Japanese and World Philosophies

Japanese and world philosophies is an unusual and intellectually enriching combination, bringing together one of the world's most culturally distinctive languages and societies with the comparative study of philosophical traditions across Asia, Africa, and the world beyond the Western canon. Japanese studies develops language proficiency alongside serious engagement with the history, culture, and society of Japan. World philosophies situates Japanese thought within a global comparative framework, asking what different intellectual traditions have to say about knowledge, ethics, reality, and how human beings should live, and taking non-Western philosophical traditions seriously as intellectual contributions, not merely as objects of anthropological interest.

At the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, which has one of the world's strongest concentrations of expertise in Asian and African languages, cultures, and thought, this four-year full-time programme benefits from genuinely specialist teaching. A foundation year is available, providing academic preparation for those entering from a broader range of backgrounds. You will develop your Japanese language skills towards a high level of proficiency while also engaging with philosophical texts and traditions from Japan, South Asia, China, and Africa, among other traditions.

The typical entry tariff of 120 points provides a guide to the standard expected.

You will develop linguistic competence, cultural and historical knowledge of Japan, and the philosophical skills of close reading, argument analysis, and comparative intellectual inquiry. This combination is rare and genuinely distinguishing.

Graduates go on to careers in international organisations, diplomacy, journalism, translation, education, the cultural sector, and organisations with Japan-related operations. Postgraduate study in Japanese studies, philosophy, comparative religion, or Asian studies is also a well-established route.