I visited Waseda University for the first time, for a conference.
Waseda is famous alongside Keio as a top-tier private university, but I’d hardly ever seen photos of it — to the point where I had almost no mental image of the campus at all, or even whether it really existed.
There was a conference at Waseda University, and I was really looking forward to finally seeing the famous Waseda campus for myself.
My first impression of Waseda University: what a great atmosphere!
It sits close to busy areas like Takadanobaba, yet it isn’t just a university crammed into an office building — it has a proper campus with real character.
Impressions of Waseda University
Here are my rough impressions of Waseda University.
- Lots of stylish cafés
- Lots of international visitors and students
- Spacious for central Tokyo (though still compact compared to universities outside the city)
- A European feel
Compared with the University of Tokyo, Kyoto University, and the other former imperial universities, the campus grounds are indeed small, and the buildings struck me as tall and vertical.
The buildings stand fairly close together and there aren’t all that many of them, so it didn’t feel like a sprawling campus.
The short distances between buildings must make moving between classes easy.
That said, with so many floors, actually getting up to your room takes a while even once you’ve arrived at the building.
Some of the university buildings are made of brick, giving the whole place a somewhat Western feel.
There’s a building called Building 3 where an old structure appears to be wrapped inside a new one; from the inside you can see both the characterful old architecture and the new construction, and rather than clashing, the two combine to create a wonderful atmosphere.
Even the classrooms are stylish and chic.
The rooms in the newer buildings are built around a black-and-white palette for a sophisticated look, while the older building doesn’t feel dated at all — it keeps the warmth of its wooden construction while remaining a comfortable space.
Another shock was finding escalators inside the buildings.
As someone who attends a national university, where escalators inside academic buildings are almost unheard of,
I thought how nice it must be to move between classrooms so easily.
I was struck by how many international people there were on campus.
There’s a Waseda University café right in front of the main gate, and even during summer break plenty of international visitors were using it.
The café also sells university merchandise, and it was full of Waseda Bears.
Kind of adorable.
When you think of Waseda, this is probably the image that comes to mind.
I’d 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 is actually outside the main gate, and it isn’t even used for classrooms or anything like that.
Apparently, shooting it from behind the statue is what produces that classic photo.
The statue is of Shigenobu Okuma, and it greets you as soon as you come through the main gate.
The atmosphere around campus
The area around the university is full of stylish shops and restaurants — very much a student town, but one with real character.
On the walk from Waseda Station to the university there are chain restaurants, cafés, and general goods stores, and with a Tully’s nearby, it’s easy to settle in at a café for a while.
Just outside the main gate there’s what seems to be an ASICS Waseda University store, apparently stocking Waseda collaboration items.
What even is this shop, haha.
Everywhere I looked, Waseda University was beautiful and its atmosphere carefully preserved.
It was completely different from the university I’d imagined, and I had a great time.
Photos below
