Welcome to Japanese at Swarthmore College! We offer a range of courses in Japanese language, literature, and culture, which are integrated into a broad program of Asian Studies at Swarthmore College and further offerings in Japanese language, history, culture and society in the Trico Community.

Students of Japanese can take advantage of a rich environment for language study, including intensive introductory language courses, language tables and chat hours with native speakers, multimedia resources, and opportunities for study abroad. Explore this site for more information on our faculty, courses, special events, and study abroad options.

Featured Link: Japanese Lantern Slides from the E. Raymond Wilson Collection, Swarthmore College Peace Collection

The 257 hand-tinted lantern slides in this collection were gathered by E. Raymond Wilson while he was in Japan from Sept. 1926 to Sept. 1927, having been awarded the Japanese Brotherhood Scholarship for study and the building of friendships. The collection is part of Swarthmore College's Peace Collection and can be browsed or searched online.

fisher and sunsetwomen fencing

Above left, a sunset scene of a fisherman; above right, two women practice martial arts with bamboo sticks.

Featured Course: JPS 017/LITR 017J. The World of Japanese Drama and Performance

This team-taught course will explore Japan's unique dramatic and performing arts traditions, combining the study of dramatic texts and their historical and cultural background led by Professor Gardner with practical exercises and discussions on movement and performance led by Cornell Visiting Professor Isaburoh Hanayagi, a master of Japanese classical dance, and an expert on kabuki, folk dance, and taiko drumming. Japanese performing arts are deeply influenced by Buddhist, Shintô, and shamanistic religious ideas and incorporate rich elements of the Japanese literary tradition. The course will aim to give insight onto these diverse cultural and philosophical elements of Japanese music, dance, and drama and will also explore the training traditions and social world of performers such as geisha, noh actors, and kabuki actors. No previous knowledge of performance or Japanese language, history, or culture is required.

Fall 2008. Gardner and Hanayagi.
1 credit.

Photo: Tamagawa taiko and dance ensemble, led by Cornell Visiting Professor Isaburoh Hanayagi, performs in Lang Concert Hall, spring 2007.

Tamagawa taiko ensemble