This article was automatically translated from Japanese using AI. The Japanese version is the authoritative version.
I visited Waseda University for the first time to attend a conference.
Waseda is as well known as Keio as a prestigious private university, but you rarely see photos of it, and I had so little sense of its campus that I almost wondered whether it really existed.
There was a conference at Waseda University, and I was really looking forward to finally setting foot on the famous Waseda campus.
My first impression of Waseda University was: what a great atmosphere!
It sits close to busy districts like Takadanobaba, yet it isn’t just a cluster of office buildings—it’s a university with a proper, characterful campus.
Impressions of Waseda University
Here are my rough impressions of Waseda University.
- Lots of stylish cafés
- Many international students and visitors
- Spacious for a campus in central Tokyo (though still compact compared with rural universities)
- A European feel
Compared with the University of Tokyo, Kyoto University, and the other former imperial universities, the campus grounds are small and the buildings tall.
The buildings stand fairly close together and there aren’t all that many of them, so it didn’t feel like a sprawling campus.
Since the buildings are close together, moving between classes looks easy.
That said, there are so many floors that even once you reach a building, getting up to your room takes a while.
Some of the university buildings are made of brick, giving the campus a somewhat Western atmosphere.
There’s a building called Building 3 where an older structure appears to be wrapped inside a newer one; from the inside you can see both the characterful old section and the modern one, and neither clashes with the other—together they create a wonderful atmosphere.
Even the classrooms themselves were stylish and chic.
The rooms in the newer building are done in black and white for a sleek look, while those in the older building don’t feel dated at all—they retain the warmth of wood while remaining comfortable spaces.
Another surprise was finding escalators inside the buildings.
As someone at a national university, where escalators inside academic buildings are almost unheard of, I couldn’t help thinking how nice it must be to move between classrooms so easily.
I was struck by how many international visitors there were on campus.
There’s a Waseda University café in front of the main gate, and even during summer break it was full of people from abroad.
The café also sells university merchandise, and it was packed with Waseda Bears.
Kind of adorable.
When you think of Waseda, isn’t the image below what comes to mind?
I had always wondered why the statue was shown from behind, but it turns out the photo is taken from inside the campus looking out toward the main gate.
The iconic building actually stands outside the main gate and doesn’t seem to house classrooms or anything like that.
Photograph it from behind the statue and you get this classic shot.
The statue is of Shigenobu Okuma, and it greets you right as you come through the main gate.
The atmosphere around campus
The area around the university is full of stylish shops and restaurants—a neighborhood built for students that still has real character.
On the walk from Waseda Station to campus there are chain restaurants, cafés, and general goods stores, and with a Tully’s nearby you could easily spend a relaxed afternoon in a café.
Just outside the main gate there’s what seems to be an ASICS Waseda University store, apparently stocking Waseda collaboration merchandise.
What even is this shop, haha.
Everywhere I looked, Waseda University was beautiful and its atmosphere carefully preserved.
It felt clearly different from the university I had imagined, and I thoroughly enjoyed the visit.
Photos below.
