Creative Arts and Japanese
Creative arts and Japanese is an unusual and genuinely enriching combination that brings together practical and critical engagement with artistic practice on one side and the study of one of the world's most complex and culturally rich languages on the other. The creative arts cover a broad range of practice, from fine art, drawing, and print to performance, film, and digital media, and the critical and contextual frameworks that surround that practice. Japanese opens up not only a language spoken by over 125 million people but access to a cultural tradition that has had profound and lasting influence on visual art, design, animation, literature, film, and popular culture worldwide.
At the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, this four-year programme develops your abilities in both disciplines with the seriousness that each demands. You will develop practical and theoretical skills in the creative arts alongside a structured progression in the Japanese language, from foundational grammar and vocabulary through to the more complex written forms. SOAS's particular strengths in Asian and African studies mean that the Japanese component is embedded in a rich environment of area expertise and intercultural scholarship.
The programme includes a foundation year for students who benefit from building their academic and creative skills before entering the main degree, making it accessible to a wider range of applicants.
Graduates from this combination are well placed for careers that sit at the intersection of creative practice and cultural mediation. Working in arts organisations, cultural exchanges, international media, design, fashion, or the games and animation industries, where Japanese cultural production is globally significant, are all natural directions. Roles in translation, cultural diplomacy, teaching English as a foreign language, and international business are also open to graduates with strong Japanese language skills.
Further study in Japanese studies, creative arts, or arts management is a natural progression for those who want to deepen their expertise.