PhD in International Master's Program in Japanese Humanities

Kyushu University offers a doctoral track connected to the International Master's Program in Japanese Humanities, a three-year course taught in English that begins each April. Kyushu University was originally founded in 1911 as one of Japan's seven imperial universities and has since trained educators, researchers, and medical practitioners who have contributed to society in Japan and beyond. The university is organized into 12 undergraduate and 18 graduate schools, alongside a university hospital and several research centers, and offers 66 international degree programs taught in English, hosting students and researchers from more than 90 countries. Japanese humanities as a field of study spans Japanese literature, history, philosophy, religion, linguistics, and cultural studies, generally approached through close reading of primary texts combined with historical and theoretical analysis. Doctoral research in this field centers on an original dissertation project developed under faculty supervision, drawing on textual analysis, archival research, and disciplinary methods suited to the student's chosen humanities subfield, supported by coursework that deepens relevant theoretical and historical knowledge. Doctoral graduates in Japanese humanities commonly pursue academic careers as university faculty and researchers, or take on roles in cultural institutions, publishing, translation, and organizations that require specialized expertise in Japanese language, literature, or history. Three years of doctoral study give candidates time to complete an original research project, contribute to scholarship within their subfield, and develop the depth of expertise expected in academic and research careers connected to Japan. Kyushu University's scale as a comprehensive research university, along with its history as one of Japan's original imperial universities, provides institutional depth for humanities scholarship within this program.