2.1 Students develop a comprehensive understanding, appreciation, and knowledge of Japanese culture: perspectives (ideas, beliefs, attitudes, values, philosophies), practices (patterns of social interactions) and products (both tangible and intangible, for example, art, history, literature, music).
2.2 Students develop analytical and critical thinking in areas such as how Japan’s cultural background influences modern Japanese life, how to compare their own culture with the Japanese culture, or how Japanese culture relates to other world cultures in an age of global inter-relatedness.
Classes that fulfill MLO 2
JAPN 300 Introduction to Advanced Communication JAPN 307 Japan-American Experience JAPN 313 Manga, Anime, & Modern Japan Study Abroad
Reflective Narrative
2.1 During my studies both here at CSU Monterey Bay, as well as abroad at Osaka Gakuin University, I was able gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of not only my major as a Japanese language and culture major, but also of my heritage. I had taken a variety of culture courses ranging in topics such as; manga and anime, Japanese fine arts, Japanese-American history, cool japan, among others. One of the course that I felt helped me gain a better appreciation of Japanese pop culture was the manga and anime class. While, for most people, their main interest towards Japanese language and culture stems from manga and anime, I did not care for the art forms. Through the course I learned about the history, and beauty of the manga and anime. For example I was able to reflect on what various articles that we read in class such as this reading reflection. While I still do not watch anime or read manga, I did gain a deeper appreciation. Another course I also gained a better knowledge of Japanese culture was the Japanese fine arts course I took while studying abroad. This course taught me about the various fine arts throughout history in Japan. While you can learn about the various arts through textbooks, videos, and photos, I was able to gain a much better appreciation through the hands on approach of the course. Furthermore, I was able to gain a better understanding about the various aspects that can effect Japanese culture through the Japan: land and people class.
2.2 Another thing I learned how to do during my studies as a Japanese language and culture major was how to analyze the various aspects of Japanese culture and how it plays a part in my own life, as well as on the global stage. As someone of Japanese heritage, I was able to compare my own experience as a Japanese-American to that of the traditional Japanese culture. One of the classes that helped facilitate this was my JAPN307: Japanese American Experience. This was because I was able to see how those of Japanese descent living in the United States have assimilate over the decades and generations. Also this was further enhanced by my capstone about Japanese-American identity. Also while studying abroad I took a course called the study of comparative cultures. Through this course we studied about how Japanese culture, both traditional and modern, play a role internationally. During this course we talked about how Japanese culture compares to our own cultures. Due to the fact that this course meant for international students we had many different nationalities so I was able to gain a better understand of how Japanese culture compares to others.