37 courses with the subject JPNS, each shown exactly as we captured it from the college's catalog, with every element we hold. Where the wording looks broken, that is our reading of the catalog, not the college's text.
JPNS 001First-Year Japanese1.5
Students who start in the JPNS 001-002 sequence must complete 002 to receive credit for 001. This intensive introduction to Japanese develops the four language skills of speaking, writing, listening, and reading. The spoken component will cover both formal and casual forms of speech; the written component will introduce the hiragana and katakana syllabaries; and about 200 kanji characters. Humanities. 1.5 credits. Fall 2026. Staff. Staff. Fall 2027 Staff. Staff.
Students who start in the JPNS 001-002 sequence must complete 002 to receive credit for 001. This intensive introduction to Japanese develops the four language skills of speaking, writing, listening, and reading. The spoken component will cover both formal and casual forms of speech; the written component will introduce the hiragana and katakana syllabaries; and about 200 kanji characters. Humanities. 1.5 credits. Spring 2027. Staff. Staff. Spring 2028 Staff. Staff.
Combines intensive oral practice with writing and reading in the modern language. The course attempts to increase students’ expressive ability through the introduction of more advanced grammatical patterns and idiomatic expressions. The course will introduce approximately 300 new kanji characters in addition to the 200 covered in JPNS 001 - JPNS 002 . Humanities. 1.5 credits. Eligible for ASIA Fall 2026. Staff. Staff. Fall 2027 Staff. Staff.
Combines intensive oral practice with writing and reading in the modern language. The course attempts to increase students’ expressive ability through the introduction of more advanced grammatical patterns and idiomatic expressions. The course will introduce approximately 300 new kanji characters in addition to the 200 covered in JPNS 001 - JPNS 002 . Humanities. 1.5 credits. Eligible for ASIA Spring 2027. Staff. Staff. Spring 2028 Staff. Staff.
This four-week J-term course will present four content units, each taught by a different member of the Japanese instructional staff, featuring readings, student projects, and discussion for each level of Japanese from beginning (first year level) to advanced (fourth year level), depending on the levels of registered students. Each week will explore a topic such as: cooking and cuisine, J-pop, Japanese TV, or Japanese literature, manga, and anime. The aim of the course is to help students maintain their language skills and make progress in language learning over the January semester, including practice in speaking, listening, reading, and writing, while building vocabulary and cultural knowledge and exploring various aspects of Japanese culture.
(Cross-listed as CHIN 007 ) Calligraphy is the art of beautiful handwriting. This course will introduce students to the importance of calligraphy in East Asian Culture. In addition to being a valuable cultural skill, calligraphy is also a process of self-cultivation and self-expression, which reflects the mind-set of the writer. Thus, students will have the opportunity to learn Chinese/Japanese characters not only as linguistic symbols but also as cultural emblems and as an art form. Course objectives include learning to appreciate the beauty of Chinese/Japanese calligraphy, experiencing calligraphy by writing with a brush and ink, and studying various philosophies of calligraphy. In addition to learning several different calligraphic scripts, students will be introduced to the origin, evolution, and aesthetic principles of the Chinese and Japanese writing systems, as well as calligraphy’s close connections with painting and poetry. Persistent hands-on practice will be required of all students; course work will include in-class practice, individual/group instruction, reading assignments, and take-home assignments. This class is open to all students and has no language requirement. Due to the course’s practicum component, enrollment will be limited by lottery to 10 students. Students who are also enrolled in ARTH 034 (Colloquium: East Asian Calligraphy) will receive priority in the lottery. Can be repeated for credit. 0.5 credit. Eligible for ASIA
This course will offer students an opportunity to develop their Japanese readings skills through free readings of Japanese materials (stories, non-fiction, manga, etc.) gathered at McCabe Library. The course will follow the Extensive Reading or Graded Reading methodology, which encourages students to build their reading ability through exposure to a broad variety of texts with minimal use of dictionaries, with the assistance and supervision of the Japanese instructor. The course is open to all students of Introduction to Japanese ( JPNS 002 ) level and above. 0.5 credit. Eligible for ASIA Spring 2027. Staff. Spring 2028 Staff.
JPNS 010Topics in Japanese: Japanese Food Cultures0.5
This course is designed to help students at the intermediate and advanced levels of Japanese acquire greater proficiency in Japanese language while gaining knowledge of Japan through food culture. In addition, this course aims to help students acquire skills to become independent learners who can continue their study of Japanese independently. We will study aspects of Japanese food culture such as the differences between food in East Japan and West Japan and the history of the lunch box. Moreover, students interested in cooking can learn to cook some Japanese food on their own. This course is for students who are currently enrolled in or have completed JPNS 004 or its equivalent. Humanities. 0.5 credit. Eligible for ASIA
These courses aim to lead Japanese students into the intermediate-advanced level, deepening students’ exposure to Japanese culture through the study of authentic materials and the application of language skills in diverse linguistic contexts. They will combine oral practice with reading, viewing, and discussion of authentic materials including newspaper articles, video clips, and literary selections. Students will continue to develop their expressive ability through use of more advanced grammatical patterns and idiomatic expressions, and will gain practice in composition and letter writing. These courses will introduce approximately 300 new kanji characters in addition to approximately 500 covered in first- and second-year Japanese.
JPNS 004 or students must pass a placement exam to establish equivalent language skills. They should contact the instructor or the Japanese Section Head to arrange to take the Placement Exam. Recommended: Concurrently with JPNS 012A ; provides additional opportunities for application and extension of newly acquired skills. Humanities. 1 credit. Eligible for ASIA Fall 2026. Staff. Fall 2027 Staff. Catalog chapter: Modern Languages and Literatures: Japanese Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/japanese Access the class schedule to search for sections.
JPNS 012AJapanese Conversation0.5
This course aims to improve students’ command of spoken Japanese at the intermediate level. Can be repeated for credit.
Completion of JPNS 004 or permission of the instructor. 0.5 credit. Eligible for ASIA Fall 2026. Staff. Fall 2027 Staff. Catalog chapter: Modern Languages and Literatures: Japanese Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/japanese Access the class schedule to search for sections.
JPNS 013Third-Year Japanese1
These courses aim to lead Japanese students into the intermediate-advanced level, deepening students’ exposure to Japanese culture through the study of authentic materials and the application of language skills in diverse linguistic contexts. They will combine oral practice with reading, viewing, and discussion of authentic materials including newspaper articles, video clips, and literary selections. Students will continue to develop their expressive ability through use of more advanced grammatical patterns and idiomatic expressions, and will gain practice in composition and letter writing. These courses will introduce approximately 300 new kanji characters in addition to approximately 500 covered in first- and second-year Japanese.
JPNS 012 or students must pass a placement exam to establish equivalent language skills. They should contact the instructor or the Japanese Section Head to arrange to take the placement exam. Recommended: Concurrently with JPNS 013A ; provides additional opportunities for application and extension of newly acquired skills. Humanities. 1 credit. Eligible for ASIA Spring 2027. Staff. Spring 2028 Staff. Catalog chapter: Modern Languages and Literatures: Japanese Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/japanese Access the class schedule to search for sections.
JPNS 013AReadings in Japanese0.5
This course aims to improve students’ intermediate-advanced reading skills, while introducing them to the world of Japanese literature in the original. We will examine texts in various genres, such as personal essays, short stories, folk tales, manga, haiku, and free-verse poetry, and discuss the distinctive features of each genre as well as the cultural context for each work. Readings and discussion will be in Japanese. Can be repeated for credit.
Completion of JPNS 012 or permission of the instructor. 0.5 credit. Eligible for ASIA Catalog chapter: Modern Languages and Literatures: Japanese Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/japanese Access the class schedule to search for sections.
JPNS 018Manga, Bande Dessinée, and the Graphic Novel: A Transnational Study of Graphic Fictions1
(Cross-listed as LITR 018FJ , FREN 018 ) This course provides an introduction to the study of three of the most important contemporary graphic literary forms - manga, bandes dessinées , and the graphic novel - and the national and transnational traditions with which they have become associated. Through a careful study of major artists and key works from Japan and the Francophone world, we explore the particular histories, aesthetic evolutions, and social impact of these sequential art forms, both in their specific places of origin and across the globe. We consider how these graphic fictions have managed to mirror and refract major issues of historical trauma, technology and violence, as well as how they question representations of gender, class, race and ethnicity, even as they wield a form of “soft power.” The transnational impact that some works have played will also be explored through a comparative analysis of local and global dissemination, transnational fan communities, non-Japanese-language manga, and transindustrial exchanges. Texts and discussions in English. Students with knowledge of French and/or Japanese may read the works in the original. Humanities. 1 credit. Eligible for ASIA
This fourth-year level course aims to develop students’ advanced language proficiency in reading, writing, listening, and speaking, through examination and discussion of a variety of authentic materials on selected topics such as literature, language, history, education and society. Readings and discussion will be in Japanese.
JPNS 019 or students must pass a placement exam to establish equivalent language skills. They should contact the instructor or the Japanese Section Head to arrange to take the placement exam. Humanities 1 credit. Eligible for ASIA. Spring 2027. Staff. Spring 2028 Staff. Catalog chapter: Modern Languages and Literatures: Japanese Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/japanese Access the class schedule to search for sections.
JPNS 021Introduction to Modern Japanese Literature1
(Cross-listed as LITR 021J ) In this introductory survey we will read a range of Japanese literary works from the modern and contemporary periods, with particular attention to the themes of friendship and love and the changing portrayals of youth culture in Japan. Remaining attentive to the ways in which our readings of Japanese writings are mediated by distance, time, and different linguistic and cultural contexts, we will aim to 1) become familiar with foundational literary works by modern and contemporary Japanese writers and their key literary innovations; 2) contextualize these works and their innovations within the historical circumstances of their production; and 3) trace the changes in Japanese literary language over the course of the modern and contemporary periods. We will also consider how literary, aesthetic, and social movements have united or divided some Japanese writers, and map out the broad trends in literary content and style associated with these movements. No knowledge of the Japanese language is required. Additional readings and research opportunities are available in consultation with the instructor for students with Japanese reading ability. Humanities. 1 credit. Eligible for ASIA Fall 2027 STAFF.
(Cross-listed as LING 022 ) This course introduces various aspects of Japanese linguistics, such as Japanese phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, and pragmatics. Through obtaining theoretical insights on the structural organization of the Japanese language and examining linguistic data, the course aims to broaden students’ knowledge of the structural aspects of the language and to cultivate their ability to analyze linguistic facets of Japanese communicative culture. In class, we will go over the main concepts and data analyses from weekly readings and discuss relevant data, questions, and counter-examples, while going over study questions and exercises. Students are encouraged to share their own experiences and compare the Japanese linguistic structures and communicative practices with those of English and other languages. Students who take this class will develop their understanding of the differing layers of the Japanese language by solving concrete linguistic problems, enhance their ability to learn new grammatical structures in the Japanese language by analyzing them linguistically, and receive guidance in producing an objective linguistic analysis of a facet of the Japanese language. Readings and discussion will be in English.
Completion of JPNS 001 or permission of the instructor. Humanities. 1 credit. Eligible for ASIA Catalog chapter: Modern Languages and Literatures: Japanese Department website: https://www.swarthmore.edu/japanese Access the class schedule to search for sections.
JPNS 023Language in Contemporary Japanese Society and Media1
Cross-listed as LING 023 This course serves as an introduction to how language functions in Japanese society today and how language is used to create characters in Japanese media. The first part of the course will be an overview of language use in Japanese society. Students will learn about languages spoken and signed in Japan and linguistic diversity within the Japanese spoken language in particular-including dialects, honorifics, and gendered language. The latter part of the course focuses on ‘role language’ based on virtual stereotypes created and maintained in popular media. Students will discern how characters’ particular language use, from vocabulary and grammar to pronunciation, creates character tropes in Japanese anime, manga, and dramas. All readings will be in English and Japanese language proficiency is not a prerequisite. Humanities. 1 credit. Eligible for ASIA
(Cross-listed as LITR 024J , FMST 057 ) This course offers a historical and thematic introduction to Japanese cinema, one of the world’s great film traditions. Our discussions will center on the historical context of Japanese film, including how films address issues of modernity, gender, class conflict, and national identity. Through our readings, discussion, and writing, we will explore various approaches to film analysis, with the goal of developing a deeper understanding of formal and thematic issues. A separate unit will consider the development of Japanese animation (anime) and its characteristics. Screenings will include films by Ozu, Kurosawa, Koreeda, Tanaka, Miyazaki, and Shinkai. Humanities. 1 credit. Eligible for ASIA, CPLT Fall 2026. Gardner.
JPNS 025Contemporary Japanese Literature and Film.1
Cross-listed as LITR 025J This course will explore the confluence of literary and cinematic imagination with contemporary Japanese social and historical currents through an examination of works by Japanese writers and filmmakers active today–primarily works created in the 21st Century. Themes considered will include youth culture and urban life; precarity and social critique through the lenses of class, ethnicity, and gender; and disaster and dystopia. Writers encountered will include Murakami Haruki, Kirino Natsuo, Kawakami Mieko, Murata Sayaka, Ogawa Yôko, and Tawada Yôko; filmmakers will include Koreeda Hirokazu, Anno Hideaki, Sono Sion, and Shinkai Makoto. No prerequisites; the class will be conducted in English and all works will be available in English translation or with English subtitles. HU. 1 credit.
(Cross-listed as ASIA 027 and LING 027 ) This course introduces the writing systems of East Asia, focusing specifically on those of Chinese, Korean, and Japanese. The course covers such topics as historical background and developments, adaptation of the Chinese script in regional varieties of Chinese and in the Korean and Japanese languages, popular and scholarly myths about the scripts, issues of literacy, and non-Sinitic script use in East Asia. The course is taught in English and prior knowledge of an East Asian language is not required. Humanities. 1 credit. Eligible for ASIA
This course aims to gain students’ understanding of how language use constructs, animates, and reproduces gender in our everyday lives. Japanese language is known to contain gendered linguistic elements, and Japanese norms of behavior have been considered to be highly gendered as well. How do Japanese speakers conform, utilize, and resist these norms in language use and interaction? How does the media use gendered language to create different characters? In what ways are the linguistic and cultural differences between Japanese and English translated? How do the differences affect the language use of multilingual speakers? Throughout the semester, we will investigate how social and cultural contexts give meaning to both linguistic practices and gender categories. Students will not only explore what we have learned about the language and gender over the past several decades but also consider how they can apply the findings and discussions into their own language use. Readings and discussion will be in English. Some knowledge of Japanese is recommended but not required for this course. Humanities. 1 credit.
JPNS 033Tokyo Central: The Metropolis in Modern Japanese Literature and Film1
(Cross-listed as LITR 033J ) This course aims to equip students to recognize and contextualize changing concepts of self and individual identity, family, community, and labor as represented in literature and film narratives depicting the urban center of modern Japan: Tokyo. Brief lectures on literary historical and historical contexts will precede guided discussions of literary texts and films. Students will be asked to consider, compare, and contrast representations of Tokyo and its inhabitants over time, using close reading, historicization, and visual critical strategies from film studies. In discussions we will also treat Tokyo’s relationship to the nation of Japan, other Japanese regions, East Asia, and the world. We will further assess how the course texts represent shifting views and experiences of the urban populace regarding family roles, romance, marriage, gender roles, socio-economic class and social status, social responsibility, consumerism, and leisure over the course of Japan’s modern history, from the late 19th century through to the present. Humanities. 1 credit. Eligible for ASIA
JPNS 035Narratives of Disaster and Rebuilding in Japan1
(Cross-listed as LITR 035J , ENVS 051 ) This course will explore documentary and fictional representations of the modern Japanese landscape and cityscape in crisis, with special attention to the role of the March 2011 earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster as a catalyst for change in contemporary Japan. Documentaries and fictionalizations of the 2011 “triple disaster” reignited debates over cultural trauma and the ethics of representing disaster. Through the study of literature, film, and critical discourse, we will examine the historical and cultural implications of such famous 20th-century disaster narratives as Godzilla and Japan Sinks, as well as the latest writing and films from Japan, in the context of public debates about safety, sustainability, and social change after the March 2011 tsunami and nuclear disaster. Readings and discussion will be in English. Humanities. 1 credit. Eligible for ASIA, ENVS
JPNS 036Environment, Cultural Memory, and Social Change in Japan1
(Cross-listed as PEAC 036 , ENVS 047 ) This course will explore the history, contemporary situation, and future possibilities regarding the interlinked realms of the environment, historical trauma, and social movements in Japan. Topics will include the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings and the subsequent peace and anti-nuclear movements, the environmental movement in Japan, and the “triple disaster” earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear power plant disaster in Fukushima and Northeastern Japan. We will also discuss how environmental issues intersect with other current social issues such as rural depopulation, an aging population, and gender and economic inequality, and study a variety of contemporary approaches to addressing these issues. Under the guidance of Lang Professor for Social Change Denise Crossan, we will study the theory and practice of social entrepreneurship as a vehicle for social change and explore applications of this model in Japan. In addition, throughout the semester we will engage with community partners in Japan, particularly in the Hiroshima area, through online exchanges and collaborative projects related to contemporary environmental and peace activism. Humanities. 1 credit. Eligible for ASIA, ASAM, GLBL-Paired
JPNS 041Fantastic Spaces in Modern Japanese Literature1
(Cross-listed as LITR 041J ) As Japanese society has transformed rapidly in the 20 th century and beyond, a number of authors have turned to the fantastic to explore the pathways of cultural memory, the vicissitudes of interpersonal relationships, the limits of mind and body, and the nature of story-telling itself. In this course we will consider the use of anti-realistic writing genres in Japanese literature from 1900 to the present, combining readings of novels and short stories with related critical and theoretical texts. Fictional works examined will include novels, supernatural tales, science fiction, and mysteries by such authors as Tanizaki Junichirô, Edogawa Rampo, Kurahashi Yumiko, and Murakami Haruki. Readings are in English; no previous background in Japanese language or culture is required. Humanities. Writing course. 1 credit. Eligible for ASIA
Language policy and planning is a fundamental aspect of society: it has the potential to enrich the quality of human lives or impose great conflicts and struggles in our everyday lives. Despite its image of homogeneity, Japanese society has a much linguistic diversity and a great number of linguistic minorities, including indigenous groups and immigrants; however, it is questionable if the society has provided a systematic support to maintain this diversity. Japan is also constantly facing the need to improve its language education, although, arguably, the attempts so far have been rather unsuccessful. This course aims to understand the current state of Japanese society in light of these political issues relevant to Japanese language.While learning the basic notions and theoretical approaches in language policy, the course will cover topics including historical aspects of language policy in Japan, linguistic minorities in Japan, legal issues of languages in Japan, and issues regarding Japanese language education as well as foreign/second/ heritage language education. Throughout the course, students are encouraged to critically consider the politics of using their own language as well as Japanese. Readings and discussion will be in English. Some knowledge of Japanese is recommended but not required for this course. Humanities. 1 credit. Eligible for ASIA
(Cross-listed as LITR 051J ) Japanese poetic forms such as haiku, renga, and tanka have had a great impact on modern poetry across the world, and have played a central role in the development of Japanese literature and aesthetics. This course will examine Japanese poetry from its roots in ancient oral tradition though the internet age. Topics include the role of poetry in courtship, communication, religion, and ritual; orality and the graphic tradition; the influence of poetic models from China and the West; social networks and game aesthetics in renga linked poetry; and haiku as a worldwide poetic form. Course projects will include translation and composition in addition to analytical writing. Readings will be in English, and there are no language requirements or other prerequisites; however, the course will include a close examination of Japanese poetic sound, syntax, meter, and diction, or how the poems “work” in the original language. Humanities. 1 credit.
JPNS 053Classical Japanese Literature and Language Change.1
Cross-listed as LING 013 . This course serves as an introduction to both Classical Japanese literature and the history of the Japanese language. Students will read selections of Classical Japanese texts in English with optional modern and classical Japanese renditions provided. Each class we will first discuss the content and relevance of the assigned reading before delving into passages from the original text to examine the linguistic structures of earlier Japanese and consider how the language has changed over time.
JPNS002 or permission from instructor. HU. 1 credit. Eligible for ASIA. Spring 2027. Bundschuh. Catalog chapter: Modern Languages and Literatures: Japanese Department website: https://www.swarthmore.edu/japanese Access the class schedule to search for sections.
JPNS 073Transnational Japanese Literature: Diversity and Diaspora in Modern Japanese Literature1
Cross-listed with LITR 073J This seminar-style course will challenge the myths of Japanese ethnic homogeny and cultural isolation and will explore how modern “Japanese” literature crosses national and cultural borders. Topics to be examined include Japanese authors writing from abroad, colonial and postcolonial literatures, migration and writing in the Japanese diaspora, and the writings of ethnic minorities in Japan, including writers from Okinawa and Japan’s resident Korean community. Readings and discussion will be in English but students with reading knowledge of Japanese will be encouraged to read works in the original. Humanities. 1 credit. Eligible for CPLT, ASIA, INTP, GLBL-paired.
JPNS 074Japanese Popular Culture and Contemporary Media1
(Cross-listed as LITR 074J ) Japanese popular culture products such as manga (comics), anime (animation), television, film, and popular music are an increasingly vital element of 21st-century global culture, attracting ardent fans around the world. In this course, we will critically examine the postwar development of Japanese popular culture, together with the proliferation of new media that have accelerated the global diffusion of popular cultural forms. Engaging with theoretical ideas and debates regarding popular culture and media, we will discuss the significance of fan cultures, including the “otaku” phenomenon in Japan and the United States, and consider how national identity and ethnicity impact the production and consumption of popular cultural products. We will also explore representations of technology in creative works, and consider the global and the local aspects of technological innovations, including the internet, mobile phones, and other portable technology. Readings and discussion will be in English. The course will be conducted in a seminar format with student research and presentations comprising an important element of the class. Previous coursework in Japanese studies or media studies is recommended but not required. Humanities. 1 credit. Eligible for ASIA, FMST
(Cross-listed as LITR 075J ) A lively and cosmopolitan modernist literature and art scene thrived in early 20th Century Japan, as cities such as Tokyo and Osaka grew rapidly, and writers and artists established connections with their counterparts across the globe. During the same decades, stylish “modern girls” and “modern boys” in Japanese cities were hailed in the press as avatars of newly liberated lifestyles and fashions, or derided by conservatives as the dupes of corrupt Western influences. This course will explore Japanese modernist literature, its global connections, and its social context, using a seminar format. Topics include: Japanese avant-garde literature, film, and art; gender, sexuality, and modernism; the politics and aesthetics of “modern” life and lifestyles; socialist and anarchist literature; “ero-guro-nonsense” as subversive literature; wartime censorship and propaganda; and Japanese influences on global modernisms. Readings and discussion will be in English; students with advanced Japanese reading ability are encouraged to read the texts in the original. Humanities. 1 credit. Eligible for ASIA
(Cross-listed as LITR 083J ) What was the Japanese experience of World War II and the Allied Occupation? We will examine literary works, films, and graphic materials (photographs, prints, advertisements, etc.), together with oral histories and historical studies, to seek a better understanding of the prevailing ideologies and intellectual struggles of wartime and postwar Japan as well the experiences of individuals living through the cataclysmic events of midcentury. Issues to be investigated include Japanese nationalism and imperialism; women’s experiences of the war and home front; changing representations and ideologies of the body; war writing and censorship; the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki; Japanese responses to the Occupation; and the war in postwar memory. The course readings and discussions will be in English. Humanities. 1 credit.
