5 Best Sociology in Japan for 2025

Students explore indigenous cultures of the world, including courses in history, folklore, geography, archeology, art history, cultural assets studies, and others. They engage in fieldwork such as the excavation of Suwahara in Yamanashi, research on the Toshodai-ji documents, and the research and preservation of cultural heritage sites in Vietnam.

A major theme of work of the Faculty is "symbiosis" between people of different cultures, ideologies, and languages by deepening exchange with people from all over the world as globalization gathers pace in the world of the 21st century.

The former Graduate School of Social and Cultural Sciences was established in April 2002, which offered a three-year independent, interdisciplinary and comprehensive Doctoral Program based on a wide range of fields given in the Faculty of Letters and the Faculty of Law.

We strive to cultivate students to become high-level professionals with investigative and collaborative skills, and the communication skills necessary in modern society. The Studies in Contemporary Society program is composed of two courses. The information communication specialty deepens theoretical and practical analysis skills regarding various problems related to the information communication that forms the basis of modern society. Also, we support students who are working adults who aim to increase their qualifications by acquiring information education qualifications or IT passport qualifications or becoming information processing experts or fundamental information technology engineers. These career enhancements are becoming increasingly important as IT continues to rapidly progress. Studies in Contemporary SocietyThe clinical sociology program conducts research about clinical sociology related to contemporary life and death and gender. By conducting research to help eliminate violence towards women and children and to support the victims while this violence is being eradicated, by understanding the culture and customs connected to birth and burial of the dead, and by deepening insight into human existence, we aim to train our students to become graduates who have the clinical skills to offer better support and care to others, and the skills to investigate and analyze social structure, consciousness, and conditions. Both courses aim to cultivate students to become higher-level professionals with clinical and communication skills, who strive to work together with the specialized academic and professional fields demanded by modern society.

Social work is an academic field that pursues theories and ways to encourage individuals, groups and society so that all people will be given respect and change their lives for the better. This division prompts proactive learning and offers a learning environment for students to acquire practical knowledge. It also offers diverse practice opportunities each year with an emphasis on direct involvement with welfare service beneficiaries so that students can refine their problem identification and problem-solving skills. Through the programs, students aspire to become competent social workers who can work together with diverse professions while also demonstrating their expertise, or become contributing members of society to utilize their knowledge on social welfare in a wide array of fields. Alumni career paths are very diverse. SPU Division of Social Work alumni have been employed in the following fields and demonstrate their capabilities acquired at SPU: the children & family support fields such as the family court and child guidance center; the consultation and lifestyle support field for children, the elderly, and persons with disabilities; public administration in the Japanese government, prefectures, and municipalities; the medical welfare and psychiatric social welfare fields such as general hospitals and psychiatric hospitals; the regional social welfare field such as in social welfare councils and non-profit organizations; and companies in various industries including pharmaceutical, medical equipment, housing, beauty, and education.