Academic Inquiry into the Heart of Japanese Literature

The field of Japanese literature covers a wide range of Japanese literary works from ancient to modern times. Various theoretical standpoints and methods are available to researchers, but the members of our department engage with literature as an art form as they seek to elucidate its style, specifics, and development. Furthermore, they strive to reveal its core meanings and significance in relation to world literature. They remain assiduous in both research and learning in order to achieve these goals.
Many of our department members are graduate or exchange students, so there are abundant opportunities for newcomers to receive new information and to come in touch with unfamiliar perspectives and ways of thinking. It also should be mentioned that more than one thousand students have already graduated from our department. Some have pursued academic careers, while others became librarians, journalists, or publishers, or entered public offices or companies. An alumni association “Tohoku Daigaku Bungakuka Ki no Kai” unites both alumni and currently enrolled students. Members of our department thus have the opportunity to meet and interact with diverse people, as well as to study Japanese literature from multiple angles, combining a solid theoretical basis with flexible approaches. By doing so they learn how to employ a broad perspective and novel concepts to acquire a deep understanding of culture and society.