Dean Hirohito MIYAMOTO
Some people still ask whether this faculty is about being “international” or about being “Japanese.”
The reason the country of "Japan" is named "Japan" is to distinguish it from other countries. Implicit in this naming is the assumption that there are multiple countries in the world. To recognize “Japan” as “Japan” means to understand it as a country that is different from others in the world—an understanding that is only possible from an international perspective.
To consider what characterizes Japanese culture and society, it is necessary to compare them with the cultures and societies of other countries. And in order to make such comparisons, one must first gain a solid understanding of those other cultures and societies. Far from being incompatible or awkward to combine, “international” and “Japanese” are concepts that are logically and intrinsically connected.
Despite this, people often ask, “Is it international, or is it Japanese?” Perhaps this question arises because Japan and other countries are separated by national borders. Beyond the border lies “elsewhere,” while life on “this” side can be sufficiently comfortable so that there seems to be no need to think about “other” countries. Those who choose to cross those borders may even be seen as unwilling to reflect on what happens on “this” side. Such ways of thinking may still persist.
However, those of you who have taken an interest in this faculty under the concept of “connecting Japan and the world” likely have a different perspective. You may be motivated to move back and forth across borders, to appreciate both the differences and the commonalities between “here” and “elsewhere,” and to actively connect with that which has been separated by national boundaries.
For students like you, the Faculty of International Japanese Studies offers practical language education alongside a diverse range of courses covering a broad spectrum of academic fields, with the aim of helping each of you develop your own way of connecting Japan with the world. Apart from language study, there are relatively few compulsory requirements, and you have considerable freedom in choosing and combining courses. This flexibility allows you to integrate different areas of knowledge according to your own interests, broaden your perspective in ways unique to you, and explore your own approach to linking Japan with the wider world.
In this way, you will acquire the ability not only to read standardized world maps created by others, but also to draw your own map of the world in which you live. We look forward to welcoming you and to supporting each of you as you create your own uniquely colored map of the world.
School of Global Japanese Studies
Dean Hirohito MIYAMOTO