This course is designed for students with knowledge of basic grammatical structures and about 500 kanji and their combinations. It aims to deepen understanding of Japanese society and culture while enhancing Japanese communication skills. The overall theme of the course is Japan’s Soft Power. We will look into some of the current soft power Japan utilizes and how Japan could exercise it more effectively as a means to increase its international presence. Particularly, we will examine some of Japan’s cultural products that are popular among young generation, 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 those cultural products and their influence on youth, domestic and beyond, analyzing the role of Japanese soft power in the international society. Study of intermediate and advanced grammar and expressions will be integrated into the course work.