How to say "arts" in Japanese

• 人文科学じんぶんかがくJLPT N2approx.Common
  nounCovers 'arts' in the academic sense — the humanities as a field of study, as in arts subjects or an arts degree. This is the common word for the humanities.
  歴史学れきしがくは人文じんぶん科学かがくの一部いちぶ門もんである。↗

  History is a branch of the humanities.
• 技芸ぎげい
  nounIts 'arts' is the sense of skilled accomplishment, not the humanities: the word really points to crafts and handicrafts. Less common, it is seldom what you want for the arts in general.
• 人文学じんぶんがく
  nounAlso covers 'arts' as the humanities, and is a less common near-synonym of 人文科学 for the same academic field; for this sense 人文科学 is usually the word to reach for.

For 'arts' in the sense of the humanities — arts subjects as opposed to sciences — the common word is 人文科学, with 人文学 a less common synonym; 技芸, also less common, covers arts as crafts and handicrafts.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 人文科学じんぶんかがくhumanities
• 技芸ぎげいarts
• 人文学じんぶんがくhumanities