About the Department

The Department History of Japan provides the opportunity to engage in research and studies of a broad array of topics throughout the times to all who are interested in the historical development of Japan and its effects on the present. A focus to a certain degree lies on the early modern and modern times (from about 1600), but other periods, from the pre- and ancient history to the Middle Ages, are included as well. For research, the foci lie in social, economic, political and religious history.

Within the scope of our, in this form no doubt unique, Faculty of East Asian Studies many possibilities to pursue the history of Japan in the context of East Asia and to complement it through offers of other professorships (for example Chinese History and Philosophy, Korean Language and Culture, Religions of East Asia, Politics of East Asia, and Society and Culture of East Asia) are provided. The same goes for the offers of the Faculty of Historical Science, with which the Department cooperates in many areas.

The basic education of the B.A. takes place in collaboration with the Department of Japanese Language and Literature.

Working group Nihonshi jishu zemi

Jishu zemi, which translates as "free" or "independent" seminar, is a form of seminar adapted from Japan. The seminar offers freedom for (research) interests that cannot be pursued due to the prescribed choice of compulsory courses and the limited time available in the timetable organisation of two subjects during the degree course. Since 2007, students have been researching and learning in this working group – initially under the supervision of the professors research assistants of the section, but now completely independently – on topics of their own choice with a historical connection to Japan.