Department of Languages and Cultures

Office:   Atrium 247
Phone:   (973) 720-3726
Email:   watanabeh@wpunj.edu
Office Hours:   MW 1:50-2:20PM, 5:00-5:30PM, Tue. 6:15-7:00PM, 9:40-9:55PM or By appointment

Department: Languages and Cultures
Position: Assistant Professor
Area Specialization: Japan

Educational Background

• Ph.D., Anthropology. University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• M.A., East Asia Studies. University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• M.A.,  Education. Keio University, Japan
• B.A., English. Meiji Gakuin University, Japan

Courses Taught

• Basic Japanese I
• Basic Japanese II
• Intermediate Japanese I
• Intermediate Japanese II
• Japanese Conversation
• Advanced Japanese I
• Advanced Japanese II
• Contemporary Japanese Culture
• Cultural Studies: Japan
• Japanese Literature & Film in Translation
• Japanese Culture, Literature & Film
• Daily Life in Japan
• Daily Life in Japan (taught in Japan)
• Selected Topic (seven Independent Studies)
• First-Year Seminar (Fall 04)

Publications

• “Respect for Teachers: Comparative Studies between Korea and Japan” in Volume 1, 34,  No. 3. June 2006 of Asian Profile.
• “Japanese Faith Outside of Shinto, Buddhism, and Chrisiaity” in Volume Viii, Fall 2005 of The Virginia Review of Asian Studies.
• “Changing Adult Learning in Japan: The Shift from Traditional Singing to Karaoke” in Volume 24, Number 3/ May-June 2005 of International Journal of Lifelong Education.
• “Karaoke Learning in Japan: Individual Expression in a Group Context” in Volume IX, 2005 of Japan Studies Review.
• “Nihon no Seijin no Karaoke Naraigoto no Motsu Imi (Japanese Adult Learning: the eaning of Karaoke Learning).”  Tetsugaku (Philosophy).

Works in Progress

• Dr. James Curtis Hepburn
• Foreign resident Christians in Japan
• nihon no shakai ni okeru katorikku to purotesutanto kyoto no bunkajinruigakuteki kosatsu (Cultural Anthropological Studies on Catholics and Protestants in Japanese Society)
• Christians in Japanese Society: Catholics and Protestants. 

Conference Presentations

• “Dr. Hepburn’s Contributions to Japan.”  Paper presented at the Conference of The Mid-Atlantic Region Association for Asian Studies.  The Pennsylvania State University.  State College, Pennsylvania.  November, 2010.
• “Respect for Teachers in Korea and Japan.”  Paper presented at the conference of The Mid-Atlantic Region Association for Asian Studies.  The University of Pittsburgh.  Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  October, 2005.
• “Christianity Facing Asia: Christians in Japanese Society.”  Paper presented at New York Conference on Asian Studies Annual Meeting, State University of New York.  New Paltz, New York.  September, 2005.
• “Debate on the Nature of the Religious Beliefs and Attitudes of the Japanese.”  Paper presented at Southeast Conference of the Association for Asian Studies.  Lexington, Kentucky. January, 2005.
• “Japanese Adult Karaoke Learning.”  Paper presented at the Conference of The Annual Meeting of the Association for Asian Studies.  New York, New York.  March, 2003.