This course will introduce you to the major topics of Japanese linguistics. No prior experience in linguistics is required. In this course, you will learn many new linguistics concepts and methods of analysis which you will then apply in homework and in-class exercises. By the end of the course, you will be familiar with basic linguistic concepts and be able to apply acquired methods to objectively and critically discuss questions and problems related to the Japanese language. Although all topics will be explored using Japanese as the primary target language of analysis, this course is also meant to stimulate your curiosity about all languages around you, and help you discover possible connections between linguistics and your other interests.

This course focuses on the intersection of Japanese culture, food, and literature. This is an interdisciplinary course designed to integrate perspectives on the history, aesthetics, practices and tastes of food in Japan. It encourages analytic thinking (e.g., weighing evidence, establishing connections) and effective expression (writing and speaking cogently) on food and culture as they are experienced and expressed in Japan’s past and present. The topics covered will range from food production and consumption to religious and artistic representations and the construction of cultural identities.