Our program is composed of various modes of training: lectures, individual supervision, practicum, and field trips. We believe that a mix of approaches to learning and development helps enhance our program by enabling students to learn by themselves, with instructors and from each other.
- Lectures: Most courses are given in the form of lectures. Our lecture classes (modules) run with an average of five students – small enough to encourage questions and discussions.
- Individual Supervision: This is an essential training mode for thesis preparation, with required Thesis 1 (A) and (B) courses, as well as optional meetings held outside regular classroom hours by appointment.
- Practicum: The customs practicum features lectures, workshops, and seminars, and involves visits to regional customs, policy implementation/enforcement, examination, and other management issues. The practicum also involves the presentation of a paper and an additional opportunity to attend workshops led by the Japanese Customs teaching staff.
- Field Trips: During the field trips, scholars visit private firms, public offices, and cultural sites to acquire practical knowledge and a feeling for the Japanese economy and society. In the program, we try to present scholars with the contrasting realities of the Japanese economy.
The following courses are offered during 2024-2025. Please bear the notes in mind as follows;
1. A minimum of 30 credits is required to graduate.
2. Master's Thesis I (A) & I (B) are compulsory to write the thesis under a supervisor whom students are required to choose from the full-time faculty members (Jiro Usugami / Kyoko Kato / Naoto Nadayama / Yukiko Nakagawa / Ikuo Takahashi) upon respective research themes.
3. Japanese language courses (non-credit) are offered both in Spring and Autumn semesters.
| Course Title | Credit | Semester | Instructor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strategic Management | |||
| Competitive Strategy Ⅰ | 2 | Spring | Naoto Nadayama |
| Competitive Strategy Ⅱ | 2 | Autumn | Naoto Nadayama |
| Management Ⅰ | 2 | Spring | Jiro Usugami |
| Management Ⅱ | 2 | Autumn | Jiro Usugami |
| Organizational Management Ⅰ | 2 | Spring | Kyoko Kato |
| Organizational Management Ⅱ | 2 | Autumn | Kyoko Kato |
| HRM & Leadership I | 2 | Spring | Yukiko Nakagawa |
| HRM & Leadership Ⅱ | 2 | Autumn | Yukiko Nakagawa |
| Intellectual Property Rights | |||
| Intellectual Property Rights Ⅰ | 2 | Spring | Tatsuya Saito/Tomoyuki Kanai/Ai Nemoto |
| Intellectual Property Rights Ⅱ | 2 | Autumn | Tatsuya Saito/Tomoyuki Kanai/Ai Nemoto |
| IPR Enforcement at the Border | 2 | Spring | Kenichi Tagami |
| Copyright Law | 2 | Spring | Daiki Ishikawa/Atsushi Okada |
| Customs Administration | |||
| Practicum in Customs Administration | 2 | Spring | Yoshihiro Kosaka |
| Customs Law | 2 | Spring | Jitsuya Hasegawa |
| Customs Tariff Law | 2 | Spring | Jitsuya Hasegawa |
| Customs Reforms & Modernization | 2 | Autumn | Yuko Tsuda/Takemasa Murayama |
| Research Methodology | |||
| Master's Thesis Ⅰ (A) *Required | 2 | Spring | Usugami/Nadayama/Nakagawa/Kato |
| Master's Thesis Ⅰ (B) *Required | 2 | Autumn | Usugami/Nadayama/Nakagawa/Kato |
| Statistical Analysis | 2 | Spring | Michiko Miyamoto |
| Academic Writing | 2 | Spring | Andrea Corina Cinteza |
| Writing the Research Paper | 2 | Autumn | Andreea Corina Cinteza |
| Japanese language | No credit | Spring & Autumn | Satoko Watanabe |
2025-2026 Academic Year
Spring
- Date
- Event/Deadline
- April 1
- Entrance Ceremony Academic Orientation/Master Thesis Orientation
- Medical Check-up
- April 5
- Spring Semester Begins
- April 15
- Course Registration of the First Semester Ends
- July 31
- Spring Semester Ends
- August 1 - September 19
- Summer Break
Autumn
- Date
- Event/Deadline
- September 20
- Autumn Semester Begins
- September 26
- Course Registration of the Second Semester Ends
- End of September or Early October
- Interim Presentation
- October 31 - November 2
- Aoyama Campus Festival
- December 23 - January 4
- Winter Break
- January 5
- Autumn Semester Resumes
- Late January
- Submission of Master's Thesis
- February 3
- Autumn Semester Ends
- February 4
- Spring Break Begins
- End of February
- Final Presentation and Defense
- March 25
- Graduation Ceremony
For your reference, the following is a list of thesis titles during the academic year 2024-2025.
- Assessing the Effectiveness of Reward Policies on the Job Performance of Customs Officials: A Study of Bangladesh Customs–Khan Md Shamsul Arafin
- The Role of Project Management in Botswana Customs Modernization Projects‐Manguba Phemelo
- Improving Trade Facilitation Through Coordinated Border Management: The Case of the Gambia Customs and Excise Department-Darboe Bintou S.
- Assessing the Effectiveness of Intellectual Property Rights Enforcement by Ghana Customs in Cross-Border Trade: Perspectives from the African Continental Free Trade Area-Kugblenu Godwin Sena Kwaku
- Assessing the readiness of customs administration and the business community for the implementation of Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) border enforcement in Malawi: Focusing on counterfeits goods, enforcement barriers, facilitators and anticipated long-term outcomes-Petross Chinsinsi
- Investigating Perceived Career Plateau Impacts on Job Satisfaction, Work Motivation and Job Integrity: A Case Study for Royal Malaysian Customs Department.–Farah Diyana binti Azlan
- Introduction of IPR Border Enforcement Measures in the Maldives: Barriers and Facilitators-Sabaahath Sabree
- The Impact of Training and Development on Employee Performance: Namibia Revenue Agency (Customs and Excise Department)-Amutenya Wilhelmina Mwadhina
- Exploring the Link between Exposure to Violence to Customs Officials’ Productivity: A Study of the Nigeria Customs Service-Ugbah Tavershima Daniel
- Turnover Intention and Job Embeddedness of Generation Z Employees of the Thai Customs Department-Hiranaburna Asda