About the Department of History and Geography
Fusion of history and geography – A new field of study crossing time and space
People today tend to embrace the illusion that the present day has never changed from the beginning. Common sense and customs in today’s world, however, have not been made instantly. The problems of modern society and the incidents happening all over the world are deeply related to a long process from the past and geographical conditions. We cannot deal with globalization, changing relationships between Japan and other Asian countries, and drastic changes of local community with a standard way of thinking. The Department of History & Geography was established in 2004 in order to develop a point of view leading to a breakthrough in those issues. A feature of the department is that it examines historical processes and spatial relationships of all incidents and tries to foster a vision of the future as well as foresight and insight on modern society.
Various subjects enlightening students’ own interests and concerns
This course emphasizes understanding things from both historical and geographical points of view. The most outstanding feature of this course is that the main idea reflects the curriculum which consists of various subjects including special subjects in both the historical field and the geographical field. As for the historical fields, the subjects are designed for awareness of the world in Japan and awareness of Japan in the world covering the ancient, medieval, modern, and present history of Japan and world history, especially of Asian countries, to expand the students’ horizons. The geographical subjects clarify the characteristics of Japan and other areas through a multiple approach considering the relationship between natural conditions and history and culture, industrial economy, and society built spatially from the geographical point of view.
Adoption of seminars with small groups to practically acquire the technique of decoding and researching
The students start seminars with small groups in their first year in order to master thoroughly the basics of history and geography. They read textbooks, such as documents and historical materials, to understand the historical backdrop and local conditions and to practice decoding. They also learn the technique of field survey through a practical field work. They can also study how to process and analyze documents and maps using computers such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
There are a wide range of fields where the graduates can apply their knowledge and ability developed through the study of history and geography. They will have opportunities to work as specialists at educational organization, as teachers at junior and senior high school, as officers in local government, such as a curator, or in the tourism and travel industry.
Basic Information
Established | 2004 |
Degree | Bachelor of Humanities |
Number of Students
1st Year | 2nd Year | 3rd Year | 4th Year | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|
98 | 109 | 119 | 92 | 418 |
Number of Full-time Faculty Members
Professor | Associate Professor | Senior Assistant Professor | Assistant Professor | Research Associate | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
- As of May 1, 2024