Japan in Asia Cultural Studies

The Japan in Asia Cultural Studies program at Nagoya University offers a comprehensive interdisciplinary curriculum designed to deepen students' understanding of Japan's rich cultural heritage and its dynamic interactions within the broader Asian context. This program aims to cultivate scholars with a nuanced appreciation of Japan’s historical developments, contemporary social issues, and cultural expressions, fostering analytical skills and critical perspectives essential for engaging with complex regional and global challenges. Through a combination of coursework, research projects, and fieldwork, students explore diverse topics such as traditional arts, literature, religious practices, modernization processes, and international relations involving Japan. The curriculum emphasizes both historical foundations and contemporary dynamics, encouraging students to examine how cultural identities are constructed, transformed, and negotiated across different contexts. Faculty members, renowned specialists in Japanese and Asian studies, guide students in developing research methodologies and critical thinking skills, enabling them to analyze various cultural phenomena from multiple disciplinary viewpoints. The program also promotes cross-cultural communication and language proficiency, providing opportunities for students to participate in seminars, workshops, and exchange programs with partner institutions across Asia. Graduates of the Japan in Asia Cultural Studies program are equipped to pursue careers in academia, cultural diplomacy, international organizations, media, and corporate sectors, where an in-depth understanding of Japanese culture and its regional interactions is highly valued. Overall, this program prepares students to become culturally informed and globally minded individuals capable of contributing to scholarly discourse, policy-making, and intercultural dialogue in a rapidly changing Asia.

The planned courses include

• History of Asian culture
• Cultural studies of modern and contemporary Japan
• Genealogy of theories on Japanese culture
• Modern Japanese fiction
• Modern literary theory
• Colonial modernity in Japanese and East Asian literature
• Film theory
• Japanese cinema history
• Asian cinema history
• Cinema and cultural theory
• Visual culture

With a balanced program between interdisciplinary and specialized studies as well as our professors’ insightful individual guidance, we support and encourage students to demonstrate new theoretical and historical perspectives on Japanese culture in Asia, exploring the ways people in Japan and other East Asian countries have enacted multifaceted relationships and negotiations through literature, cinema, and other sociocultural products and affairs. Students will also have the advantage of participating in international conferences, workshops, and other events that the Japan-in-Asia Cultural Research Center of the Graduate School of Humanities regularly organizes in Nagoya and other locations (such as Freiburg in Germany and Shanghai in the Republic of China, where the members of the Center have organized scholarly events in recent years). Such opportunities enable students to contact and learn from many internationally distinguished scholars from different countries.
Graduates from this program are encouraged to continue to develop their research in a Ph.D. program or to play a significant part in a variety of governmental, commercial, and other social sites. In either case, they are strongly expected to engage with international tensions and issues with the in-depth knowledge, broad views, and keen analytical thoughts they have cultivated in this program in order to contribute to the improvement of our global society and the coexistence of people beyond national borders.

• TOEFL: minimum score of 80 iBT; 550 PBT
• IELTS: minimum band score of 6 
• Application fee: JPY 5,000
• Payment of the registration fee (JPY 282,000)
• Application Form
• Bachelor's Degree Diploma (or Prospective Bachelor's Degree Diploma) from Your University (Original Copy)
• Academic Transcript for Undergraduate Education (Original Copy)
• Certified Score Report of the GRE
• Research Proposal
• Two Letters of Reference (Original Copies)
• Summary of Undergraduate Graduation Research
• Major Publications
• Documents Showing Other Strengths
• Document Validating Your Nationality and Residence Status
• Japanese Government (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) Scholarship Application Form

Scholarships

• Japanese Government (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) Scholarship

The Japan in Asia Cultural Studies program at Nagoya University offers students a comprehensive exploration of Japan’s cultural, social, and historical context within the broader Asian region. This program is designed for students interested in gaining a deep understanding of Japanese culture, society, and its interactions with neighboring Asian countries. The curriculum emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches, incorporating history, anthropology, sociology, and cultural studies to provide a holistic view of Japan’s place in Asia.

Students engaging in this program will have opportunities to study various aspects of Japanese culture, including traditional arts, contemporary social issues, language, and literature. The program also encourages comparative studies to understand the similarities and differences between Japan and other Asian countries. This approach fosters a broader appreciation of regional dynamics, identity, and cultural exchange processes in Asia.

The program is structured to include coursework, seminars, and research projects, often involving fieldwork and interactions with local communities or cultural institutions. It aims to develop students’ critical thinking, cross-cultural communication skills, and academic research capabilities. The program often collaborates with other departments and institutes to facilitate student exchanges and joint research opportunities, enhancing international exposure and networking.

Graduate students in this program often pursue research topics related to Japanese media, popular culture, historical transformations, or social movements within Asia. The faculty members are experts in their fields, providing mentorship and guidance tailored to individual research interests. Graduates of this program typically advance to careers in academia, cultural administration, international relations, or media industries, contributing to greater understanding and dialogue between Japan and other Asian nations.

Overall, the Japan in Asia Cultural Studies program at Nagoya University offers a rich academic environment for those committed to understanding the complexities of Japanese and Asian cultures. Its interdisciplinary focus, practical research opportunities, and international orientation make it a distinctive choice for students aiming to specialize in Asian cultural studies.