Department of Intercultural Studies

Awakening potential through encounter with culture
       Everywhere on earth, where there are people, there is culture. Each region has its own unique culture, established over many years by the predecessors. Today, it is often said that "the world has gotten smaller"; we live in the Japanese culture, yet other cultures are so easily within reach, including their food, language and music. Moreover, one could cross the borders and actually step into another culture at the drop of a hat. Encounter with different cultures is a fun and exciting experience. However, the path from such "encounter" to "understanding" is not easy to find or follow. This is because this path requires "knowledge."
       The new curriculum of the Department of Intercultural Studies offers six courses to allow systematic learning of knowledge necessary in understanding different cultures. Of these, four courses are focused on regions, while two courses are on academic genres of comparative culture and representational culture, making this Department very unique. Students of the Department of Intercultural Studies study their specific fields in each of the courses, and in addition, gain a comprehensive grasp on culture through subjects such as the Dynamism of Culture. The Department of Intercultural Studies, founded in 1976, will continue making advancements into the future.