AP Japanese Language and Culture

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About the Course

You may know that the Japanese people always say “itadakimasu” before eating or drinking. But do you know that this word is a keigo—an extra polite speech style that is an integral part of daily communication in Japan? In AP Japanese Language and Culture, you’ll not only learn about keigo, but also the culture behind it, such as desires to remain humble and customs to respect others.

Skills You'll Learn

Understanding Japanese when you hear it and read it
Holding conversations in real-life situations
Writing text messages, letters, emails, essays, and other texts

Equivalency and Prerequisites

College Course Equivalent

A fourth semester (or the equivalent) intermediate-level college course in Japanese language

Recommended Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites, but students are typically in their fourth year of high-school-level study. In the case of native or heritage speakers, there may be a different pathway of study leading to this course.

Exam Date

Thu, May 8, 2025

12 PM Local

AP Japanese Language and Culture Exam

This is the regularly scheduled date for the AP Japanese Language and Culture Exam.

Details Add to Calendar

About the Units

The course content outlined below is organized into commonly taught units of study that provide one possible sequence for the course. Your teacher may choose to organize the course content differently based on local priorities and preferences.

Course Content

Unit 1: Families in Different Societies

You’ll learn Japanese language skills in the context of studying family life and values in Japanese-speaking societies and explore contemporary beliefs and challenges that families face.

While engaging in activities related to these topics, you’ll practice skills such as:

Understanding audio recordings (for example, a voice message)
Reading letters and other texts
Taking part in spoken and written exchanges of information
Writing text-chat messages, short emails, and letters using the 3 writing systems and appropriate formality
Giving suggestions or opinions with reasoning
Explaining your perspectives or preferences on a topic using reasons, details, and examples

Unit 2: The Influence of Language and Culture on Identity

You'll build your vocabulary and learn about how language and culture shape evolving ideas about identity in Japanese-speaking communities.

While engaging in activities related to these topics, you’ll practice skills such as:

Understanding audio recordings (for example, a public announcement)
Reading travel brochures and other texts
Taking part in conversations, including starting and ending them appropriately
Exchanging information while using strategies like clarification and paraphrasing
Identifying and explaining cultural differences between Japanese-speaking communities and your own
Writing a short article comparing 2 sides of a topic

Unit 3: Influences of Beauty and Art

You'll explore how ideas of beauty and art influence and reflect culture in Japanese-speaking communities.

While engaging in activities related to these topics, you’ll practice skills such as:

Understanding audio recordings (for example, a school debate)
Reading short stories and other texts
Using a variety of vocabulary and sentence structures in conversations, text chats and email exchanges, and compare-and-contrast articles
Writing emails and letters with appropriate formality and standard conventions
Creating oral and written presentations that include your perspectives and have an introduction, development of the topic, and a conclusion

Unit 4: How Science and Technology Affect Our Lives

You'll examine how developments in science and technology affect and shape daily life in Japanese-speaking communities. You’ll use your growing language skills to help you interpret unfamiliar words and engage in more complicated texts.

While engaging in activities related to these topics, you’ll practice skills such as:

Understanding audio recordings (for example, a dialogue)
Reading newspaper articles and other texts
Preparing a short presentation that includes viewpoints, supporting evidence, and elaboration
Getting and providing information in written and spoken exchanges using strategies such as requesting clarification, rephrasing, and asking for repetition
Researching information needed to compare and explain 2 sides of a topic

Unit 5: Factors That Impact the Quality of Life

You'll learn more about contemporary life in Japanese-speaking communities and how social status, cultural perspectives, and access to jobs and resources can make an impact on the quality of life.

While engaging in activities related to these topics, you’ll practice skills such as:

Understanding audio recordings (for example, a radio news broadcast)
Reading letters, short stories, and other texts
Applying what you’ve learned from working with real-life Japanese-language materials to discuss and explain a cultural topic
Taking part in a conversation and correcting yourself when you make mistakes
Using kanji, hiragana, and katakana appropriately when you write
Preparing and delivering an organized cultural perspective presentation

Unit 6: Environmental, Political, and Societal Challenges

You'll explore how complex global issues affect people’s lives in Japanese-speaking communities and engage in deeper discussions to suggest possible solutions.

While engaging in activities related to these topics, you’ll practice skills such as:

Understanding audio recordings (for example, a public announcement)
Reading step-by-step instructions and other texts
Taking part in conversations and written exchanges using a variety of vocabulary, sentence structures, and communication strategies
Preparing a cultural perspective presentation in which you give different viewpoints on topics using cultural information acquired from sources
Explaining and comparing the similarities and differences between 2 topics or options, and then stating a position and supporting it with reasoning

Course Resources

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AP Japanese Language and Culture Course and Exam Description

This is the core document for the course. It clearly lays out the course content and describes the exam and AP Program in general.

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Additional Information