Division of History Department of European History

Since the Meiji period, Japan has learned a great deal from the West in the political, economic and cultural fields. However, it was only after the Second World War that academic research and teaching of European history was revived in Japan. In order to establish peaceful and friendly relations with other countries, it is essential to understand the history of those countries and regions. This is a lesson learned from the experience of the Second World War. This is the role that European historical studies have played in Japan. There is still much that the Japanese can learn from Europe and its history.

Many aspects of the political, economic and other systems that surround us, as well as much of the art and culture with which we are most familiar, originated in Europe. These elements have their origins in historical phenomena peculiar to Europe, including the ancient Greek polis, the Roman Empire, medieval feudalism, Christian culture, communes, universities, the Renaissance, the Reformation(s) / Counter-Reformations) and the ensuing conflicts between religious sects, the Enlightenment, the French Revolution, civil society, constitutions, parliaments, the nation state and empires.

As long as we continue to study these diverse areas of history and reflect on what the reception and rejection of the West has meant for Japan, a country with a different historical background, we will remain cognizant of the knowledge required to foster mutual understanding between Japan and Europe in this rapidly changing, globalized world.

The European History programme at Kyoto University offers a range of introductory courses, special lectures on specific topics, reading courses in relevant languages, and seminar courses. These provide students with the opportunity to learn how to read and analyse academic articles and historical materials, and how to construct their own arguments from these sources. The courses are taught by full-time faculty and university members specialising in antiquity, the early modern period and the modern age, as well as by part-time lecturers from other universities. Students are expected to develop an understanding of various issues in different regions of Europe in diverse periods, and finally, to choose a research topic to work on for the completion of a graduation thesis that will demonstrate their own original findings.