This course aims to help you deepen the understanding of recent ‘globalization’ in Japan and develop overall Japanese communication skills at the same time. We will examine topics such as language shift, gender and identity, environmental issues, business practices, and media. The current circumstances of the globalization and the impact it has in the fields are analyzed and examined. Regular class activities include reading selected articles from online sources, newspaper, magazines, etc.; watching and listening to videos and news reports; and having discussion on the topics.