About the BCL Program

The BCL Program has been especially designed for students from Senshu’s sister universities and offers them a general understanding of not only the Japanese language but also how Japanese business works, how the Japanese people think, and what life in Japan is. The program starts in the middle of September and ends in the middle of December. It consists of three courses, Japanese Business, Japanese Culture & History, and Japanese Language with the first two being taught in English. The Japanese Language Course is offered to international students, including individual participants, who wish to learn the language intensively, and it features class levels ranging from beginner to advanced.

This course has three objectives. The first is to provide a theoretical framework of Japanese-style business practice, mainly through lectures. The second is to give students opportunities to analyze Japanese companies through company visits and our third objective is the completion of group research. Following these objectives, three course components have been organized; namely, Lectures (Core Courses and Topics), Company Visits, and a Group Research Project.

Through the lectures, students will learn Japanese business concepts and methods of operation. Core courses include for example; Japan’s Strategic Culture, Strategies of Japanese Companies, Japanese Marketing & Distribution Systems, Financial Accounting Systems in Japan and Lectures on Japanese Economy. From the topical lectures, students will learn about Japanese business custom and practices, alternative views on Japan’s persistent stagnation, Asian financial cooperation and The Role of Japan, etc.

In extracurricular activities, students will visit companies, factories, or business institutions located in the metropolitan area. Corporation officers will give company presentations and show their workplaces. In previous years students visits have included Panasonic, one of the largest household appliance companies; Mitsui-Sumitomo Marine & Fire Insurance, one of the largest insurance companies; Bank of Japan; Tokyo Stock Exchange; Futaba Inc., one of the Edo Dyeing.

Research Project
For the group research project, classes will be divided into small groups of three students.  During the semester each group will be required to research companies and its related business in Tokyo through ‘company visits.’  Each area has an original and unique character coming from its own distinctive history, culture and urban planning.  At the end of the term, they will make a short presentation.  More detailed information will be announced upon arrival.

The goal of this course is to learn about Japanese culture and history from various points of view through lectures given by different instructors through fieldtrips and cultural activities. Lectures cover subjects including both pre and modern Japanese history, such as the origin of the Japanese people, the history of the medieval central authority, the warrior culture history, contact with the west, up through the pre and post war history in the 20th century, as well as various aspects of Japanese culture. Specific lectures in the past included the Japanese Culture in the Japanese Language, Japanese University Students’ Educational Attitudes, Beliefs, and Classroom Behaviors, Media and Culture in Japan, Understanding Misunderstanding: Non-verbal Communication and Japanese, etc.

Through field trips, students will have opportunities to visit places of cultural interest. At the Edo-Tokyo museum they will get to know the transition of early and modern history and folk culture. At the National Theater they will experience traditional play by Kabuki. Furthermore, there will be an overnight trip to Hakone to see Mt. Fuji, visit sulfurous hot springs called Owakudani, and visit old shrines.

Students will also have opportunities to participate in Sa-do, the traditional Tea Ceremony, where they will learn how to bow, stand, walk, open the door, make tea, drink in Tatami room in the traditional form. They will also be able to try their hand in Sho-do, Japanese traditional calligraphy.

The purpose of this course is to equip students with basic Japanese as well as over-all language communication skills and some knowledge of Japanese culture.

5 or 6 different levels of classes will be held according to the abilities of the students. Each class will have a maximum of 12 students. Through the results of placement tests, students will put the appropriate level.

Regarding the class hours, there are four 50 minute classes Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:50 p.m.

For Beginners of the Japanese Language, practice sheets will be sent before the program around July to those who have little or no knowledge of the language. With the practice sheets, students are able to master Hiragana (50 Japanese characters), 1 to 10 Kanji and basic daily greetings in advance before starting the classes at Senshu.

Upon completion of the course, all students are expected to be able to make a short presentation on topic they have selected, such as the cultural differences between their country and Japan in various categories, the introduction what the students are interested in, etc.