Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Requisite: course 100B with grade of C or better or Japanese placement test. Not open to students who have learned, from whatever source, enough Japanese to qualify for more advanced courses. Learning Japanese language with emphasis on sociocultural issues of contemporary Japanese society. Materials selected from contemporary publications, videos, and audiotapes. Reading with focus on linguistics features, writing summaries and opinions, oral activities, and project work. P/NP or letter grading.