Master in International Master's Program in Japanese Humanities

Kyushu University offers the International Master's Program in Japanese Humanities, a two-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 covers areas such as Japanese literature, history, philosophy, religion, linguistics, and cultural studies, often approached through close reading of primary texts alongside historical and theoretical analysis. Master's coursework in this area typically combines seminar-based study with training in research methods specific to the humanities, including textual analysis, archival research, and academic writing, culminating in a thesis on a topic chosen by the student in consultation with faculty advisors. Graduates of humanities master's programs commonly pursue doctoral study, or move into careers in education, publishing, cultural institutions, translation, journalism, and roles requiring deep knowledge of Japanese language, history, and society. Two years of graduate study taught in English allow international students to engage directly with Japanese humanities scholarship without requiring advanced Japanese language proficiency at entry, while still building expertise applicable to work or further study connected to Japan. Kyushu University's scale as a comprehensive research university and its history as an imperial university provide institutional depth for humanities scholarship within this program.