Programs in Japanese language and literature teach people the spoken and written traditions of Japan. Students learn the history of the language and its various forms. They study dialects, myths, and writings. They also learn to apply the knowledge to business and technology.

Haiku poetry is popular in Japan. In Haiku, the writer creates a wispy, evocative poem of three lines with only 17 syllables. Each Haiku poem has five syllables in the first and third lines, and seven syllables in the middle line. A (bad) example might be:

Japanese language
hard beautiful and complex
characters sounds words.

Japan is also known for its Kabuki theater. This art form emerged in the 1600s with a Shinto shrine dancer who performed in Kyoto. Kabuki productions are formal, colorful, and highly stylized with exaggerated acting. They are class-conscious, with plots that focus on warriors, nobles, and commoners. By contrast, puppet theater offers Japanese artists more creative flexibility. Because writers can express themselves more freely through puppet theater, it has become as popular, often more popular, than Kabuki. Japan is also famous for its anime (animation) and manga (comic books).

If you choose this program of study, you will learn about these fascinating Japanese literary and cultural forms. Of course, in Japanese language and literature programs, you also study just what the name implies – language and literature. You take courses from different fields of study, such as art, anthropology, and history. You learn about Japanese culture and history, from the influence of the samurai to World War II to modern times.

Most importantly, you learn to speak Japanese. You also learn how to read and write the language. Japanese has three written "syllabaries" – a kind of alphabet. "Katakana" and "Hiragana" characters are closest to letters in the alphabet because each character represents a sound. "Kanji" is a large group of characters that express ideas, and is challenging to learn.

Many courses also teach you translation techniques. In addition, you read original, untranslated works of literature, including poems, essays, epics, and novels. You also study folklore and film.

Over 100 colleges and universities offer bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in Japanese language and literature. Some two-year colleges offer the first two years of study. Students can often transfer these credits to a four-year school. Master's degrees typically take five or six years of full-time study after high school. Doctoral degree programs typically take three to five years after the master's degree. Most people with graduate degrees become professors.

Students who major in Japanese language and literature may be able to choose concentrations such as:

• Conversation
• Dialects
• Folklore
• Interpreting
• Linguistics
• Literature
• Specific Language Groups
• Teaching
• Translation