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The School of Letters was reorganized in 2003, to comprise the Department of Japanese Language and Literature into two new departments - the Department of Japanese Literature and the Department of Linguistic Expressions - which marked the beginning of a new scheme of education and research in the School of Letters.
The Department of Japanese Literature follows the literature of each era from the modern period to the Nara period, while focusing on the understanding and appreciation of various books along the way. Meanwhile, the Department of Linguistic Expressions offers active classes that look into the future from a modern standpoint, analyzing correct and accurate usage of the Japanese language while helping students acquire appropriate skills and knowledge of the expressions.
The curriculums of the two departments are set up so that students in either department can take any specialized courses interchangeably in order to obtain a wide range of learning opportunities.

Department of Japanese Literature

The Department of Japanese Literature has the following missions: 1) to develop an accurate understanding of the reality of Japanese Literature and language learning; 2) to explore the paths that Japanese language and literature may take in the future; and 3) to help enrolled students become more self-actualized. To fulfill these missions, our faculty who specialize in the classics of the Nara, Heian, Kamamura, Muromachi and Edo eras help the students understand what Japanese literature consists of and then pursue studies that are of interest. Moreover, we have full-time instructors in peripheral domains such as Japanese linguistics and Japanese language education to enhance the quality of our education. We also collect original texts and classical publications including otogizoshi short stories from the Kamakura and Muromachi periods in order to deepen specialized knowledge and pass it on to others. These efforts have gained growing recognition in Japan and overseas.
Thus, we are committed to improving classes, enhancing curriculum and upgrading the learning environment to help students attain self-realization amidst diversifying values.

Professors	Yutaka Noborio	Literature (Meiji Period and After)
	Kunito Hara	Teaching Japanese
	Sumiaki Morishita	Literature (Heian Period)
	Takashi Sato	Literature (Nara Period)
	Masaki Yanagisawa	Literature ( Edo Period)

Associate Professors	Eiji Goto	Japanese Linguistics
Associate Professors	Yoshiaki Tokutake	Literature (Kamakura-Muromachi Period)

Department of Linguistic Expressions

This department aims to foster individuals who have an accurate and graceful command of their mother language (Japanese) and can convey their valued thoughts to contemporary society. These kinds of people may be described as individuals with both "letters"(literary education) and "substance"(practical linguistic capacity), a variant on the traditionally valued "literary and military arts". As the modern world shifts toward globalization, greater value is placed on the ability to speak explicitly, plainly and logically in Japanese, as well as the mastery of both business and honorific expressions.
In order to achieve such goals, this department will offer all types of lecture topics that contribute to the nurturing of "expression through language". These areas are composed of the five fields of 1. Theory of Japanese Language; 2. Practical Japanese for "Reading, Writing, and Speaking"; 3. Theory of Culture with a social perspective; 4. Traditional Japanese Literature; and 5. Courses related to certification for teachers (Japanese Language and Calligraphy), Librarians, etc.
Additionally, our faculty is graced with teachers that are active in an academic sense, but can also boast professionals from the forefront of their fields, including a former newspaper editorial writer, a former television broadcaster, a manga artist, a Kyogen comedian, and a calligrapher.

Professors	Katsuhiko Iimuro	Journalism
	Yoshio Fukui	Comparative Cultural Studies
	Satoshi Sakai	Linguistic Expression
	Shigeki Oike	Orthography

Visiting Professors	Yumiko Mashima	Library Science

Associate Professors	Kunio Asaoka	Print Media Culture
Associate Professors	Junki Kanro	The Study of Copyright

Lecturer	Gen Tamakake

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