About this program

Japanese is the official language of the world's third strongest economy and is spoken by more than 122 million people. Through innovative teaching approaches, Japanese majors acquire a strong and well-rounded foundation in Japanese language, culture, literature and linguistics, including Classical Japanese. Students become conversant in many facets of Japanese humanities both past and present. Besides language, strengths include early, medieval and modern Japanese literature and culture, Japanese linguistics and popular culture.

Why study Japanese at Ohio State?

The Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures offers a multi-track program in Japanese language that is nationally known for its quality. There are a number of study abroad opportunities as well as scholarships and financial aid available. The Japanese Language Program includes five levels of instruction in three formats.

What can you do with this degree? 

Mastery of Japanese allows students to consider careers in such fields as education, government, international trade, banking, print or electronic media, tourism, or art. Many employers are eager to hire graduates who are fluent in Japanese because their businesses involve Japanese speakers. Careers in which Japanese is the primary emphasis include teaching Japanese at all levels; interpreting and translating for the United Nations, government, or for private and public organizations; and a variety of positions in the travel and tourism industry at home or abroad such as flight attendant, travel agent and tour guide.

Careers in which proficiency in Japanese is a good secondary tool include banking and finance, business, sales, export purchasing, foreign market analysis, journalism, foreign correspondence, science and research, library science, hotel management, publishing, radio broadcasting, and teaching English to Japanese speakers.