Graduate School of Letters

The Graduate School of Letters at Hokkai-Gakuen University was established in 1999 with a Master's Program in Japanese Culture. A Doctoral Program in Japanese Culture, and Master's and Doctoral Programs in English and Cultures were added in 2001, 2003, and 2005, respectively.

"Creating the humanities anew in the northernmost part of Japan" is our motto. We try to overcome the impasse of the traditional humanism, or rather, human-centrism, which has led us to dominate nature (and "Others") in the name of human (or "Our") liberation. Instead, we return to and delve into the question of what is it to be human in the twenty-first century.

Japanese Culture Majors in the Master's Program are expected to explore Japanese culture with fresh eyes and to do research that will contribute toward the development of Japanese culture.

English and Cultures Majors in the Master's Program are expected to radically reconsider the modern civilization that originated in Europe and to do research that will contribute toward the reevaluation of Japanese and other cultures.

Japanese Culture and English and Cultures Majors in the Doctoral Program are expected to write groundbreaking dissertations and to be recognized as specialists in their respective fields.

Both courses cover not only culture in the narrow sense of the word but also fields of study from language and literature to religion, philosophy, history, and environment. Our aim is to help students observe the culture they are studying from various viewpoints, understand its manifold aspects, and grasp its relationship with other cultures.