Business conversations don’t always start with the main topic. Casual chats in the workplace or with clients can lay the groundwork for strong relationships. This course focuses on small talk in business contexts—how to start and respond appropriately. It explores topics such as choosing suitable subjects, maintaining appropriate distance, and non-verbal considerations, helping participants understand the subtle art of Japanese communication.
Accepting applicationsBusiness Japanese Starting from Small Talk
Lecturer
Xiuyin CHEN/ Toyo University Center for Global Education and Exchange(Lecturer)
Graduate of the Japanese Language Program at the College of Foreign Languages of the Ocean University of China. Completed the doctoral program at the Graduate School of Humanities, Kobe University.Assistant at the University of Hamburg (Germany) and Kobe University. Part-time and full-time Lecturer at Kobe Design University and Japan University of Economics. Currently a Lecturer at Toyo University. Doctor Chen's research covers modern Japanese grammar, Japanese language education, Japanese linguistics, as well as corpus linguistics. Takes special interest in sentence-final markers and Chinese-related lexicon in modern Japanese. Building on her theoretical knowledge of Japanese grammar and vocabulary, as well as her own learning experience, the lecturer will offer hints how to improve your Japanese skills.
* Membership registration is required to apply.
* Various payment methods are available. About payment method
* The "Attend" button (link to the meeting URL) will be activated on the course opening day. To access, you need to log in to your member page. If you can't find the "Attend" button, check if you're logged in.
* Please make sure to read "how to attend online" by the day of the course, and access the "Attend" button after preparation of the necessary settings. If there is a deficiency in the setting, certificates may not be issued. Please access well in advance to access.
* Preliminary materials, lecture materials, and lecture videos may not be available.
* The viewing deadline for lecture materials and videos is 7 days including the date on which they became available for viewing. (*It will be available within 7 days from the course date.)
* In order to attend the course, you need to answer the pre-questionnaire. To view the materials on the day, you need to complete both the pre-questionnaire and the post-attendance questionnaire. The deadline for answering the post-attendance questionnaire is 7 days, including the day of the lecture.
Course outline
Lecture nameBusiness Japanese Starting from Small Talk
Date and timeAugust 23, 2025 (Saturday) , 02:50 PM (JST) 〜 August 23, 2025 (Saturday) , 04:20 PM (JST)
Lecturer
Xiuyin CHEN
Toyo University Center for Global Education and Exchange(Lecturer)
Toyo University Center for Global Education and Exchange(Lecturer)
TargetInternational students or employees with Japanese proficiency equivalent to JLPT N2 or above.
* Non-Toyo University students can also take this course.
* Participation from abroad is highly welcomed.
* Non-Toyo University students can also take this course.
* Participation from abroad is highly welcomed.
Capacity1,000 participants per lecture (first-come-first-served basis)
Streaming service
Zoom
FeeFree
Application periodJuly 28, 2025 (Monday) , 12:00 AM (JST) ~ August 22, 2025 (Friday) , 11:59 PM (JST)
Precautions
- Courses will be conducted entirely in Japanese.
- You can freely choose to participate in only one course or multiple courses.
- Those who responded to the questionnaire after the course will be able to view the materials and videos used in the course only if the instructor has given permission to distribute them. (This time all courses will provide the materials and videos.)