6 Best Theology and Religious Studies in Japan for 2025

Cultivating problem-solving skills through a wide breadth of Buddhist education and research on the developments and style of the Jodo sect and on the ideas and culture of Buddhism in India, China, and Japan.

The aim of this major in Liberal Arts education is not necessarily to educate specialists. It is to critically scrutinize principles associated with notions such as "meaning" and "value" that we as humans all possess, in order to cultivate the ability to develop ideas from a reliable foundation. The study of philosophy and religion invokes fundamental questions concerning humanity and life and constitutes the core of a Liberal Arts education that aims to cultivate reverent and independent individuals.

Students are required to serve at least two years in a Japanese-speaking church as partial fulfillment of their Christian Ministry and Field Education requirements (exceptions may be permitted in special cases). Students are strongly encouraged, therefore, to continue their study of the Japanese language beyond the first two years of required coursework.

Through the three offered courses of religious culture, Buddhist culture, and Zen culture, this department aims to develop in students a broad view of religions and the ability to think deeply. The goal of our religious cultural studies is to produce graduates who are prepared to participate in a global society.

The Department offers courses in various fields of Buddhism, ranging from China to Japan, from the earliest days of Zen Buddhism to the present, and from its teachings and philosophy to its arts.

The goal of the Graduate School of Practical Shin Buddhist Studies is to conduct education and research on how religious people can respond to complex and varied contemporary issues through studying religious teachings and truths. It also aims to foster religious practitioners with the highly specialized expertise expected by society. Nurturing Qualified Professionals The graduate school aims to foster religious practitioners who can understand other people from a global perspective. This perspective is based on Buddhist concepts of human nature and cosmology and aims to find the meaning of existence and to cultivate a zest for living. Also, it aims to nurture religious practitioners capable of exercising leadership over a wide range of activities in order to make religious organizations and facilities all over the nation function effectively and contribute to the revitalization of local communities as one of their strongholds.