Program Overview

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Waseda Winter Session

The Waseda Winter Session is a program offered by Waseda University, providing students with the opportunity to explore various aspects of Japanese culture, business, and society.

About the Program

The program includes a range of courses, extracurricular activities, and cultural experiences designed to give students a comprehensive understanding of Japan.

Courses

The following courses are available:

• Business I: Strategy and Innovation in Japanese Companies
• Business II: Cross-Cultural Management: Japan and the Global Context
• Culture I: Japanese Popular Culture: Globalization, Cultural production / Consumption and Creative Ecology
• Culture II: Introduction to Japanese Management: A Cultural Perspective from the lens of Japanese Studies
• Literature and Art I: The Postwar
• Literature and Art II: Murakami Haruki, Miyazaki Hayao and the Politics of Culture in Japan from the Bubble to the Present

Course Descriptions

Business I: Strategy and Innovation in Japanese Companies

This course examines strategic decision-making and innovation in Japanese firms, using case studies of leading companies to explore transformation, digitalization, and long-term strategic thinking.

Business II: Cross-Cultural Management: Japan and the Global Context

This course will examine how cultural factors influence management practices, communication, leadership, and teamwork in and with Japanese organizations.

Culture I: Japanese Popular Culture: Globalization, Cultural production / Consumption and Creative Ecology

This course is centered around an interdisciplinary area studies approach to studying Japanese popular culture, examining the ideas of globalization, the ethnography and ecology of creative production, and the mechanisms of dissemination.

Culture II: Introduction to Japanese Management: A Cultural Perspective from the lens of Japanese Studies

This course introduces the historical and sociocultural development of present Japanese management practices and systems, aiming to equip students with a better understanding of Japanese business people and corporate culture.

Literature and Art I: The Postwar

Using novels and films from the period covering 1945 to the 1970s, this course will introduce students to the major historical, intellectual, and artistic currents of postwar Japan.

Literature and Art II: Murakami Haruki, Miyazaki Hayao and the Politics of Culture in Japan from the Bubble to the Present

This course will examine the works of the novelist Murakami Haruki and the animator Miyazaki Hayao within the context of contemporary Japanese aesthetics and history.

Course Schedule

Currently under preparation.

Credits

Students can choose 2 courses out of 6 courses, with each course worth 2 credits.

Grading Policies

The student's academic performance is assessed according to four different criteria: class participation, attendance, assignments, and exams. The grading scale is as follows:

• 90-100: A+
• 80-89: A
• 70-79: B
• 60-69: C
• 0-59: F

Credit System and Transfer

Credit System

Students can earn 2 credits through 1 regular course, with each class being 100 minutes long and held 14 times.

Credit Transfer

Waseda University will issue an official academic transcript for participants. Students who wish to transfer the Winter Session program credits are advised to consult with the appropriate academic authorities at their home institutions in advance.

Extracurricular Activities

The following activities are available:

• Kusatsu Field Trip: A two-day trip to the Kusatsu area, exploring natural and cultural landmarks.
• Takaosan (Mount Takao) Hiking Tour: A one-day hiking trip to Mount Takao.
• Imperial Palace Run: A running event using the outer perimeter of the Imperial Palace.