Bachelor in Global Studies in Japanese Cultures Program (English-based Degree Program)

The Global Studies in Japanese Cultures Program is a four-year, English-taught bachelor's degree at Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan, with enrollment beginning each September. Waseda University is internationally recognized as one of the top private universities in Japan, based in central Tokyo. It is organized into 13 undergraduate schools and 20 graduate schools, enrolls over 47,000 students, and is the second-largest university in the country. The university has produced 8 prime ministers, and its alumni are active across many fields in Japan and internationally. Guided by its founder's ethos of harmonizing Eastern and Western cultures, Waseda has welcomed international students since its founding and describes itself as the most global-friendly university in Japan, enrolling around 8,000 students from more than 120 countries and regions in the 2019 academic year. This program focuses on the study of Japanese culture, society, and history from a global and comparative perspective, combining coursework in Japanese literature, art, religion, history, and contemporary society with broader training in cross-cultural analysis and global studies methods. Students in programs of this kind typically study alongside Japanese-language courses to deepen direct engagement with primary sources and everyday life in Japan, while also examining how Japanese culture is understood and represented internationally. Based in central Tokyo, students have access to museums, archives, and cultural institutions throughout the capital that support this kind of study. Graduates commonly pursue careers or further study in areas such as Japanese studies, cultural diplomacy, translation, media, education, and international business connected to Japan, building on four years of combined cultural and language training.