This course aims to develop professional/academic Japanese communication skills while studying the subject, “The potential of Japan’s public diplomacy: the roles of cultural and business activities.” Public diplomacy, translated as対市民外交 or 広報外交 in Japanese, is a diplomatic strategy pursued by various parties, such as the government, non-governmental organizations, private companies to communicate and engage meaningfully with foreign public and thereby develop better diplomatic relationships. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan has been looking to the impact of practicing public diplomacy, hoping that Japan’s cultural and technological capabilities could create strong appeals overseas, which would eventually help enhance Japan’s diplomatic capacity. In this course, we will study, analyze, and discuss (1) what is “public diplomacy,” (2) what resources Japan could utilize to implement public diplomacy, focusing on the cultural and business activities, and (3) whether and how Japan can make use of the potential to improve diplomatic relations with other countries. Students will be asked to extensively read/watch authentic resources such as newspaper articles, magazines, online articles, TV programs, etc. to explore the subject. Study of advanced grammar, expressions and idioms, strategical reading and writing, professional presentation skills are integrated into the course work.