The department of Slavic Languages and Literatures is one of the most recent additions to the Faculty and Graduate School of Letters; its first three students completed the undergraduate program in March 1999, and three students have now earned doctorate degrees. The department aims to provide comprehensive education and research in the languages and literatures of Slavic peoples.

Slavistics in Japan has developed around Russian literature studies ever since its birth in the Meiji period. Meanwhile, studies of fields outside of Russia, or even studies of Russian literature before the 19th and 20th centuries have a relatively short history in Japan. In view of the history of Slavistics in Japan as such, the department aspires to cover, in addition to Russian literature, a broader spectrum of the languages and literatures of Slavic nations from all regions and times. To that end, we offer courses on themes that are important for understanding the entirety of Slavic culture, and which are uncommon in other Japanese universities, such as Polish literature, Old Church Slavonic or Old Russian. Typically, courses on the following themes are offered, although there may be some variations between academic years: “Introduction to Slavic Linguistics”, “Topics in Russian Grammar”, “Old Church Slavonic”, “Polish Grammar”, “Russian Literature in the 19th century”, “Reading Russian Literature”, “Seminar in Polish Literature”, “Russian Language Practice”.

Students follow diverse reaearch interests, although Russian literature tends to be the most popular theme for graduation theses. Graduate students pursue an even great variety of interests.

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