School of Japan Studies

Studying Japan in a Global Context

The School of Japan Studies (SJS) in TUFS has the following three distinctive features.

Students study about Japan as one nation/society within the global community of nations. Students study Japanese society, literature, culture, language, and language education in an interdisciplinary manner.
Classes are held in Japanese and English. The students become fully conversant in both Japanese and English.
Students from many different nationalities learn together (students who did not go to high school in Japan account for 40% of SJS students). In addition to lectures, several courses based on group work and fieldwork are offered in the first and second years, in which students with diverse backgrounds and native languages collaborate.

Although SJS was established in 2019, TUFS has been teaching Japanese undergraduate students and students from abroad together since 1985. The School of Japan Studies is built on this long heritage.

Studying in SJS is a big challenge, but at the same time very rewarding. We welcome applications from highly motivated students.

Study Features

1. Study Japan from multiple perspectives

In the School of Japan Studies, students study Japan from multiple inter-disciplinary perspectives. Furthermore, Japan is placed firmly in its international context. Specifically, students learn about Japanese politics, economics, society, history, literature, culture, and the Japanese language. Students can also acquire knowledge on how to teach the Japanese language around the world.

Students can choose their Major Courses from a wide range of topics, and from the third year participate in seminars to learn how to conduct research. By the fourth year, students have narrowed down their research interest and proceed to writing their graduation thesis in a Research Seminar.

Seminars are clustered in the following four academic fields.

Japanese Society
Japanese Culture and Literature
Japanese Linguistics
Japanese Language Education

Research Seminar Guide

2. Students from diverse backgrounds study together
using both English and Japanese

In the School of Japan Studies, students from diverse backgrounds study together using both English and Japanese. All students, regardless of linguistic background, have access to comprehensive programs in the Japanese and English languages. Students study Japan comprehensively while improving their language proficiency.

In addition, plentiful short-term and long-term study-abroad programs provide opportunities to study overseas.

Universities in with student exchange programs (student exchange partner universities)

TOPIC

Two Degrees in Four Years:
The Double Degree Program

We have established Dual Degree Programs (DDP) with the University of Central Lancashire (UK) and the University of Melbourne (Australia).Under this arrangement SJS students can complete a second bachelor’s degree at UCLan or the University of Melbourne following an extensive period of study abroad.

School of Japan Studies - Dual Degree Programs

3. Problem-Based Learning (PBL)

In the School of Japan Studies, students engage in problem-based learning to develop their teamwork and leadership skills. For example, in “Multicultural Collaboration” in the first year, students identify a local problem, decide a research project connected to it, and discuss in groups how to resolve the problem.

Students gain experience in resolving problems in groups containing people of diverse backgrounds through participating in such problem-based-learning classes.

A Selection of Courses in SJS

Multicultural Collaboration

Instructors: OTSU Tomomi, YUKIMATSU Hanae, ABE Shin

This is a course in which Japanese and international students collaborate during fieldwork, etc. and give presentations on the results. Students with diverse backgrounds work in a group using English and Japanese on a theme chosen by the group members themselves. The goal is to acquire language competency and the ability to act and communicate in a multilingual and multicultural environment.

Community Outreach Project: Intercultural Understanding through the (Re)Making of a Historical Narrative

Instructors: KIMURA Masami, TOMOTSUNE Tsutomu

Teams of several students collaborate to identify issues, research and analyze them, and look for ways to solve them. They present the results in reports, PowerPoint presentation slides, and orally. By doing so, they consider new ideas for creating a collaborative society.

Educational Assistance Fieldwork: Introduction to Foreign Language Teaching

Instructors: ITO Katsuhiro, DATE Hiroko

This class is designed to help students understand foreign language education theories and teaching methods, including Japanese language education, and to think about how to apply them to classroom activities. Japanese mother-tongue speakers and those learning Japanese as a foreign language work together, utilizing their respective knowledge and experience to produce actual educational activities in the classroom. Faculty members experienced in Japanese language education in Japan and overseas provide guidance to help students design classroom activities.

Theories of Multicultural Society: Understanding Cross-cultural Issues of Collective Memory: The "History Issue" in East Asia

Instructor: Philip SEATON

The “history problem” (the aftereffects of imperialism and war in East Asia) is a major challenge in the relationship between Japan, China, and South Korea. This debate-style class considers various issues relating to historical consciousness and imperial responsibility. In addition, students think about war and peace through fieldwork.

[TOPIC] The International Teaching Staff of SJS

The School of Japan Studies has over 30 full-time professors, associate professors and lecturers, all with long experience of research and teaching in their respective fields within Japan Studies. SJS also has a special program (under the auspices of the Consortium for Asian and African Studies, CAAS) which invites post-doctoral researchers from partner universities on short-term teaching and research fellowships. With an average of one new teaching fellow employed every year, they make an invaluable contribution by regularly bringing fresh research interests and teaching methods into the department.

Global Liberal Arts Program

All students take the Global Liberal Arts Program regardless of the school they are enrolled in (School of Language and Culture Studies, School of International and Area Studies, or School of Japan Studies). The program includes not only humanities and social science classes but also natural science classes, so that students can receive a broad-based education essential for living/working in international society.

Please see here for details about the Global Liberal Arts Program.

Research Seminar Guide

Students join a Research Seminar in their fourth year. They deepen their research interests through small-scale seminar classes and individual tuition with their chosen supervisor, and write their graduation thesis.

For details, see here