Humanities courses offer profound and wide-ranging exposure to varied forms of human knowledge. Students can systematically acquire specialized knowledge of diverse humanities domains through five programs: Philosophy and Thought, Psychology, History and Geography, Japanese Language and Literature, and English and American Literature. Students develop a deep interest in human beings and the cultures and societies they create. They become intensively and extensively exposed to discrete forms of knowledge and absorb a flexible view of phenomena as they inculcate the ability to analyze literary materials and data, create documents, and develop problem-solving skills. Students follow a program of study in the area that represents their deepest interest but may also take courses across two or more programs. For instance, a student could take history/geography along with Japanese language/Japanese literature for a broad study of the culture of a certain period, or opt for philosophy/ideology and psychology to comprehensively study human ideals.
This program encourages inquiry about problems inherent to human beings. It facilitates the examination and interpretation of ideas introduced by major philosophers throughout human history by exploring problems unique to humanity. Therefore, research begins with the reading and elucidation of well-established classics. This program also helps students imbibe powers of contemplation and apply them to complex contemporary problems to expand human potential.
The study of psychology adopts the scientific perspective to clarify the human mind and apply the acquired knowledge to real-life situations. In this program, students learn varied experimental and research methodologies utilized to study the mind. It also investigates numerous areas of psychology from diverse perspectives. Students are guided to attain the fundamental principles to construct knowledge and understand the mind from multiple standpoints.
The history and geography program approaches contemporary societies across time and space. The history curriculum allows students to attain intensive knowledge of past ages of humanity and human societies by expanding their perspectives from the familiar accounts of Japan to a global view based on various historical materials. The disciplines of archaeology and geography also delve into issues of place and space, as well as human life and activities. Studies in history and geography transcend time and space to consider contemporary societies more intensively and extensively.
In this program, students can study Japanese and explore Japanese literary texts from periods spanning ancient times to the present day. Students study and contemplate the historical backgrounds and ideas of Japanese authors and their works. This program also allows Japanese linguistics study and research, encompassing grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and other aspects.
This program is dedicated to the study of original literary texts in English. Students read and examine literature produced in the United States and other English-speaking countries of the world in their original forms. This study entails the use of varied perspectives, including language, culture, history, race, and ethnicity. The program methodology is designed to cultivate a critical spirit in students, who ultimately attain a multifaceted and relative view of themselves and the world. Students enrolled in this program can experience the significance and appeal of conducting literary research using literary texts from English-speaking countries.
