Japanese

Japanese section graduate with cap and gown standing in front of Clothier Bell Tower Japanese section graduates standing in a group

Department Overview

Japanese - 日本語

The Japanese program at Swarthmore College offers a range of courses in Japanese language, literature, and culture, which are integrated into a broad program of Asian Studies at Swarthmore College. We also provide further offerings in Japanese language, history, culture and society in the Tri-College 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.

Student of Japanese wins Study Abroad Photo Contest

Congratulations to Wendy Tan for her winning photo in the Study Abroad Photo Contest sponsored by the Office of Off-Campus Study! テンさん、おめでとうございます！

"I took this photo as I was descending Mt. Fuji, having climbed to the summit to see the sunrise. This view immediately made me forget how tired and cold I felt. It was one of the hardest things I've ever done and one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. これは富士山を登って日の出を見た後で撮った写真です。景色を見たらすぐに疲れて寒いのを忘れました。私の経験の中に一番難しかった事で、一番美しかった景色でした。" ~ Wendy Tan

mt fuji
Photo of four graduating Japanese language students and the section head, Will Gardner

日本語の卒業生、おめでとうございます！ Congratulations to our graduating Japanese Majors and Minors! From left to right: Yuxiang Wu, Art History '22; Clio Hamilton, Japanese Honors Minor, '22; Japanese Senior Lecturer Atsuko Suda; Japanese Special major Shirley Liu, '22; Japanese Professor Will Gardner.

Photo of students and faculty of the Japanese language program at a sushi restaurant.

Graduating Japanese major and minor students with Japanese faculty, spring 2022. From left to right: Will Gardner, Shirley Liu '22, Atsuko Suda, Yoshiko Jo, Clio Hamilton '22, John Bundschuh.

Picture of 2021 Japanese Majors and Minors
Photo of Japanese language students

Left to right: Rekha Crawford, Momoka Keicho (Japanese Minor), Sally Peng, Atsuko Suda, Yifan Peng (Japanese Minor), Yuxiang Wu, Emily Branam (Japanese Special Major and Japanese Honors Minor), and Ismail Can (Japanese Minor). Class of 2021 graduates

2020 Japanese Graduates
2019 Japanese Graduates

日本語・アジア研究の卒業生、おめでとうございます Congratulations to our graduating Japanese and Asian Studies Majors and Minors!
From right to left: Japanese Minor Wendy Tan '19, together with future majors and minors Adam Agustin '20, Siyuan Jiang, '21, and Emily Branam '21.

Class of '18 graduates

Class of '18 graduates and Japanese Section faculty: Akiko Imamura, Heidi Kalloo, Will Gardner, Christine Lee, Sushyam Ravi, Atsuko Suda, Gretchen Trupp, James Howard, Yoshiko Jo.

Heidi Kalloo, Japanese Honors Minor '18.

日本語・アジア研究の卒業生、おめでとうございます Congratulations to our graduating Japanese and Asian Studies Majors and Minors!

Heidi Kalloo, Japanese Honors Minor '18.

Christine Lee, Asian Studies Major '18

日本語・アジア研究の卒業生、おめでとうございます Congratulations to our graduating Japanese and Asian Studies Majors and Minors!

Christine Lee, Asian Studies Major '18.

Sushyam Ravi, Japanese Minor '18.

日本語・アジア研究の卒業生、おめでとうございます Congratulations to our graduating Japanese and Asian Studies Majors and Minors!

Sushyam Ravi, Japanese Minor '18.

James Howard, Japanese Minor '18.

日本語・アジア研究の卒業生、おめでとうございます Congratulations to our graduating Japanese and Asian Studies Majors and Minors!

James Howard, Japanese Minor '18.

Japanese Section Students

日本語・アジア研究の卒業生、おめでとうございます Congratulations to our graduating Japanese and Asian Studies Majors and Minors!

Yoshiko Jo, Simone Darkoa-Larbi '18, Clare Hanlon '18, Christine Lee '18, Robin Ye Linn Htun '18.

2017 graduating Japanese section students stand in a line, presenting certificates

Darbus Oldman, Matthew Sueda, Andrew Conant, and Thomas Vernier. Class of '17 graduates.

2017 graduating students and professors sitting at a dinner table.

Faculty and Class of '17 graduating students: Yoshiko Jo, Atsuko Suda, Matthew Sueda, David Wurtele, Briana Cox and Andrew Conant. 

Students stand with Professor Will Gardner at Commencement 2017

日本語・アジア研究の卒業生、おめでとうございます Congratulations to our graduating Japanese and Asian Studies Majors and Minors!

Tanner Lai, Matthew Sueda, and Briana Cox, class of '17 graduates.

Students stand with Professor Will Gardner at commencement 2017

日本語・アジア研究の卒業生、おめでとうございます Congratulations to our graduating Japanese and Asian Studies Majors and Minors!

Thomas Vernier and David Wurtele, class of '17 graduates.

2016 Graduates in Japanese

日本語・アジア研究の卒業生、おめでとうございます Congratulations to our graduating Japanese and Asian Studies Majors and Minors!

Samuel Mori '16, History Major and Asian Studies Minor, with Klarissa Khor '16, Course Major in Asian Studies and Honors Major in Mathematics with Honors Minor in Asian Studies.

2015 Graduates in Japanese

日本語・アジア研究の卒業生、おめでとうございます Congratulations to our graduating Japanese and Asian Studies Majors and Minors!

Haruka Funabiki, Prof. Will Gardner, Sanaa Ali-Virani (Japanese Special Major), Chun Hei Wong (Japanese Minor), Daniel Moon (Japanese Minor), Danielle Delpeche (Asian Studies Major). Class of '15 graduates.

2015 Graduates in Japanese-2

日本語・アジア研究の卒業生、おめでとうございます Congratulations to our graduating Japanese and Asian Studies Majors and Minors!

Myung Jun Kim, Chun Hei Wong (Japanese Minor), Hyoung Keun Kwon, Prof. Will Gardner, Sanaa Ali-Virani (Japanese Special Major), Gabe Benjamin (Japanese Special Major), Haruka Funabiki. Class of '15 graduates.

日本語の卒業生、おめでとうございます！ Congratulations to our graduating Japanese Majors and Minors! From left to right: Yuxiang Wu, Art History '22; Clio Hamilton, Japanese Honors Minor, '22; Japanese Senior Lecturer Atsuko Suda; Japanese Special major Shirley Liu, '22; Japanese Professor Will Gardner.

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Autumn Ding: "My Japanese Family"

In her Digital Storytelling class project, Autumn Ding tells about her experience taking Beginning Japanese at Swarthmore.

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