This program aims to fundamentally and comprehensively understand human beings and their cultures and explore and pioneer new knowledge, based on traditional disciplines in human science (linguistics, literature, philosophy, and history). It develops academics who broadly and deeply explore cultures of all times and places to contribute to their longevity and realize the coexistence of different cultures with sophisticated research capabilities and profound intelligence. This program also has a function as the main organization that accepts foreign students who want to be engaged in research of Japanese language and cultures.
The first two years of the five-year doctoral program (equivalent to a master's program), students develop the sufficient basic academic skills required for working as a high-level professional while studying specialized subjects.
The following three years of the doctoral program, students develop capabilities required for independent research such as those for advancing research activities and preparing theses based on the academic skills that they obtained in the first two years of the five-year doctoral program (equivalent to a master's program) .