The civilization of Japan is an extraordinarily rich one, encompassing the world s first psychological novel, the warrior ethos of the samurai, the most successful modernization trajectory of any non-Western country, and the manifold pleasures of contemporary Japanese popular culture. The Japanese economy is the second largest in the world and Japanese technological innovation is world-renowned. Studying Japanese can offer opportunities in the business, technological and scientific worlds, as well as in the increasingly important area of global entertainment.