This course aims to deepen understanding of Japanese society and culture and develop Japanese communication skills at the same time. The overall theme of the course is Japan’s Soft Power. We will explore some of the current soft power that Japan could use and discuss the potential as a means to increase its international presence. As a source of the soft power, we will look into the Japanese cultural products that are popular among youth, such as anime, manga, computer games, and pop music to discuss their characteristics, uniqueness, and reasons of popularity. Students will read articles from various sources and discuss the current trend of these cultural products and their influence on youth, domestic and beyond, analyzing their roles as Japan’s soft power. Study of intermediate and advanced grammar and expressions will be integrated into the course work.