History of Art and Japanese

History of art and Japanese is a combination that pairs the study of visual culture across time and civilisation with the language and culture of one of the world's most distinctive and influential artistic traditions. History of art examines paintings, sculpture, architecture and designed objects, asking how and why visual forms have taken the shapes they have across different periods and cultures, and what they reveal about the societies and individuals that produced them. Japanese language and cultural studies provide linguistic competence alongside deep engagement with Japanese literature, history, aesthetics and contemporary society, including access to one of the world's richest artistic traditions in its own terms rather than through translation.

At the School of Oriental and African Studies this programme is taught within an institution uniquely placed to support it, with specialist expertise in both East Asian studies and the arts of Asia, Africa and the Middle East. You will study art history across a broad range of traditions while developing Japanese language proficiency and cultural knowledge that allows you to engage with Japanese art and aesthetics directly, without the mediation of translation. The programme includes a foundation year, providing an entry route into degree-level study, and the main degree runs over three years in the standard entry configuration.

You will develop skills in visual analysis, art historical research, Japanese language, area studies and critical academic writing. The combination of visual literacy and Japanese cultural competence is a genuinely distinctive profile in the graduate market.

Graduates from history of art and Japanese programmes pursue careers in museums and galleries with East Asian collections, auction houses, cultural diplomacy, arts journalism, education, publishing, international business with a Japan dimension, and organisations engaged with Japanese culture and heritage. Postgraduate study in art history, Japanese studies, museum studies or a related field is also a natural route.