Overview

The Department of Japanese Literature focuses on both Japanese literature and linguistics and is where students become experts in Japanese culture both past and present, as well as in the country’s arts and customs.

Our approach to literary research emphasizes rigorous, hands-on investigation of original sources. Students also study the Japanese language from theoretical, systematic, and empirical perspectives. While maintaining this scholarly exactitude, the department encourages students to learn broadly and think deeply with a flexible attitude unfettered by preconceptions and prejudice.

We aim to educate students who go beyond simply knowing. Our students choose themes based on their own awareness of an issue, independently gather data and information, come to a solution through logical analysis and consideration, and present their findings in their own words. The goal of the Department of Japanese Literature is to develop independent and responsible professionals, educators, and researchers who will remain lifelong learners, applying these skills when working to solve the problems they'll face after graduation.