Faculty of Letters

Shinto is the source of a uniquely Japanese sensitivity and aesthetic sense that has been passed down unbroken through the generations since time immemorial. The study of Shinto is nothing less than walking the paths that our ancestors created and learning the true essence of our country’s history, culture, and spirit. In the Department of Shinto, students learn about Shinto in one of the rare places that enables them to obtain the rank of Shinto priest during their four years of study. The faculty members in the department possess a wealth of experience and are very accomplished.
One of the department’s distinguishing characteristics is that students can take advantage of its close proximity to the Jingu History Museum (Jingu Chokokan), which holds and displays many cultural properties; the Jingu Library, which holds important written materials related to Shinto; and Jingu, which is nearby the university campus. Graduates of the department are highly valued not only at Shinto shrines but also in the public and private sectors.

The Department of Japanese Literature, which has more than 140 years of tradition and history, was born out of a desire to have students learn from the great minds of our ancestors, and the foundation of scholarship there is found in the interpretation and annotation of classical texts. In addition to Japanese literature and Japanese language, our full-time facultyʼs wide range of specializations include literature written in Classical Chinese, and Calligraphy for a total of ten fields of study. Our students are active outside of the classroom visiting the sites of masterpieces in research trips (fieldwork) and literary strolls, both of which are opportunities to deepen their understanding of Japanese literature as something that is rooted in the Japanese landscape.
One characteristic of the department is that students receive individualized guidance in a homelike atmosphere through having lectures and seminars with small class sizes. Graduates of the department, who have gained fluency in beautiful Japanese—the ability to express themselves in appropriate Japanese, are heavily relied upon in society, where they are active in a large number of fields.

The Department of Japanese History, together with the Department of Japanese Literature, has a tradition stretching back to the opening of our university. Based on close readings of historical materials, we carry out the investigation of historical facts. We foster a method of study that develops historical theories from an unbiased, reliable historical perspective grounded in Japanese culture and traditions. As the name of our department suggests, we specialize in the study of the "nationʼs" (koku) "history" (shi), or Japanese history, and we have designed a curriculum that includes the study of East Asian history, which is deeply connected with Japan. Each time period, from the ancient to the modern, is represented in the specialties of our full-time faculty, and the members of our department provide individualized guidance for students.
In particular, we devote much of our effort to training students in interpreting historical materials, and many of our graduates who have gained practical competence are active at the forefront of their professions in academia and education. Our department has contributed outstanding research to a large number of sub-fields including political, legal, socio-economic, intellectual, and religious history.

In our global society, it is becoming increasingly important for us to use the spoken word, written word, and information technology as means of communication. It is essential to have the ability to express yourself in both Japanese and in international languages such as English, gather information, and communicate effectively. Then, what is communication? Of course, it refers to interactions among people. However, communication is also about humans mediating close interactions between people and local regions, the societies they contribute to, and the natural world around them. The spoken word, the written word, and information technology connect these interactions in complex ways, and these interactions shape society and culture in local regions. In the Department of Communication, these organic connections are understood by drawing upon several perspectives including psychology, English, information technology, cultural studies, history, religion, and regional studies in order to improve communication competency.