◆Japanese Literature
The Japanese Literature program offers an all-encompassing education in the literature of Japan, from the ancient to the medieval and early modern as well as modern and contemporary. The course involves detailed readings of individual works and suggests various ways to approach different authors and the prevailing trends of different eras, resulting in significant findings. Members of the faculty include Professor Takigawa Koji (Heian Literature), Professor Saito Masao (Modern and Contemporary Literature), Professor Watanabe Eri (Modern and Contemporary Literature),Associate Professor Asai Miho, and Associate Professor Miyamoto Yukiko. The department also regularly welcomes guest lecturers from outside the university.
The faculty is home to several active societies: The University of Osaka Society of Japanese Language and Literature, which releases the biannual journal Gobun ; the Osaka University Society of Ancient and Medieval Japanese Literature, which holds monthly research presentation meetings and publishes the journal Shirin twice a year; and the University of Osaka Society of Modern Japanese Literature, which publishes the journal Handai Kindai Bungaku Kenkyu . Meanwhile, the Society of Kamigata Literature Research works in collaboration with researchers outside the university to publish the Kamigata Bungei Kenkyu .
Website：Japanese Literature
Professors
- TAKIGAWA, Koji (Ph.D.)
- SAITO, Masao (Ph.D.)
- WATANABE, Eri (Ph.D.)
Associate Professors
- ASAI, Miho (Ph.D.)
- MIYAMOTO, Yukiko(Ph.D.)
Assistant Professor
- MENGGE Huang (Ph.D.)
◆Japanese Historical Linguistics
The study of Japanese Historical Linguistics pertains to the diachronic and synchronic research of the phonemes, characters, transcription, grammar, and vocabulary that make up the Japanese language throughout its development from ancient times to the present day. Whereas Japanese linguistics is primarily concerned with the study of the language in its present form, the emphasis in Japanese Historical Linguistics is placed on diachronic research, examining the language that appears in literature stretching back across the ages.
A core tenet of the discipline is substantiation through literature. Therefore, in addition to a specific research topic, students are also required to possess a rich, general knowledge of Japanese literature.
All faculty members offer individual instruction on masters and doctoral dissertations and conduct thesis-writing workshops in groups of three. The department also works in conjunction with the Japanese Literature and Comparative Literature departments to host an interim master’s thesis presentation in October, and research presentation meetings in July and November. Students are encouraged to present their research at academic conferences.
The faculty is also home to the Society of Historical Studies in Japanese Vocabulary and the Linguistics Colloquium on Saturday.
Website：Japanese Historical Linguistics
Professors
- KISHIMOTO, Emi (Ph.D.)
Associate Professor
- KITAZAKI, Yuho (Ph.D.)