International Cultural Studies Field | Master's and Doctoral Programs
Graduate school overview

Graduate School of International Studies of Culture

First half

Research Field Overview

We foster a broad perspective on multiple cultures and a deep understanding of human beings. We also provide students with in-depth knowledge and outstanding abilities in the culture, thought, literature, and research of countries and regions in Japan, Asia, Europe, and the US. By conducting independent research activities from both an international perspective and in the areas of "comprehensive cultural studies" and "interdisciplinary cultural studies," students can aim to become researchers and highly specialized professionals with analytical skills and a wealth of academic knowledge.
We also delve into the current situation and issues facing education, which is facing a variety of challenges, such as increasing difficulty in classroom management and declining motivation and academic ability. We aim to train ready-to-work teachers with philosophical thinking and institutional and historical knowledge about education. In addition, as we have established a clinical psychology research field within this major, students can learn about subjects such as developmental psychology and counseling from both theoretical and practical perspectives.

Research Topics

Interdisciplinary and international Japanese studies [Crossing academic boundaries and international academic exchange]

The Sakai Laboratory conducts Japanese studies from an international and interdisciplinary perspective, and aims to train talented people (researchers, Japanese language educators, international cultural exchange program participants, etc.) who can creatively conduct research with a broad perspective without being limited to a narrow field.
In particular, we will analyze and consider what kind of presence the Japanese language has had in Asia since the modern era. Due to factors such as the rise of civilization, wars, and economic conditions, the Japanese language has taken on many different faces in Asia, including as a cutting-edge language, an invading language, an economic language, and a cultural language. We will study the current state of Japanese language education and policies to see how Asian people have accepted, rejected, or used this Japanese language. Furthermore, we cannot ignore the impact that the Japanese language they use has had on Japanese society and culture. Furthermore, we will also study Japan's national language and Japanese language education policies and Japanese cultural strategies to see what kind of view of Japan was formed as Asian people learned Japanese.
We welcome people who have studied in other fields or areas, foreigners, working adults, and anyone with a free imagination that is not bound by conventional thinking, regardless of age, nationality, or gender.

Future vision: International exchange projects, Japanese language education, researchers

Faculty Introduction

full name Research Field Research Themes
Tsuyoshi Suematsu ◯ Japanese History Court ceremonies, court customs, historical research, local festivals
Wu Honghua ◯ Chinese Literature, Chinese Language Modern Chinese literature/Japanese-Chinese comparative culture
Junichiro Sakai ◯ Area studies, Japanese language education, Sociology of education History of educational and cultural exchange in East Asia, History of Japanese language education
Takashi Sunaga ◯ Religious Studies, Cultural Anthropology, Folklore, History Folk Religion in Japan and East Asia
Yuko Miyazaki ◯ Japanese Literature Middle Ages and Medieval Literature
Lee Tae-hoon ◯ Oriental History Measures and responses against Japanese pirates in the Goryeo and Joseon dynasties
Kenji Kono ◯ European literature, contemporary Irish theatre Research on theatre productions related to the Northern Ireland conflict
Yasuhiro Katagiri ◯ European History, American History, American Studies American Studies (Modern American History, Southern American History, Black Civil Rights Movement History)
Kotetsu Miura ◯ Linguistics Causative and diobject constructions in Japanese
Tomoko Shimizu ◯ British and American Literature 19th and 20th Century American Literature
Takeyuki Matsubara ◯ History of educational thought, educational philosophy History of Nietzsche's reception in pedagogy, moral education
Naofumi Uchida Asian History, African History, Oriental History Pluralistic governance structure of Qing Dynasty China
CARTER, Peter Foreign language education, pedagogy English teaching methods Academic Writing, Communication Strategies
Izumi Ogata Cultural property science/museology, area studies Museum education, Children and art, University museum utilization theory
Katsuya Takamatsu Educational Psychology, Educational Counseling, Arithmetic Education, Mathematics Education Stress management education for children, students, teachers, and parents

* "◯" indicates a master's course research supervisor

Late Period

Research Field Overview

This program aims to cultivate advanced knowledge of Western, Japanese and Asian cultures, and to foster the excellent abilities necessary for empirical and original research and for the practice of highly specialized professions.
In the Western culture field, we focus on America, Britain, and Japan, and in the Asian culture field, we provide research guidance to enable students to play an active role as researchers in the language, literature, history, philosophy, etc. of each country or region, focusing on Japan and China. We aim to develop talented people who can give back to the international and local communities by acquiring high-level communication skills, including language ability, as well as advanced, specialized knowledge and analytical skills in their major field.

Faculty Introduction

full name Research Field Research Themes
Tsuyoshi Suematsu ◯ Japanese History Court ceremonies, court customs, historical research, local festivals
Wu Honghua ◯ Chinese Literature, Chinese Language Modern Chinese literature/Japanese-Chinese comparative culture
Junichiro Sakai ◯ Area studies, Japanese language education, Sociology of education History of educational and cultural exchange in East Asia, History of Japanese language education
Kenji Kono ◯ European literature, contemporary Irish theatre Research on theatre productions related to the Northern Ireland conflict
Yasuhiro Katagiri ◯ European History, American History, American Studies American Studies (Modern American History, Southern American History, Black Civil Rights Movement History)
Yuko Miyazaki ◯ Japanese Literature Middle Ages and Medieval Literature

* "◯" indicates doctoral course research supervisor