Rediscover Okinawan (Ryukyuan) and Japanese culture, and share your discoveries with the world!

In the Department of Japanese Language and Culture, students study a wide range of cultural topics related to Okinawa and Japan, including language, literature, and the performing arts. Students also learn to improve various other skills needed to share Okinawan and Japanese culture with the increasingly globalized world of today: information and communications technology (ICT) skills, the ability to understand local communities, and foreign-language communication skills. In addition, with the goal of becoming language professionals, students undergo repeated training in reading, writing, and speaking, so that they acquire cultural knowledge, critical thinking and expression skills, and a capacity for self-realization. As a result, they become self-reliant and productive adults, professionals, and world citizens.


Department Characteristics

The department provides students with a broad-based and in-depth study of the cultures of Okinawa (Ryukyu) and Japan, and helps them acquire the knowledge, skills, and sensibility needed to describe and share that knowledge with the global community.

1. Students study the language, literature, and performing arts of Okinawa and Japan.
2. Students learn to research, read, evaluate, and express their ideas through active learning and individualized instruction in small-group seminars.
3. At the Writing Center, students can receive one-to-one instruction on their writing.
4. Students acquire basic adult skills, ICT skills, and the linguistic skills needed to competently deal with any situation that might arise in a business setting.
5. Students can receive training to become reputable and accomplished junior high or high school teachers.
6. Students can receive training to become Japanese-language teachers who are effective in this era of globalization and multiculturalism.
7. The department offers the only library and information science seminar in the prefecture for training students to become library specialists.

The Department of Japanese Language and Culture has the educational goal of furthering scholarship on Japanese culture and Ryukyuan culture. Specifically, the department carries out theoretical and practical education focusing on language and literature, with the aim of training
intelligent individuals who are deeply aware of their roles in the local, online, and global communities, who can enthusiastically perform in society, and who possess analytical ability, information-processing ability, the power of expression, communicative competence, and the ability to coexist with others. In accord with the department goals discussed above and Okinawa International University’s admission policy, the Department of Japanese Language and Culture seeks applicants with the following qualities:

1. Applicants who have an interest and desire to independently learn about language and literature, focusing on Japanese culture and Ryukyuan culture, in addition to learning about various modes of communication demanded during the global era.
2. Applicants who possess the basic academic abilities needed to pursue studies in the areas mentioned in the previous point.

The Department of Japanese Language and Culture offers a curriculum that helps students acquire specialized knowledge about Japanese culture, Ryukyuan culture, and cross-cultural communication, while also helping them to become educated, well-rounded individuals. The department offers over 100 subjects. In addition to its specialized subjects, the department also offers classes for acquiring teacher, librarian, school librarian, or Japanese-language teacher licenses or certifications.