Study liberal arts in Japan

What do liberal arts experts in Japan say?

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  Dr Jürgen Paul Melzer

  International College of Liberal Arts Professor; Coordinator of Japan Studies Major

  Dr Jürgen Paul Melzer says

  The Japan Studies major is targeted at students who want to achieve a high level of competence in the Japanese language and an in-depth understanding of Japanese culture, history, politics, economics. The best place to do that of course is right here in Japan!

  Japan is, naturally, the best place for doing Japan Studies. Students can practice their Japanese in a real-world environment and can fully immerse themselves into everyday Japanese life, enjoy Japanese food, and rejoice in Japanese culture.

  Furthermore, being based in Kofu puts them right at the center of Japan with Mt. Fuji, Tokyo, and Yokohama easily accessible. Japan’s level of safety, healthcare system, and high level of convenience make it an increasingly attractive destination for international students.

  After completing their studies, students will have deepened their understanding of Japan and its culture. As the only G7 nation in Asia Japan’s economy is a regional powerhouse and its companies are active across the globe. This makes them well prepared for a future academic and professional career both here in Japan and abroad.

  After graduation students can pursue a career at one of the many Japanese companies that are now hiring international students as they rise to meet the challenges of globalization and a shrinking population at home.

  With the end of the Corona pandemic in sight, tourism to Japan will rebound and continue to expand, and there will be an increasing demand for sharing one’s expertise in Japan with foreign visitors. A student’s multilingual language skills and wide-ranging knowledge about Japan will be crucial factors to open the door for a career in the media industry.

  As a future researcher or educator, graduates can also engage in postgraduate studies or devote themselves to becoming a teacher.

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  Dr Mike Blow

  International College of Liberal Arts Professor; Coordinator of Interdisciplinary Arts Major

  Dr Mike Blow says

  By majoring in Interdisciplinary Arts at iCLA, students can explore not only classic western ideas and techniques, but also Japanese aesthetic principles, traditional crafts and instruments, anime and manga, classic and modern literature, kabuki theatre, and more.

  With dedicated courses in both western and Japanese arts, and Tokyo on our doorstep, students who study at iCLA can immerse themselves in an inspirational culture where ancient Shinto shrines sit next to modern corporate skyscrapers, where technology and tradition go hand in hand, and where design and attention to detail are a way of life.

  Delivered through lectures and workshops, with plenty of practical work and projects, our courses explore western and Japanese art history and theory, hands-on skills, techniques for being creative and thinking outside the box, and offer the opportunity to work across multiple arts areas.

  Japan has a very high standard of education, is a relatively inexpensive country to live in, has a fascinating culture and fantastic food. Through the experience of living in a country with a culture as rich as Japan’s students can really gain maturity.

  Art in any form - visual, music, performance, or writing - is a passion, and to study art is to study the joy of creativity, exploration, and expression. Arts graduates are often adaptable, good at self-management, objective problem solvers, and crucially able to come up with creative solutions and ideas, all of which makes them very valuable to employers.

  International Interdisciplinary Arts graduates from iCLA will have the additional benefit of a knowledge of Japanese arts and culture, and the opportunity to study across multiple areas of art, which will make them stand out in their home job market or open-up opportunities for work or further study in Japan.

  Due to the interdisciplinary nature of our major, students can work in a variety of fields; fine art, illustration, graphic design, web, music composition for film or game, audio engineering, written content creation, proofreading and translation, acting, directing and dance.

  In addition, combining art courses with those from other iCLA areas such as political science, economics, and business or psychology creates a strong foundation for careers like journalism, art curation and management, and art or music therapy.