The Japanese Language Department at Tunghai University was established in 1992 and was the first to be established in Central Taiwan.Before the establishment of the department, Japanese language education existed as a unit within Tunghai University’s foreign language department. Japanese courses were the second foreign language to be made available at Tunghai University.

In 2006, with a foundation of over 10 years of experience, the department founded the first Japanese language graduate program in Central Taiwan.The program currently consists of 15 full-time faculty members.

In response to the constant evolution of modern societies, the department added interdisciplinary courses to its solid foundation in Japanese language training. The department now offers interdisciplinary courses in two major areas – language and culture. In order to better reflectthe department’s teaching focus, the Japanese Language Department was officially changed to the Department of Japanese Language and Culture in August of 2012.

The master’s program was founded in 2006 with the aim of upholding the educational philosophy of the University and fostering communication and exchange of talents. The program has expanded its scope of study from ‘Taiwan and Japan’ to “Taiwan and Japan as the main axis of East Asia” and Japan-related studies. The objective of this expansion is to cultivate students with a wider historical perspective and to develop their ability to engage in Trans-Regional Interaction in the East Asian region, with a focus on Taiwan-Japan relations as the main axis.

Can Japanese language students only work in Japanese companies after graduation? Or are they Japanese teachers? Actually, those are just some of the options. Our department trains students to understand, collect, and inquire about various kinds of information in Japanese, and to think independently and solve problems, which can be utilized in a variety of workplaces. Examples include: marketing, editing, advertising copywriting, administrative work, overseas Chinese language teaching, and tourism services.