Faculty of Humanities

The motto of our Faculty is "Learn various cultures and connect with the world." In the age of globalization, we study and teach cultures from the viewpoints of language, literature, philosophy, history and environment, keeping in mind the local issues that affect our lives.

The Faculty of Humanities at Hokkai-Gakuen University was established in 1993 with the aim of rekindling the original passion of our institution (founded in 1885 as Hokkai English School), that is, a frontier spirit of independence and interdependence in the northernmost part of Japan. Our mission is a "New Humanism," which we define as an endeavor to go beyond the study of humanities developed in modern Europe and to seek alternate ways of life so that people with diverse backgrounds can live in harmony with each other and also with nature. We encourage our students to meet the problems we face today from multiple cultural perspectives and to envision a better future not only for themselves, but for others and with others. For this to happen, students are expected to acquire the following:

a) A broad knowledge of humanities and of society
b) Expertise in cultural research
c) Advanced skills in communication (including the ability to find a middle ground through deliberate dialogue as well as proficiency in English and other foreign languages)
d) The ability to act on critical and creative thinking

We are dedicated to nurturing students and making sure they carve out their careers.

We welcome students from all over the country and from abroad who wish to learn with us and who plan to play an active role in making the world a better place for the coming generations.

The Department of Japanese Culture particularly appreciates those a) who have competence in the Japanese language and intellectual curiosity in Japanese culture and b) who are ready to gain a wide-ranging knowledge about Japanese culture and put the learned wisdom to good use.

The Department of English and Cultures particularly appreciates those a) who have competence in the English language and intellectual curiosity about cultures of the English-speaking world and b) who are ready to gain a wide-ranging knowledge about European and North American culture and put the learned wisdom to good use.

We try to equip students not only with broad learning of cultures but also with deep scholarship in several disciplines. The curriculum covers four key fields: Language and Literature, Philosophy, History, and Environment. We also offer courses on religion and anthropology. Students can take classes based on their area of specialty (Japanese or English/American culture), or they can choose to learn cross-culturally specific subjects or topics, which motivates them to pursue their own studies.

Classes are arranged from basic to advanced levels and small-sized seminars are given from the freshman year to the senior year so that students can develop their ability to recognize problems and resolve them. All students are required to submit a bachelor's thesis as the culmination of their four years of study here.

Oral and written communication skills in English are taught in small classes by native English speakers, who also serve as English-learning advisors to students. In addition, we provide short-term (three weeks) and medium-term (three months) study-abroad programs at Canadian universities.

With a comprehensive understanding of cultures obtained at the Faculty of Humanities, thousands of our graduates have made figures in a variety of fields both at home and overseas.