Institute of Japanese Studies Institute
The Department of Japanese Studies at Heidelberg University was established in 1985. Initially, the focus lay—here as elsewhere—on Japanese literature and philological methods.
However, from the outset, topics from social and intellectual history were also integrated. Since the appointment of a second professor with a social science-oriented background in 1992, both academic approaches have been equally represented at the institute. The aim is not to allow them to exist side by side without connection, but rather to develop them as two complementary paths toward a holistic understanding of Japan.
In April 2004, the Department joined with the Institute of Chinese Studies and the Institute of East Asian Art History to establish the Centre for East Asian Studies. As part of this institutional restructuring, it was renamed the Department of Japanese Studies.
Academic Focus
The current orientation of Japanese Studies in Heidelberg reflects the research and teaching fields of its faculty and can be broadly outlined as follows:
- Japanese literature and history
- Politics and society of Japan
- Japanese intellectual history
- Selected aspects of Japan’s economy and culture
In teaching, the boundaries between these areas are drawn more broadly; in research, more narrowly. The Japanese collection within the CATS Library reflects these areas, with particular emphasis on the following topics:
- Modern Japanese prose fiction
- Autobiographical literature
- Literature and social movements
- Issues in literary translation
- Women’s history and women’s literature
- History of political thought
- Theories of modernization
- Modern Japan in East Asia
- Work culture and corporate organization
Other areas currently being developed include literature before 1600, religion, and the history of the Japanese language.
