English and American Literature

This major encompasses a wide range of fields, from the study of the English language itself to the diverse cultures expressed through English. Fundamental skills such as English proficiency are regarded not as ends in themselves, but as means of gaining a deeper understanding of language and culture.

We inherit a distinguished tradition of scholarship established in the prewar period by pioneering figures in the field, including Yonejiro Noguchi (father of Isamu Noguchi), Shukotsu Togawa, Junzaburo Nishiwaki (a nominee for the Nobel Prize in Literature), and Fumio Kuriyagawa. Building on this legacy, we offer one of the most comprehensive curricula in Japan, taught by specialists across a wide range of fields.

The curriculum includes lectures and seminars on English literature from the medieval period to the present; American literature from the colonial era to postmodernism; English philology and linguistics from Old English to contemporary scholarship; and interdisciplinary classes exploring the multifaceted connections between literature and Anglophone culture, including film and music. This rich academic environment enables students to broaden and deepen their intellectual interests.