain fluency in reading, writing, and speaking Japanese, but they also acquire a deep understanding of Japanese people and culture.

The program offers courses in Japanese history, film, politics, culture through language, and Asian religion.

Learn more about Japanese courses

  • <div class="lw_widget lw_widget_type_blockquote"><blockquote class="blockquote"><div class="blockquote__image"><picture class="lw_image"> <source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/gid/74/width/183/height/183/crop/1/src_region/6,47,240,281/424_SyannaThompson22.rev.1638389814.webp 1x"/> <source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/gid/74/width/183/height/183/crop/1/src_region/6,47,240,281/424_SyannaThompson22.rev.1638389814.jpg 1x"/> <img src="/live/image/gid/74/width/183/height/183/crop/1/src_region/6,47,240,281/424_SyannaThompson22.rev.1638389814.jpg" alt="" width="183" height="183" data-max-w="234" data-max-h="234" loading="lazy"/> </picture> </div><div class="blockquote__content"><div class="blockquote__quote"><svg aria-hidden="true" class="icon icon-round-left-quote" width="48" height="33"><use xlink:href="#icon-round-left-quote"/></svg><p> “The Carthage Japanese Club teaches some supplementary content given in presentation form by the upperclassmen. This club really helped my studies as well as my interest in Japan.”</p></div><footer class="blockquote__footer"><span class="blockquote__author"><a href="/live/profiles/493-syanne-thompson">Syanne Thompson</a> ’22</span></footer></div></blockquote></div>
  • <div class="lw_widget lw_widget_type_blockquote"><blockquote class="blockquote"><div class="blockquote__image"><picture class="lw_image"> <source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/gid/74/width/183/height/183/crop/1/src_region/0,0,300,400/409_Mira-Parker-23.rev.1638389814.webp 1x"/> <source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/gid/74/width/183/height/183/crop/1/src_region/0,0,300,400/409_Mira-Parker-23.rev.1638389814.jpg 1x"/> <img src="/live/image/gid/74/width/183/height/183/crop/1/src_region/0,0,300,400/409_Mira-Parker-23.rev.1638389814.jpg" alt="" width="183" height="183" data-max-w="300" data-max-h="400" loading="lazy"/> </picture> </div><div class="blockquote__content"><div class="blockquote__quote"><svg aria-hidden="true" class="icon icon-round-left-quote" width="48" height="33"><use xlink:href="#icon-round-left-quote"/></svg><p> “My Japanese language classes are my favorite. They are fun and exciting, and since they are small, I get to know my professors better. The small class size also allows the professors to cater more to my individual learning needs inside and outside the classroom.”</p></div><footer class="blockquote__footer"><span class="blockquote__author"><a href="/live/profiles/489-mira-parker">Mira Parker</a> ’23</span></footer></div></blockquote></div>

Retroactive credits

If you test into a course and then earn a “C” or better, you can earn up to 12 free retroactive credits.


Beyond the classroom

Students learning how to wear Japanese Yukata (for females) and jinbee (for males).

Student Organizations

Japanese Club and the Japanese lunch table give students more chances to build cultural and linguistic fluency. Top scholars can join Alpha Mu Gamma, a national honor society for foreign languages.

Cultural Events

On campus, faculty periodically offer Japanese cultural workshops on kimonos, calligraphy, sushi, and tea ceremonies. The annual Bunkasai Cultural Festival lets students showcase their Japanese speeches, dances, songs, skits, and martial arts. Off campus, the Japanese Club organizes regular field trips.

Study Abroad

Besides the required semester-long immersion (typically at one of Carthage’s two exchange partner universities), faculty periodically lead short-term study tours to Japan and other parts of East Asia during the J-Term.

More Student Opportunities


Popular minors & second majors


After Carthage

Graduates could teach Japanese in elementary schools or work as interpreters at government institutions, companies, and hospitals. Recent alumni hold jobs such as…

  • A senior consultant in the software industry in Tokyo
  • English teaching assistant under the JET program in Saitama-ken
  • Japan English lecturer at NOVA Holdings Co. Ltd. in Tokyo

Learn more about Japanese Careers

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