香港中文大学

The major programme in Japanese Studies is an intensive and rigorous undergraduate programme that includes training in both Japanese language and in Japanese culture and society. The highlight of the program is a year of study at a university in Japan as an exchange student. The Department has exchange partner relationships with over 19 top universities in Japan in areas such as Kyushu, Nagoya, Osaka, Kyoto, and Tokyo. Students may apply for scholarships to help cover expenses of the exchange program. In addition to attending classes in Japan, all students are expected to complete a major field-research project and, based on this research, to submit a final-year project in their third-year of study. In the first and second years of study, major students are required to take courses in Japanese language (available for students with different levels of previous training), Japanese culture and society, and field-research methods. The third-year is spent in Japan. In their forth year of study, students return to the Chinese University where they meet with their research supervisors to write their final-year project, and take elective courses in Japanese language and studies, along with other courses required by the University.

The programme provides intensive Japanese language courses and a wide variety of Japanese social and cultural courses. Another unique feature not found in comparable programmes in other universities is the one-year mandatory exchange programme to Japan, which Ada found to be most valuable: ‘Our programme makes sure every student has the ability to go on exchange to Japan for one year. A wide range of partner universities is available (21 top universities in Japan), and we are able to have in-depth cultural exchange with local Japanese students and other exchange students around the world. I went to Hitotsubashi University for one year. I encountered and enjoyed many cultural shocks. I also found my Japanese improved a lot because I had more opportunities to talk with local Japanese.’

The training is not confined to language drills but includes the historical, social and cultural facets of Japanese society and culture. Ada gave an example: ‘I did not understand why the Japanese always remain polite until I took a course about Japanese society. I finally understood that it is because Japan is a vertical society that puts a huge emphasis on hierarchy. It is eye-opening and I was made aware of some of the reasons behind the interesting but sometimes perplexing surface of Japanese behaviours and social phenomena.’

According to Professor Ng, graduates from Japanese Studies build their careers in various fields, e.g., government, trading, banking and finance, tourism, etc. Ada is going to work in a consulting firm in Tokyo after graduation. She believes the programme has prepared her adequately both linguistically and culturally: ‘I have a comprehensive understanding of traditional Japanese culture in the business environment. I think I’m capable of adapting to the Japanese workplace and getting along with Japanese colleagues and clients in order to develop my career in future.’