Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Gender Studies

This major was established in April 2005 to form a hub for gender research education. It was the first major in a Doctoral Program offered in Japan that established and emphasized gender research from an interdisciplinary perspective. The instructors provide classroom content that analyzes representative modern social issues based on each academic discipline. The doctoral dissertations produced by past graduates have been praised for presenting new outlooks about existing academic disciplines from a gender perspective, and have been awarded various prizes including the Japan Association of Gender and Law Prize, the Women’s History Prize, the Human Geographical Society of Japan’s Excellent Book/Paper Award, the Japan Association of Economic Geographers’ Economic Geography Prize, the Kikue Yamakawa Prize, the Population Association of Japan’s Best Paper Award, and others.

Ochanomizu University was founded on November 29, 1875, as Tokyo Women’s Normal School, the first institution of higher education for women in Japan. In the over 143 years since the university has forged a new path in education for women. Even when it was difficult for women to play a major role in the workforce, many graduates of this university were pursuing careers and became strong performers in a variety of fields, including academic research, education, industry, government, and the media. They have continued to earn the deep respect of their peers, and have opened up doors to new opportunities for women in the next generation.

We continue to foster women who hold the future by adopting a broad perspective and great sensitivity, based on the legacy and traditions we have built.