Kyoto Living Guide / Universities in Kyoto / Humanities Career Reverse Roadmap

HIGH SCHOOL → UNIVERSITY → KYOTO COMPANY

From humanities programs at Kyoto private universities,
to Kyoto companies with a global reach.

Doshisha, Ritsumeikan Kinugasa, Ryukoku’s Kyoto campuses, and Kyoto Sangyo University: if you want to target humanities-track roles at Nintendo, Shimadzu or OMRON, how should you use your four university years? We work backward from the goal, starting in high school.

Doshisha University Ritsumeikan University, Kinugasa Ryukoku University, Kyoto Kyoto Sangyo University

Bottom line | Build the substance of your four years, not just the university name

If you want a humanities-track role at leading Kyoto companies such as Nintendo, Shimadzu or OMRON, it is better not to rely only on which university you entered, but to focus onwhat you built after entering universityover those four years.

This page designs four university years around five pillars:AI × marketing, international economics and numbers, study abroad and English, relationships and collaboration, and physical resilienceThese are not five formal hiring requirements set by the companies. They are preparation axes for getting through university and recruitment with your own strength.

Premise of this page Think beyond “getting into the company” and decide what you want to do there.

At Nintendo that might mean sales strategy, PR, legal or accounting; at Shimadzu, sales, marketing or corporate strategy; at OMRON, sales, product planning, corporate planning, legal or HR. Work backward from the job behind the company name.

What this article covers

Understand humanities-track roles at the three companies
Five capabilities to build as a humanities student
Reverse roadmap from high school through university
How to think about the four universities
Company-specific reverse planning
What to start today

1. First, understand what humanities graduates actually do at these companies

Manufacturers and game companies may sound engineering-heavy, but humanities roles also drive the business. Current graduate recruiting information shows Nintendo hiring for management/sales tracks and Shimadzu for broad administrative tracks; OMRON introduces sales, corporate planning, legal/risk, HR and product planning roles among new-graduate career examples.

GAME / ENTERTAINMENT

Nintendo

Accounting/finance, legal, IP, HR, sales strategy, digital services, PR/promotion, domestic and international sales management, and more.

Read the Nintendo guide →

SCIENCE / MEDICAL / INDUSTRY

Shimadzu Corporation

Domestic/international sales, marketing, accounting, HR, general affairs, corporate strategy, PR, legal, procurement, and more.

Read the Shimadzu guide →

AUTOMATION / HEALTHCARE

OMRON

Sales, corporate planning, product planning, legal/risk management, HR and more—roles that connect technology to solving social problems.

Read the OMRON guide →

This is not a claim that studying abroad or holding a certificate guarantees an offer. All three companies evaluate candidates holistically. This is not a formula that guarantees an offer; it is a blueprint to keep high-school and university students from drifting through four years without direction.

2. Five capabilities to build as a humanities student

AI × Marketing

Do more than use generative AI: connect it to market research, customer understanding, competitor analysis, ad ideas and hypothesis testing. While at university, build experience where you researched, thought and improved something yourself.

International economics, accounting & numbers

Exchange rates, overseas sales, costs, profit, statistics. Humanities students should not run from numbers. Basics in economics, bookkeeping, Excel and data analysis sharply improve how clearly you can understand a company.

Study abroad & English

Study abroad is not a formal hiring requirement, but this roadmap strongly recommends it. Bring back not just language ability, but experience living in another culture, failing, adapting and building relationships.

Relationships & collaboration

Do not spend four years only with friends from your own faculty. Work with international students, other faculties, upper/lower-year students, and people from part-time jobs. In humanities roles, the ability to move work forward with people is itself a core skill.

Physical resilience

This does not mean muscular strength is a hiring requirement. It means sleep, exercise, food and routine: build the stamina to get through study abroad, seminars, part-time work, internships and recruitment.

Turn AI from “I used it” into results

For example, in year 2 use a Kyoto tourism facility or student service as a case: use AI to define customers, build a survey, compare competitors and draft ads. In year 3, test ideas on social media or a small project and review the results. What matters in recruitment is not “I can use ChatGPT,” butwhat you thought, what you changed, and how you interpreted the result.

3. High school to university graduation | Reverse roadmap

High school years 1–2

Do not abandon English or math. Take clubs and activities seriously too.

Even if you choose humanities, do not run from numbers. English supports study abroad and international work. Experiences of finishing something with others—clubs, student council, school festivals, part-time work—will matter later.

High school year 3

Look beyond entrance difficulty and ask what you can do at the university.

Check study-abroad programs, seminars, data/AI education, career support and location. Whether you enter Doshisha, Ritsumeikan Kinugasa, Ryukoku Kyoto or Kyoto Sangyo, what you do after enrollment matters.

University year 1

Build foundations: AI, Excel, English and accounting.

Alongside classes, start generative AI, spreadsheets, bookkeeping/corporate accounting and TOEIC. Read each company’s recruiting site once and learn what jobs actually exist.

University year 2

Connect study abroad with your specialization.

If you plan to study abroad, prepare by this stage. Business/management students can focus on marketing; law on IP/corporate law; economics on international economics; international studies on language plus a second specialty.

University year 3

Go outside campus. Build experiences you can explain through internships and practice.

Internships, projects, seminars, student groups or part-time work all count. Produce results through hands-on work such as AI-assisted market analysis and proposals. Research not just companies, but specific job functions.

University year 4

Apply able to explain the work you want—not just the company name.

Not “I like Nintendo,” but what you want to do in international sales management; not “I want Shimadzu,” but what you want to do in B2B marketing. Connect your four years of experience to the job.

4. How should you use each university?

This is not a ranking of universities. We look at each campus and faculty and ask how to use that environment well.

DOSHISHA / IMadegawa

Doshisha University

Commerce, economics, law, policy and related fieldsmake it easy to connect marketing, international economics, accounting and corporate law with humanities roles at the three companies.

Aim: combine specialization, study abroad and practice early.

Doshisha living-alone guide →

RITSUMEIKAN / KINUGASA

Ritsumeikan University, Kinugasa

Law, social sciences, international relations, lettersThis page focuses only on Kinugasa Campus in Kyoto City. International relations can map to overseas sales, law to legal/IP, and social sciences to marketing or HR: work backward from the role.

Aim: articulate the strengths of a Kinugasa humanities education role by role.

RYUKOKU / FUKAKUSA & OMIYA

Ryukoku University, Kyoto City campuses

Economics, business, law, policy, international studies, sociology, letters and psychologyThis page does not cover STEM programs at Seta. Rather than relying on the university name, build your substance through study abroad, AI/data skills and practical experience.

Aim: create differentiation from year 1 and use all four years deliberately.

Ryukoku living-alone guide →

KYOTO SANGYO / KAMIGAMO

Kyoto Sangyo University

Economics, business, law, international relations, foreign languages and morecan lead toward sales, planning and management roles at the three companies. Use the one-campus environment across humanities and STEM to build friendships and projects beyond your field.

Aim: turn company ambitions from a dream into concrete actions.

Kyoto Sangyo living-alone guide →

5. Company by company | Humanities reverse routes

Nintendo | Turn “I like it” into the language of work

High schoolEnglish, numbers, planning experience→University years 1–2Build a specialty in marketing, accounting, legal, etc.→University years 2–3Study abroad + practical projects→Recruitment processSpeak in terms of roles: sales strategy, PR, legal, accounting, etc.

Nintendo has multiple management and sales roles. Liking games is separate from understanding what the company does and what you can contribute in a specific job.

Shimadzu | Become a humanities graduate who understands B2B

High schoolKeep English + math strong→University years 1–2International economics, accounting, marketing→University years 2–3Study abroad + B2B company research→Recruitment processFrame yourself for sales, marketing or corporate strategy

Shimadzu has many businesses—analytical instruments, medical equipment, industrial systems—that consumers rarely see directly. For humanities students, the ability to research who the customer is, what problem they have, and how the technology solves it can create an edge.

OMRON | Connect social problems and technology

High schoolInterest in social issues→University years 1–2Economics, policy, marketing + data→University years 2–3AI-assisted problem analysis and planning→Recruitment processFrame yourself for sales, product planning, corporate planning, etc.

OMRON spans control equipment, healthcare, social systems and more. Rather than saying “I’m humanities, so technology is not my thing,” make an effort to understand how technology is used by society and customers.

6. Five things to start today

Read the recruiting site of Nintendo, Shimadzu and OMRON—one by one.Read the job-function pages before the corporate overview.
Measure your current English level.If you are considering study abroad, starting preparations in high school is not too early.
Start one of Excel, accounting or statistics.Do not run from numbers just because you are humanities-track.
Build one project using AI.Do the full cycle yourself: market research → customer profile → competitors → action → review.
Build one exercise habit.Walking, strength training or sports are all fine. Build a body that can keep moving for four years.

LAST MESSAGE

When you aim at a famous company, it is easy to become defensive before even trying—“maybe I can’t do it,” or “I don’t want people to think I’m trying too hard.” But four university years are shorter than they feel.

Work hard at what is in front of you. Do not be embarrassed by your effort, and do not become cynical about trying.

It can be study abroad, English, a qualification, sports, or friendships. You do not need a perfect career plan from the start. Taking one thing seriously now creates the next opportunity.

Sources and official references

Checked October 2, 2026. Job categories, selection processes, faculty locations and study-abroad programs may change. Always confirm the latest official information from each university and company when applying or recruiting.

From humanities programs at Kyoto private universities,to Kyoto companies with a global reach.