The State of Japanese Studies at SOAS, University of London

This report describes the state of Japanese studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), London. The first part provides a general background on Japanese studies at SOAS, at both undergraduate and postgraduate level, within the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures. This first part serves as an update to the information provided in an earlier report to Nichibunken, entitled “Japanese Studies at SOAS, University of London” (Andrew Gerstle and Alan Cummings, Japanese Studies around the World, 2017). Some degrees offer more intensive Japanese-language courses, while other degrees emphasize various disciplines (literature, history, business, etc.) connected to Japanese society. The MA degrees include one-year courses taught entirely at SOAS, as well as two-year MA degrees, which involve study abroad at a Japanese university. The second part of this report sets out the research interests and individual achievements of Japan-related academic staff affiliated to the Japan Research Centre (JRC), which has been the forum for Japan-related research activities at SOAS since 1978.