Takeharu Okubo Seminar

How has the East Asian world in which we live been shaped, and what kind of future is it heading toward? In our seminar, we examine the formation of modern East Asia, focusing on cultural contact with the Western world. Currently, the situation in East Asia is showing uncertain developments, at times facing tense circumstances. To understand the essence of these issues, it is necessary to once again go back through history and academically clarify the political thought and diplomacy of early modern and modern East Asia. In the seminar, through the reading of literature as well as group work and debates, students will cultivate the ability to think for themselves about the state of the society in which they live, speak in their own words, and persuade those around them. This is precisely the skill most required of you as you go out into society and play active roles in various fields in the future.

(Published: April 2026)