As globalization advances, the world in which we live is undergoing immense transformations. Cultural migration and mingling are becoming commonplace. Identities and social ties are becoming more complex. With people, things and information moving in multiple directions at accelerating rates, unprecedented possibilities for both co-existence and conflict arise. The Regional Studies and Comparative Studies Departments established at Minpaku in 1989 are designed to train proactive individuals who will bring an anthropological perspective to these massive changes, by examining and understanding their impact on everyday life. As of 2019, more than 100 students had graduated from these programs with Ph.D.s and are now working in a wide variety of fields, primarily in universities or other research institutions. If you see yourself as a member of the global society, if you see the necessity to work together to create a future for all, if you are looking for education that is highly professional, international, and embodies a broad perspective, SOKENDAI could be the place for you.

These two departments bring together specialists in a wide variety of fields: linguistics, information science, religion, music, archeology, botany, and museology, as well as cultural anthropology. Minpaku is one of SOKENDAI's parent institutions and as Japan's National Museum of Ethnology offers unique research opportunities, including collections that contain more than a million research materials. This remarkable research environment and our unique supervisory system will give you the help you need to make your dreams come true.