KONAN UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF LETTERS

Department of History and Culture

Every year, the Department of History and Culture admits around 60 undergraduate students. Our department provides them with a hybrid programme of studies in history, geography, and ethnography. Students with a wide range of academic interests come, get together, and create a stimulating study community.

The department emphasizes the importance of a global perspective. We believe that dialogues with ‘others’ are crucial for mutual understanding, and comparative studies can give us a new insight into our own culture. The entire department staff, who have a wide range of research specialities in historical and cultural studies of various world regions, are able to supply students with up-to-date information and multiple viewpoints. This in turn fosters students’ keen interest in various cultures worldwide.

Throughout their degrees, all students receive personalized tutorial teaching in seminar courses with a small number of students. The reading, writing, feedback, and discussion that occurs in these classes are intellectually challenging and intensely rewarding. They can also participate in voluntary study clubs, called “Reki-Labo”, which refers to history laboratories managed by, and for, students themselves. They benefit from individual support and a welcoming community. Through the combination of documentary research and fieldwork in everyday classes, and voluntary studies in Reki-Labo, the students can develop not only a deep and wide-ranging understanding of the past, but also gain skills that will shape their lives after graduation.

In addition, we provide students with an optional curator training course with additional study hours. In this course, students develop their capacity to plan and organize exhibitions, and disseminate information about them. On completing this course, they will have acquired the practical ability to work in museums. Moreover, students who want to become teachers, can obtain teachers’ licenses with additional study in a special teacher training course.

We would love to work with you in inspiring the next generation!

Faculty member

Name Title Field of Research Subject of Research
SATO, Yasuhiro Professor History of Japan Studies on Japanese history in the 7th-14th century, especially on issues concerning the tax system, the provincial administration, and the relationship among the Court nobles.
TAKADA, Minoru Professor European History Social Welfare in Modern Britain
DEGUCHI, Akiko Professor Folklore and Geography Studies of watertransport for tourism and waterscape in Japan and adjacent coastal regions.
NAKATSUJI,susumu Professor Human Geography Studies on shifting cultivators in Southeast Asia, especially in the Lao PDR.
NAKAMACHI, Nobutaka Professor Medieval Arab History Arabic manuscripts and transmission of knowledge in the Mamluk Period.
NARUMI, Kunitada Professor Human geography The history of cartography and environmental history.
HIGASHITANI, Satoshi Professor History of early Modern Japan and Methodology Studies of the Edo social structure, especially of the samurai society and its relationship to other Edo societies.
ZUSHI, Nobutada Professor Medieval European History Political and social history in medieval Languedoc
NIIMI, Madoka Lecturer Chinese History Politics, Military and International Relations in T’ang dynasty to Five Dynasties.