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The Department of Japanese Studies (JAS) of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) celebrates the 20th anniversary of its founding and the 44th year since courses on Japanese society, culture and language were first offered at CUHK. 

A Leading Research and Education Hub of Japanese Studies

JAS is dedicated to education and research about Japan and its regional relationships with countries such as China and Korea from inter-disciplinary perspectives.  JAS explores Japan through the academic disciplines of anthropology, cultural history, film studies, international relations, linguistics, popular culture studies and sociology. 

The department is also a leading research unit that explores the historical and contemporary relationships between Japan, mainland China and Hong Kong. Its professors are known for their research comparing Japan, mainland China, and Hong Kong in the areas of history, film studies, politics, international relations, linguistics, and anthropology. JAS faculty members publish widely in international journals in English, Japanese and Chinese, and actively present papers in international conferences around the world. 

'The recent disasters in Japan of 11 March 2011 demonstrated the many ways in which Japan, mainland China and Hong Kong are interrelated and interdependent in terms of economies, tourism, social issues and a shared environment. The disaster also underscored the importance of inter-disciplinary studies, as our world can only be understood through a combination of perspectives that involves politics, economics, social and cultural issues, and history,' said Dr. Lynne Nakano, chairman of JAS. 'Importantly, the disaster demonstrated our department's leadership role between Japan, the Hong Kong-Japanese community, and the Hong Kong community as JAS staff and students worked together to disseminate information to the public about Japan and coordinated fundraising to help the victims of the 11 March natural disaster.' 

The JAS mission is to provide students with a rigorous education that combines a critical perspective of Japanese society and culture, and the region with high levels of Japanese language ability. To achieve this, the department pioneered the one-year exchange programme in Japan and has established extensive networks with top universities in Japan including nearly all of the 'Global 30' universities designated by the Japanese government to lead Japan's internationalization efforts. In 2011–2012 academic year, the department will introduce new exchange partners to its students including top schools such as Osaka University, Kyoto University, Hitotsubashi University, Meiji University and Waseda University. All JAS students are offered scholarships and financial aid to enable them to study in Japan. 

New Plans

JAS is pleased to announce plans for two streams for major students beginning in 2011–2012, namely 'Japanese Business and Management' and 'Japan in Global Perspective', which are the first-of-its-kind in Hong Kong. In the 'Japanese Business and Management' stream, students will be able to take courses from both the Management Department and JAS. This will give students a highly competitive position in the job market as Japanese-speakers who are familiar with management concepts and business practices. The second proposed stream, 'Japan in Global Perspective', allows students to take courses from the Sociology Department, the Anthropology Department, and JAS. These new offerings are in keeping with CUHK's aims of encouraging inter-disciplinary, inter-departmental, and inter-faculty training. Such training will help its students and its graduates become more flexible and creative as they address the problems of our inter-connected world. 

A new MA Programme in Japanese Studies is also planned for 2012-2013 to provide rigorous training in Japanese studies for students with and without previous background in Japanese language and culture. 

Distinguished Graduates Serving the Community

The department distinguishes itself among its counterparts by the outstanding levels of language ability achieved by its graduates, and its students enjoy nearly universal job placement upon graduation. 

JAS graduates are successful in diverse fields including business, banking, education, tourism, and government, and a significant number pursue further studies. They hold MA, MBA, JD and PhD degrees from institutions in Hong Kong and overseas. JAS students use the education in Japanese Studies to explore Japan and develop critical, analytical and communicative skills. Upon graduation, they enter professions that suit their interests and characters, and use their language and life-long learning skills to contribute to their fields. JAS is committed to educating students who are dedicated to building relationships between Japan, Hong Kong and mainland China, and who thus serve Hong Kong, the region and the world. 

Past Developments and Achievements

In 1967, CUHK established a Japanese Studies section offering minor and elective courses, and as demand for these courses grew, in 1991, a multi-disciplinary major programme was established offering comprehensive academic training in Japanese studies and language. In the past 20 years, the department has sent approximately 500 major students to Japan for one-year academic exchange programmes, and has sent over 1,000 minor and elective students overseas – primarily to Japan – in short-term summer programmes. 

Interest in Japan continues to grow at CUHK, and last year 3,000 students from every department at the University enrolled in the language and non-language courses offered by JAS.To serve community needs and expand academic development, in the 2000s, JAS developed two postgraduate programmes, a research-based MPhil Programme and a MA Programme in Japanese Language and Teaching.