In the Bachelor's programme Japanese Studies at Leiden University you will study the rich history and age-old traditions of Japan. Discover the fascinating country of haiku, samurai, geishas and manga.

Friday 25 April 2025 | Leiden University Institute of Security and Global Affairs – The Hague

Dividing Worlds: Tsunamis, Seawalls, and Ontological Politics in Northeast Japan

Leonard Blussé, Professor Emeritus of History of European-Asian Relations, was awarded the 13th Fukuoka Prize in Japan on 10 September.

Do you want to go for a full academic programme? In that case, the next step after obtaining your bachelor’s is a master’s degree (MSc or MA) at a Dutch or international university. You will find that the Science for Sustainable Societies bachelor’s programme qualifies you for many master’s programm…

Houses, warehouses, wells, a mooring and even a stable. All of this can be seen on the oldest known map of the island of Dejima acquired by Leiden University Libraries (UBL). The map provides a highly detailed picture of a tiny living environment on the isolated island.

On the 8th of September Yun-An Olivia Dung successfully defended a doctoral thesis and graduated.

This study examines recovery planning committees across Japan's Tohoku region.

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Andrea Giolai defended his thesis on 3 May 2017.

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LIAS aims to advance the globally conscious vision of area studies, both within and outside the academic community. Focusing on Asia and the Middle East, the institute is a meeting place of multiple fields of inquiry, theories and methods, historical periods, and areas.

On October 23rd, dr. Bart Custers, associate professor and head of research of eLaw, the Center for Law and Digital Technologies at Leiden Universitty, delivers a keynote address on the big data and law at the International Conference on Big Data Research (ICBDR 2017) in Osaka, Japan

Emperor Naruhito and King Willem-Alexander will visit Leiden University on Thursday 18 June.

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On Thursday 10 November, the GTGC organized a research seminar. During this seminar Saori Katada presented her paper on Regional Approach to Financial Statecraft: Japan and India in the Face of Rising China.

Alumnus Anoma van der Veere did Japanese studies and talks in this interview about his studies in Leiden and his work as a researcher at the Leiden Asia Centre and as Japanese correspondent in Tokyo.

The Advisory Board has been established to support LUGO in its operations.

The Hague Journal of Diplomacy calls for paper proposal submissions. Accepted papers will be included in the journal's special issue on Japanese diplomacy under the broad theme of 'Japan between the West and the East'.

While the U.S. reconsiders its global commitments, Japan remains a stable partner, having cultivated the roots of its bilateral partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region and expanded its commitment to global health.

From 28 October to 2 November, Armin Cuyvers was invited by the University of Nagasaki to lecture on EU integration and Brexit.

Mari Nakamura defended her thesis on 14 March 2017

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This paper sheds light on how better monetary-fiscal coordination can be expected to play out across very different political-economic contexts.

Engagement between Asia and Europe is increasing. If these continents want to build a lasting relationship, they need to understand each other better in the economic, socio-cultural, historical and legal arena. Researchers from Leiden have already contributed to the body of knowledge on past and present…

2017 was the Leiden Asia Year. Leiden has had connections with Asia and built up extensive knowledge of the continent over many centuries. This Leiden-Asia link has been in the spotlight for the past year.

On Friday 22 November 2024 Ye Jiang successfully defended a doctoral thesis and graduated.

Much of the literature on space diplomacy houses a Western precedent through the use of mainstream ideas of IR to emphasise space...

Medicine in Image and Practice: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Japanese Medical History. A new interdisciplinary collaboration between the Faculty of Humanities, the Faculty of Medicine (LUMC), and the Leiden University Libraries (UBL).

As a student in Security Studies you are a socially engaged critical thinker eager to study real-life security cases in an academic setting. You focus not just on the broad context of these issues but also on the role of government, institutions and media. Want to know more? Sign up for one of our Open…

Paul van der Heijden, professor emeritus International Labour Law, was recently appointed by the British Minister for Trade as an independent arbitrator under the dispute settlement provisions of the United Kingdom’s Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Japan.

Over a century ago, Alexandra van Elroy's great-grandfather left for Japan, where her grandmother was born. Together with her mother, Maaike van der Loon, she reminisces about her family history, through which a key thread is the study of Japanese and Chinese.

The 2011 disasters precipitated widespread concern among heritage scholars about the fate of Tohoku’s cultural properties, tangible and intangible. Damage to not only buildings and landscapes but also ‘formless’ heritage, some worried, could weaken social infrastructure and thus slow or undermine re…

The walls of Paul van der Velde’s study at the International Institute for Asian Studies are full of neat rows of post-it notes. As organiser in chief, he is right in the middle of the upcoming ICAS 11, the 11th International Convention of Asia Scholars, which is returning to where it was first held…

The Master’s in Asian Studies at Leiden University is your opportunity to earn a specialised qualification from one of the leading centres for Asian studies in Europe.

On 30 January 2024 Jurre van der Meer successfully defended a doctoral thesis and graduated.

The two-year master's programme in Japanese Studies, a specialisation of the MA in Asian Studies, offers teaching by leading academics and a multi-disciplinary approach to the study of the East Asian region.

Designed for high-achieving students, Leiden University’s research MA Asian Studies offers access to unique resources and expertise. Asian Studies at Leiden University has a reputation for excellence that is unmatched in Europe. You can choose subjects from a curriculum that spans the entire Asian region,…

Een delegatie van Nagasaki University bracht eind mei een bezoek aan de Universiteit Leiden.

Saeedeh Shahnahpur defended her thesis on 13 September 2016.

Our East Asia experts work across various disciplines on global issues such as migration, heritage, and colonialism.

In the Bachelor’s in Security Studies you study 21st century security challenges and learn to devise strategic solutions to a complex world.

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To truly understand complex regions such as the Middle East and Asia, you have to know their culture, history and local societies inside out. Driven by curiosity for other cultures, the Leiden University Institute for Area Studies (LIAS) provides an understanding and analysis of current and historical…