Perceptions of Japan Through Foreign News Media

Cultivating globally minded students is a key objective of the education on offer in the Literature Department (文学部) at Aichi University. The need for young people to understand Japan’s role in the world and to develop their perspectives on how the country should change is more important than ever.

To do this, a four-part series of seminar courses (欧米言語文化演習Ⅰ～Ⅳ) is on offer in the Contemporary International English major (現代国際英語専攻).

The central theme is: Japan Seen From the Outside. The purpose of these seminar courses is to have students understand how foreign news organizations present news topics related to social, political, and economic issues in Japan.

Some of the topics covered in these courses include: population decline, labor shortages, immigration, working women, education reform, and corporate culture. Through a series of research projects, discussion sessions, presentations, and reports, students learn how to critically assess the information presented to them and how to formulate their own opinions regarding various challenges facing contemporary Japanese society.

Finally, students must contemplate possible solutions to particular problems of their choosing and learn how to defend their positions by citing relevant sources. If you are motivated to really push your English ability to the next level and become confident discussing issues that are relevant to Japan’s future, I recommend you consider taking these courses.