Overview

The areas addressed by the Department of English and American Literature range from the English language itself to the far-reaching culture and influence constructed through English. English proficiency is treated as a basic skill and a means to more deeply understand language and culture.

The department inherits a tradition of academism from pre-war pioneers in the field such as Yonejiro Noguchi (Isamu Noguchi’s father), Shukotsu Togawa, Junzaburo Nishiwaki, and Fumio Kuriyagawa. Continuing in this tradition, we offer a broad variety of lectures from a diverse faculty body to accommodate students’ deep, wide-ranging interests. The department offers lectures and seminars on medieval to present-day English literature and colonial to postmodern American literature as well as lectures and seminars on English philology and linguistics. Moreover, we take an interdisciplinary approach to explore the multifaceted relationship between English and American literature and the culture seen and heard in English-language movies and music. No other university in Japan offers such a rich curriculum, which is designed to stimulate and expand students’ interests.