What can I do with a Japanese degree?

The Japanese language has a cultural and business reach that extends far beyond the country’s borders and has over 120 million native speakers.

Benefits

In addition to improving your language skills, undertaking a degree in Japanese opens up a wide range of employment opportunities on graduation, as well as allowing you to gain a thorough understanding of the country – its history, its art and Japanese society.

In addition, many degree programmes will offer opportunities for exchanges, which will allow you to experience living and studying Japan. This will broaden your personal horizons as well as your career prospects, demonstrating your adaptability to future employers.

 

What can I do as a graduate in Japanese?

 

There’s a wide range of career pathways that are open to you, having studied a language at university level. For starters, you can explore some of the more traditional language related professions, such as translation and interpreting, or working in teaching – whether that’s getting across your passion for the Japanese language and culture or becoming an English teacher in Japan.

Beyond these, the communication skills, problem-solving and international perspective you pick up over the course of your degree make you an ideal candidate for a career in media, as well as jobs in tourism or diplomacy. This is especially the case with Japanese, a less common language degree choice than the likes of Spanish or French, meaning you’ll be standing out in the job market.

 

What are the other career options ?

Another pathway that graduates in Japanese could undertake is within the legal industry – international law firms highly value language skills, and with a postgraduate conversion course you could pursue a career as a solicitor or a barrister.

With several firms establishing offices in Tokyo – including White & Case and Clifford Chance – there’s no shortage of placements on offer for legal trainees, with your knowledge of Japanese making you an ideal candidate.