Social Anthropology and Japanese

Social Anthropology and Japanese is a combination that uses the tools of social and cultural anthropology to engage deeply with one of the world's most studied and most complex societies. Japan has been a major subject of anthropological enquiry for decades, attracting researchers interested in questions of kinship and family structure, gender roles, corporate culture, religious practice, the relationship between tradition and modernity, and the distinctive ways in which Japanese society has navigated globalisation. Studying Japanese anthropologically means approaching the society through both linguistic immersion and theoretical frameworks that reveal structures which simple cultural enthusiasm might miss.

At the School of Oriental and African Studies, which has one of the strongest profiles in both Asian studies and social anthropology in the UK, this four-year full-time programme includes a foundation year, providing additional academic preparation before the full degree curriculum. You will develop Japanese language skills progressively from an appropriate starting point, working towards a level of proficiency that allows genuine engagement with Japanese cultural and social material in the original language. Alongside the language, you will study social anthropology's core methods and theories, applying them to Japanese society and to comparative perspectives across Asia and beyond.

Graduates of Social Anthropology and Japanese programmes are well placed for careers in international business and finance with Japan, diplomacy, cultural institutions, NGOs, journalism, education, and academic research. The combination of Japanese language proficiency and social science analytical training is genuinely rare and highly valued in professional contexts where engagement with Japan is central. Many graduates also pursue postgraduate study in Japanese studies, anthropology, or area studies.