Living and Learning in Japan: My Keio University Experience.
Amelia is a Modern History student at the University of St Andrews who studied abroad at Keio University, in Japan. Read on to learn more about what it is like to study at Keio University as an exchange student.
It is challenging to imagine a location more different than St Andrews, yet I absolutely loved commuting around Tokyo throughout my five-month-long semester abroad. My dorm was located in a suburban area of Yokohama, which offered a slightly quieter and more approachable atmosphere to return to each day. While the daily hour-long commute to class was a dramatic contrast to living in Halls at St Andrews, it proved surprisingly manageable. Tokyo’s train system is genuinely one of the highlights of living there, making travel seamless not only in the city but around the entire country. Living in an international dorm was invaluable for adjusting to the city and exploring with new friends who were equally as lost as I was. Much like St Andrews, Hiyoshi (the town I lived in) centers around just a few main streets lined with cafes, grocery stores, convenience stores (“combini”), karaoke joints, restaurants, and more. Hiyoshi proved to be a comfortable base that met all my day-to-day needs while offering something distinctly different from the St Andrews experience.
How was Keio university different from St Andrews?
Keio University, though vastly different from St Andrews in many ways, provided an excellent structure for living in Japan and exploring a new academic environment. One key difference is that Keio splits the semester into two halves and requires students to take at least 7 courses per semester. Additionally, course selection operates through a lottery system, meaning no courses are guaranteed during registration. Most students initially sign up for more than seven classes to increase their chances of acceptance, with two separate lottery rounds available if you don’t secure enough courses during the first registration period.
Which classes did you take?
As an international Modern History student, I took classes exclusively from the International Center, which are all taught in English. The professors are experts in their fields, and since each organizes their classes independently, there is a diverse range of classroom experiences.
The university also offers a mentoring program that connects international students with domestic Keio students before arrival, culminating in a welcome event just before classes begin. My mentor, Rei, was incredibly welcoming and eager to help me navigate life in Japan and at Keio. We even met up later in the semester to explore Asakusa together with friends. Organizations such as WelcomeNetKeio and KOSMIC host various events including campus walking tours, Tokyo outings, and even a camping trip during the semester. One particularly memorable event I went to was a group outing to the Tanabata Festival in Yokohama’s Chinatown. The festival only occurs in early July, and the main event was the lantern lighting, which was incredible to watch alongside friends and the rest of the local community.
What were the accommodation like?
Most accommodations are situated about 40-50 minutes by train from the main campus, which houses the International Center. I lived in Shimoda Student Village, an international dormitory featuring laundry facilities, a large study room, and shared kitchens across two floors. Each international student has their own room complete with air conditioning (absolutely essential during Tokyo’s summer heat), a private bathroom, and a large fridge. The dorm was clean, functional, and well-maintained, with resident assistants organizing a few community-building events throughout the semester.
Baseball is the national sport of Japan, and as such there were some highly anticipated games between Keio and their rivals Waseda University, providing an exciting way to engage with the school community. As an avid baseball fan myself, this was such a cool way to connect with Keio and meet other students through a shared interest.
Did you travel anywhere else?
Japan offers incredible travel opportunities, with Golden Week (a short break after the first month of classes) perfectly timed for early summer exploration. Throughout the semester, I traveled extensively around the country, experiencing Japan’s diverse landscapes and culture. I joined a large group of international students on a trip to Hakone, famous for its proximity to Mt. Fuji, where we spent an entire day hiking in nature. I also attended the 2025 Osaka Expo over the course of a weekend, learning about the current efforts of countries around the globe to engage in progressive technologies. Prior to our mandatory move-out date, I spent a week traveling around Osaka and Kyoto with a close friend, visiting places like Uji (the “matcha capital”) and Dotonburi, plus attractions such as the Nintendo Museum and Universal Studios Japan.
What did this experience teach you?
Living in Japan for five months taught me more than I anticipated, which was surprising given my experience as an international student at St Andrews. Being completely immersed in such a different culture–especially one as homogenous as Japan–required me to take on new behaviors in order to adapt, which in turn prompted me to reflect more on my own instincts and cultural comfort zone. I met some incredible students from vastly different backgrounds studying completely different fields, and we relied heavily on each other to navigate learning and living in such a new environment. I keep in regular contact with the close friends I made there and remain deeply grateful for the opportunity to study at Keio.