Curriculum Chart

The curriculum of the Graduate School of Global Japanese Studies is divided into Core Courses and Advanced Courses. Core Courses are a series of seminars taken over a period of two years, in which students receive individualized guidance from their faculty advisors with the aim of deepening their interest and involvement in their chosen field of research. Advanced Courses are lecture-style classes covering the core knowledge needed for research in the field. Among these is the common core course General Topics in Global Japanese Studies, which we have established as a requirement for all students. In General Topics in Global Japanese Studies, we seek to elucidate the nature of global Japanese studies and instill a common understanding of the key concepts at the heart of the program.

The programs depicted schematically in the accompanying chart are often so organically interconnected as to be inseparable. Visual culture and pop culture, for example, cannot be separated from the industries and media that disseminate them or from the society and culture through which they spread. In an age of globalization, the study of culture and society is inextricably intertwined with Interculturalism and Intercultural Education. Core studies support exploration into contemporary topics, and research in contemporary topics can be expected to stimulate core studies.