This course is one of the only programs in Japan that simultaneously covers three significant areas of history: China, Northern/Central Eurasia, and Southeast/maritime Asia. The course has produced world-class research concerning society, economics, and the law in China from the early modern period to the present day; the history of Central Eurasia during the period from the Chinese Sui and Tang Dynasties to the Mongolian Empire; the medieval and early modern periods in Southeast Asia (Vietnam, in particular); and maritime relations in East/Southeast Asia. Emphasis is placed on local fieldwork in addition to historical sources. The course stands at the forefront of the movement to reform history education, which includes giving Asian history education its proper place in the international academic community.

This department offers five courses of study, namely, the histories of Japan, Asia, the West, and the Muslim world, along with archaeology, which together covers the entire field of historical studies. Students take initiative in the learning and research process by reading and documenting articles for presentation.

It is difficult to determine the geographical limits of Western history. While nobody would disagree that the history of Europe is the central component, Oriental and Mediterranean civilizations also considerably influenced Western civilization. From the 16th century, Europeans also began to advance into North and South America, Asia, Africa, and Oceania, where they either transplanted their civilizations or intensely impacted the traditional peoples of those areas, as has been well documented.

This department has five specialized subject areas—Japanese History, Oriental History, Western History, Archaeology, and Historical Geography, enabling students to analyze history from many different perspectives while deepening their expertise and cultivating the perception necessary to solve various issues facing contemporary society. This department provides an enriched learning environment.

When studying history, it’s important to think about who, what, where, when, and why. Our curriculum enables students to answer these questions by taking a broader view of history.

How did the ancestors think, how they lived, what they felt, and how they lived. In the history of our ancestors, we have a lot of wisdom to survive the 21st century wisely. .. Under the best learning environment of the ancient city of Nara, you will acquire the wisdom and power to build the future while touching the activities of people who live and sparkle in such history.

The study of history is an academic discipline that seeks to provide narratives of the past by examining diverse historical materials from the perspective of the individual historian. Students develop the ability to read and understand historical documents, grasp the issues of the contemporary world from a historical perspective and comprehend the meaning that past events have for the modern world.