This program is currently under application to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) for establishment in April 2027, and the plan is subject to change.
Yutaka Hoshino
Professor, Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences;
Member, Committee on the Establishment of a New Graduate School, University of Tsukuba
"How Will Legal Studies Change?"
The most familiar image of law might be: "a dispute occurs" > "the law is applied" > "the dispute is resolved." However, the belief that applying the law leads to resolution is often held by those who are not directly involved. For the parties involved, losing a case can breed resentment and a desire for revenge, while winning may lead to overconfidence and escalation of conflict.
Japanese legal studies were originally constructed during the Meiji era, when Japan opened its doors to the world, with the primary goal of creating a framework as a modern state to avoid colonization by Western powers. In this context, legal studies developed on the basis of the Western legal theories. As a result, legal scholarship has been heavily theory-oriented, focusing on ideal solutions to purely hypothetical cases. This approach has overemphasized the "elegant" and "sophisticated" nature of law.
Yet, such theoretical exercises may seem like a mere "intellectual pastime" to those living peaceful lives, far removed from legal disputes. For individuals facing crises that could ruin their lives, these theories often appear detached from reality. In fact, when reality diverges from theory, scholars sometimes dismiss reality as flawed rather than revisiting the theory itself.
The Master's and Doctoral Programs in Innovative Legal Studies were established to address this gap by fostering collaboration among experts from diverse fields. We invite you to freely explore various disciplines and join us in shaping the future of legal studies.
Yutaka Hoshino
Professor, Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences;
Member, Committee on the Establishment of a New Graduate School, University of Tsukuba
"Opening New Frontiers in Legal Studies through Diverse Perspectives"
In traditional legal studies, legal hermeneutics has been recognised as a central field. However, there is a shortage of researchers who examine the intersections between law and other disciplines, as well as the relationship between law and society. This has made it difficult to address real-world issues and challenges arising from the anticipated advances in science and technology in the future. Therefore, the Master's and Doctoral Programs in Innovative Legal Studies (ILS Program) seeks to re-examine legal knowledge from an interdisciplinary perspective, analyse the role of law in an ever-changing society, and attempt to create new legal systems and academic insights. Rather than being constrained by the conventional framework of legal studies, the ILS Program conducts analysis from the perspectives of social basis and legal theory, the implementation of law in society, and science, technology and legal systems.
The logo of the Master's and Doctoral Programs in Innovative Legal Studies represents the image of diverse forms of knowledge from multiple academic fields coming together to generate new, globally oriented knowledge of law. The multiple hexagons arranged in vibrant colors symbolise the breadth and diversity of academic disciplines. Within this diversity, the logo expresses the endeavor of innovative legal studies to analyse and construct legal norms that serve as a compass for society. The light blue ring visually represents the way in which newly created knowledge extends outward into the world and is shared globally.
The degree of Master of Arts in Innovative Legal Studies is awarded to those who have fulfilled the requirements for completion of the master's program as stipulated in the Graduate School Regulations of the University of Tsukuba and related regulations, and who are recognized as having acquired the following knowledge and abilities.
Guidelines for Assessing Learning Outcomes
The assessment of learning outcomes is conducted each semester through an achievementbased evaluation grounded in the "Achievement Evaluation Table." Through individual meetings with academic advisors and review by the curriculum committee, the acquisition of competencies stipulated in the Diploma Policy is objectively verified and assessed. In addition, the overall attainment of competencies is comprehensively confirmed through the final examination.
The Program seeks applicants who have a strong interest in specific themes related to law and who are capable of analysing and creatively reenvisioning the role of law in an everchanging society as their own subject of inquiry from an interdisciplinary perspective. Applicants are expected to conceptualise new possibilities for legal studies based on a critical awareness of legal issues arising in realworld contexts, and to possess both the motivation and the fundamental insight necessary to actively contribute to the resolution of the challenges facing the global community.
The degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Innovative Legal Studies is awarded to those who have fulfilled the requirements for completion of the doctoral program as stipulated in the Graduate School Regulations of the University of Tsukuba and related regulations, and who are recognized as having acquired the following knowledge and abilities.
Guidelines for Assessing Learning Outcomes
The assessment of learning outcomes is conducted each semester through an achievementbased evaluation grounded in the "Achievement Evaluation Table." Through individual meetings with academic advisors and review by the curriculum committee, the acquisition of competencies stipulated in the Diploma Policy is objectively verified and assessed. In addition, the overall attainment of competencies is comprehensively confirmed through the final examination.
The Program seeks applicants who possess foundational knowledge of specific themes related to law and who are capable of analysing and creatively reenvisioning the role of law in an everchanging society as their own subject of inquiry from an interdisciplinary perspective. Applicants are expected to demonstrate the capacity to lead the development of innovative legal studies, to have a solid foundational understanding of legal issues arising in realworld social contexts, and to possess the motivation and creativity necessary to actively contribute to the resolution of the challenges facing the global community while conceptualising new possibilities for legal scholarship.
Master's Program
Doctoral Program
Prospective Advisors (Alphabetical Order)
IBS: Institute of Business Sciences
IHSS: Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences
ILES: Institute of Life and Environmental Sciences
ILIMS: Institute of Library, Information and Media Science
Hajime AKIYAMA
IHSS
Statelessness, Human Rights, Peace Studies, Constitutional Law, International Law, International Organisations
Yutaka HOSHINO
IHSS
Trusts and Fiduciary Relationships, Troubles and Accidents in School, Administration of Information, Relationships between AI and Human Being
Kenichi MATSUI
ILES
Water law, Water ethics, Climate change policy, environmental/natural resource policies/laws
Entrance and Tuition Fees
Entrance Fee: JPY 282,000 (as of AY 2025)
Tuition Fee: JPY 535,800 per year (as of AY 2025)
For details, please see the following website:
https://www.tsukuba.ac.jp/en/admissions/fees-tuition/index.html
Entrance Fee Exemption and Tuition Waiver
Students who face financial difficulties and who demonstrate excellent academic records may be exempt from part or all of the tuition payments.
For details, please see the following website:
https://www.tsukuba.ac.jp/en/admissions/financial-exemption/
Student Housing and Apartment Information
Student housing facilities are available on the University of Tsukuba campus. In addition, apartments are widely available in the areas surrounding the university.
For further details, please visit the following website:
https://www.tsukuba.ac.jp/en/campuslife/support-healthlife/accommodation/
Scholarships and Financial Support
The ILS program does not offer its own scholarship schemes. However, students may apply for scholarships provided by the Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO) as well as those offered by various external organisations.
For further details, please refer to the relevant information.
https://www.tsukuba.ac.jp/en/admissions/financial-scholarships/
Teaching Assistant (TA)
Students in the Master's Program may work as Teaching Assistants (TAs) and provide educational support for undergraduate courses.
Students in the Doctoral Program may work as TAs and provide educational support for undergraduate and master'slevel courses.
Appointment as a TA is subject to a separate screening process.
Research Assistant (RA)
Students in both the Master's and Doctoral Programs may be employed as Research Assistants (RAs) to support research activities.
RA positions are funded by this degree program or by external research funds obtained by individual faculty members.
Appointment as an RA is subject to a separate screening process.
JSPS Research Fellowship for Young Scientists
Students enrolled in the Doctoral Program who are selected as JSPS Research Fellows will receive a monthly research stipend of JPY 227,000 (scheduled amount for FY 2027) and will be allocated research funds of up to JPY 1.5 million per year.
For further details, please refer to the relevant information.
https://www.jsps.go.jp/english/e-pd/
Scholarship and Research Funding Information
By obtaining external research funding, students may conduct their research while covering expenses such as the purchase of books and costs associated with fieldwork. Some students acquire external funding to support and carry out their research during the process of writing their academic papers. Students are therefore encouraged to make use of the following University of Tsukuba information websites. (These websites are primarily available in Japanese, but English translations are also provided.)
Research Information Portal COTRE:https://ura.sec.tsukuba.ac.jp/
Research Funding Information Site (RISS) (for members of the University of Tsukuba only):https://www.research-fund.sec.tsukuba.ac.jp/
Career Support
The University of Tsukuba offers a wide range of programs and services to support students in their career development and employment activities.
For further details, please visit the following website:
https://syushoku.sec.tsukuba.ac.jp/career/
Enrollment Period
April and October
Prior to application, prospective applicants are required to obtain informal consent from a faculty member whom they wish to have as their advisor.
For details, please refer to the Outline of Admissions to be published in April 2026 and the Application Guidelines to be published in September 2026.
From AY 2027 onward, information sessions are scheduled to be held in May and August. For information on the information sessions conducted in AY 2026 and the latest information, please refer to the "NEWS" page.
