Experience Japanese language and culture at Pasadena City College! Whether you're an anime fan, a future globetrotter, a business hopeful, or just curious about Japan, PCC's Japanese Language Program is your passport to an exciting journey.

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Why Study Japanese at PCC?

• Variety of Courses: Our courses range from basic, intermediate, and advanced language courses to Japanese Conversation, Japanese Civilization, Japanese Society and Culture, Japanese Cinema, and Japanese Literature. Whether you’re a beginner or already fluent in Japanese, we have something for you.

• Dynamic Classes: Our engaging, interactive classes go beyond textbooks—immerse yourself in real conversation, pop culture, and everyday life in Japan.

• Expert Instructors: Learn from passionate, experienced professors who make language learning fun, effective, and culturally rich.

• Cultural Events: Participate in fun campus events like Japanese film nights and seasonal festivals like Hanami (cherry blossom viewing)!

• Career & Transfer Friendly: Whether you're headed to a four-year university or looking to boost your resume, Japanese adds a global edge to any major

No prior experience? No problem! Start with Japanese 1 and unlock a whole new way to communicate, think, and see the world. Register now and say こんにちは (konnichiwa) to new opportunities!

Japanese Social Club

The Japanese Social Club focuses on bringing the Japanese cultural experience to PCC. From holding language exchanges to having movie nights and hosting cultural and charity events, we bring awareness and highlight Japanese culture on campus. Anyone can join our club through LancerLife. Please also follow us on our social media accounts! We hope to see you at our next event!

Meet the Japanese Professors at PCC

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  Michie Higuchi Jones

  mjones120@pasadena.edu

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  Michie Higuchi Jones

  I was born in Tokyo and moved to Southern California when I was 12. I attended middle school and high school in the San Gabriel Valley before enrolling at PCC, then transferring to UCLA. After graduating with my BA from UCLA, I moved back to Tokyo and worked there for a year before returning to Southern California again to earn my MA from Cal State Long Beach.
  I have over 27 years of experience teaching Japanese language and culture. I find it incredibly rewarding to share the intricacies of the Japanese language and culture with my students, helping them bridge cultural gaps and expand their worldviews.

  Outside of teaching, I have a wide range of interests that include exploring new cuisines, traveling, and visiting hot springs (onsen). I enjoy staying active through yoga, skiing, golf, and hiking with my beloved dog, Frances, and find relaxation in reading and spending time with my friends and family. I am also a big Dodgers Fan!

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  Hiroko Katsuta

  hkatsuta@pasadena.edu

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  Hiroko Katsuta

  I grew up in Okayama, in western Japan, which is known for its pottery and delicious fruits like peaches and grapes! I have been teaching Japanese for about 17 years and at PCC for almost 8 years. I try to make classes as interactive as possible, so you will have a lot of chances to use the Japanese you learn to communicate with your classmates. Using your new language knowledge can be a little intimidating at first but don’t worry, you will get used to it, and I try to make class as fun as possible! My favorite part of class is seeing students have “aha!” moments when they figure out how to communicate something in Japanese. Beyond learning Japanese together, I hope we can learn more about each other and our cultures and share our interests!

  I am also the Club Advisor for the Japanese Social Club. Every semester we have fun and interesting events relating to Japanese or Japanese culture, like movie nights, cultural events, charity events, or trips to places like the Huntington Japanese Garden. It is a great way to learn about Japan and to get to know other students at PCC who are interested in Japan and Japanese!

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  Richi Kroupa

  rkroupa@pasadena.edu

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  Richi Kroupa

  Konnichiwa! Hello!
  I have been teaching Japanese over 20 years to various levels of learners. I love Anime, J-pop, Korean dramas, and SUSHI! My hobby is traveling all over the world through running marathons and triathlon. Let’s have fun with learning Japanese and Japanese cultures together!

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  Seiko Sato

  ssato@pasadena.edu

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  Seiko Sato

  I was born and grew up in Okayama, Japan, and earned a BA in Literature and Linguistics at Waseda University, Japan and a MA in Language and Culture at Osaka University, Japan. After teaching English at a high school in Japan, I earned a MA in Linguistics and TESL at CSU, Northridge. I worked at a high school, college, and university in Japan as an English instructor before moving to the U.S. in 2015 and have been teaching Japanese language in the U.S. since 2019. I started teaching at PCC in 2021 and in total have over 15 years of teaching experience. My motto as an instructor is “Don’t ever forget the learner’s point of view, for I am also one of those learners.” In my free time, I enjoy being in nature with my family. I also like making traditional Japanese food from scratch. My academic interests are language and culture, sociolinguistics, language change, and language acquisition.

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  Miki Sumitomo

  MXSUMITOMO@pasadena.edu
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  Yoji Takata

  YXTAKATA@pasadena.edu

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  Yoji Takata

  I was born and raised in Japan. I came to the United States forty-one years ago. I first went to East Tennessee to further my education. East Tennesse is just like Japan. Unlike Southern California, it has four distinct seasons. It is hot and humid in summer, and it gets very cold in winter. It rains a lot, so the mountains are full of beautiful green. They also get beautifully colored in fall just like in Japan. I stayed there in Tennessee for ten years and started speaking in a charming Tennessee drawl. I taught Japanese for the first time there for one year. Then my family and I moved to Southern California in the 90s. I taught Japanese at California State University at Los Angeles for four years and then came to PCC to teach. Cal-State students enjoyed my Tennessee drawl, but I had lost it by the time I got to PCC.

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