Located strategically on the Pacific Rim, Canada and in particular British Columbia have enjoyed close historical, cultural and economic ties with Japan for over a century. After World War II, Japan underwent rapid economic growth becoming one of Canada's major trading partners. Japan's relationship with Canada as well as its position as a dominant economic power in Asia makes learning Japanese a logical choice if your long term goals include participation, commercially and professionally, in the global economy of the 21st century.

An invitation to learn Japanese

Your time spent learning Japanese at Langara College will acquaint you with a rich and stimulating culture and provide you with the tools necessary to communicate and experience it more fully.

For example, if you are attracted to Japanese pop culture disseminated via the entertainment industry – music, video games and animation – or are intrigued by the Japanese ingenuity for inventing high tech electronics, your knowledge of Japanese will help you creatively and assist you in making important connections needed to establish your career.

If you are considering a degree in Japanese literature or fine arts, then learning the language is essential to unlocking the meaning of the unique aesthetic sensibility that infuses all of the arts in Japan: architecture, garden design, theatre, painting, calligraphy and ceramics.

Whether the study of Japanese becomes a lifetime passion as you establish yourself in a chosen field – trade, business, academia, education – to name a few, or you learn it as only one of many bridges you cross on your life’s journey, we invite you to join us on the adventure.