Departments

Division of Department of Global Humanities Department of European and American History

We study European history originating in the ancient Mediterranean world

The Department of European and American History studies historical periods and regions described in surviving written records. In other words, it starts with chronicles of the ancient Mediterranean world, and follows the region through the Middle Ages, which defined the shape of the European realm, to the history of modern Europe and North and South America, and, ultimately, to the historical events of today.
In order to shed light on human activities in those periods, we investigate surviving historical materials, consult previous research in Japanese and other languages, and draw in knowledge from archaeology and other adjacent disciplines. We believe that reconstructing the entire picture of the world history is the mission of highest importance for researchers of the 21st century.
Our department will provide a favorable research and educational environment for those of you who intend to study languages, carefully analyze historical sources and documents, personally visit historical sites in Europe and America, and use all the knowledge accumulated thus far to contemplate the past, present, and future of the mankind.
Our students gain the skills to analyse sources and the ability to think historically, in addition to learning foreign languages. While some of them prefer to utilize their specialized knowledge working in education, many graduates find jobs in other fields, for instance, in government offices, communications, manufacturing businesses, and IT.

Teachers ARIMITSU Hideyuki
ASAOKA Zenji

Department Website

Teachers	ARIMITSU Hideyuki ASAOKA Zenji
Department	Website

Message from Senior

ABE Sosuke

3rd grade, Humanities and Social Sciences
High school : Miyagi Prefectural Sendai Daiichi

Recommended book : The Sorrows of Young Werther by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (trans. by Takahashi Yoshitaka)
Reason : Why: This is the first book I read after I entered university. During my high school years, I devoted all my time to the club life, so it was my first encounter with literature that left a lasting impression. Goethe wrote this novel at the age of twenty five, so it should be ideal reading for high school and university students.

Highlights of the Faculty of Arts and Letters

There are many specialties to choose from at the Faculty of Arts and Letters, but all of them share one merit: if you have some puzzle you wish to solve, you can explore it as much as you want. Nothing can be better than an environment where you can study to satisfy your own intellectual curiosity. As a member of the Department of European and American History, I am free to read whatever books and documents I like, as long as they improve my understanding of history. This alone is more than enough to make me happy. Furthermore, studying this way you will certainly acquire skills indispensable for an active member of society, such as the skill of organizing data or thinking logically. This is another great point about the Faculty of Arts and Letters.

To everyone aiming for the Faculty of Arts and Letters

What image do you have of the Faculty of Arts and Letters? Whenever I tell someone that I study here, they exclaim, “You must read a lot, right?” I might have thought so myself before I entered the university. However, in truth the Faculty of Arts and Letters is (naturally) not only about reading. This is the best place to devote yourself to learning, to master your major and gain academic skills. Since there are as many as twenty five departments (and specialties) in the faculty, each of you will find something worth studying. We are eagerly waiting for you.