Japanese culture has had a profound influence on the contemporary Western world through science, technology, fashion and popular culture, as well as through language and literature.
At Victoria University of Wellington you’ll get a comprehensive education in spoken and written Japanese from your first hiragana, ‘a’, to full written compositions and conversations.
Start learning to speak the language straight away through classes, fun tutorials and a variety of multimedia learning resources. Learn about Japanese culture and literature in a journey that will take you from the distant past to the near future.
Make the most of Wellington’s Japanese community attend monthly free movies and cultural activities at the nearby Japanese Embassy, and enter local and national speech competitions.
If you love Japan’s culture and want to learn a whole new alphabet, studying Japanese is right for you
Broaden your mind with the wide-ranging opportunities you’ll get from postgraduate study in Japanese language and culture.
Choose from a range of study options. You can concentrate on coursework through a Postgraduate Diploma in Arts, mix coursework and research in the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) and take your research skills to the next level by doing a Master’s or PhD thesis.
With research opportunities that cross a range of disciplines, you’ll be able to investigate the areas you’re most interested in, build a deeper understanding of the culture and language and set yourself on the path to an academic career.
Studying in the School of Languages and Cultures, you’ll learn from staff with international reputations for teaching, research and publishing.
You can also build your expertise in both the language itself and in Second Language Learning and Teaching through the 180-point Master of Arts.