Minor

For complete information about minoring, see the online catalog.


The Japanese Minor allows students to engage in rigorous language and cultural study while pursuing their chosen major.  Many students in Asian Studies choose to pursue a Japanese minor, as do students in such diverse majors as Biology, Physics, International Affairs, English. In fact, the Japanese minor can be paired with any major on campus. 

Requirements

A minimum of 20 semester credits (five courses) beyond 202, distributed as follows:

  • JAPN 230 Introduction to Japanese Literature in Translation or JAPN 290 Topics in Japanese Literature in Translation.
  • A minimum of 16 credits from the following on-campus courses or approved equivalents from an overseas program:
    • JAPN 251, 252 Japanese Conversation (if two courses are taken)
    • JAPN 310 Readings and Composition in Japanese
    • JAPN 320 Readings and Composition in Japanese
    • JAPN 410 Advanced Readings in Japanese:  Society and Culture
    • JAPN 420 Advance Readings in Japanese: Fiction and Nonfiction
    • At least one 4-semester-credit language course must be taken on campus.
    • At least 12 semester credits must be exclusive to the minor (may not be used in any other set of major or minor requirements).
    • Participation in an overseas program in Japan is highly recommended.
      Osaka
      Sapporo
      Fukuoka

Outside the Classroom

  • Company visits: You have an opportunity to visit a Japanese company in the Portland metropolitan area every April, giving you a chance to use your Japanese language skills and gain knowledge about the Japanese business world.
  • Toyama Cup Speech Contest: Toyama Prefecture and Oregon have been Sister States for over 30 years. This annual event, which brings together university students from all over Oregon, southwest Washington, and Idaho, is extremely competitive. In 2022, Lucas Carmichael-Tanaka ’23 took second place in the upper division. In 2021, Helen Cecile Nowatka BA ’22 took first place in the lower division and Armando Montoya Rodriguez BA ’22 took third place in the upper division.
  • Intercultural communication in the community: Members from the Japanese Chamber of Commerce in Portland visit Lewis & Clark for casual roundtable discussions with students learning Japanese and Japanese national students on campus.
  • Japan Night: This is a campus-wide annual event to celebrate Japanese culture with food and activities such as calligraphy, a fashion show, singing, and dancing.
  • Japan Club: This is one of the most active clubs on campus. Monthly movie nights with Japanese snacks and various activities draw both American and Japanese students. Some students have found a comfortable place in the Japan Club community.
  • Japanese Language Table: Once a week you have the opportunity to meet with our Japanese language assistant, who is a native speaker of Japanese, sometimes over dinner, sometimes at a game table. This provides a relaxed atmosphere for conversation practice.
  • Publish your Japanese writing: The world languages and literatures department annually publishes a beautiful booklet called Polyglot . Our students in Japanese always contribute to it.