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Programme Details
Programme Details
Minimum mark 60%
Level Undergraduate
Language/s English / Japanese
Agreement Scope University wide
Exchange Places 2 full year places for 2026/27
Overview
Overview
About:
Established in 1858 by Yukichi Fukuzawa as a small school of Western learning, Keio has a history as Japan’s very first private institution of higher learning. Over 150 years since its founding, Keio has thrived under its founder’s motto of jitsugaku, or empirical science, as it continues to transform Japan as a modern nation through contributions to education, research, and medicine.
Contact at Keio:
Mr. JUNHYON CHO, Student Exchange Coordinator, email: ic-student@adst.keio.ac.jp
2-15-45 Mita Minato-Ku, Tokyo 108-8345 JAPAN
Highlights:
Today, the university plays host to more than 33,000 students and 2,250 academic staff at six main campuses in Tokyo and Kanagawa, along with five other campuses that have a specific research or academic purpose. It offers a comprehensive range of study programmes at 10 undergraduate faculties, 14 graduate schools and 30 research centres.
Many students are attracted by Keio’s international outlook: 14 of its degree programmes are taught entirely in English. Meanwhile its Japanese Language Programme supports specialist knowledge of the country and its culture.
Keio’s extensive library – one of the largest in Japan, with 175,000 works – holds a collection of rare books, including the first volume of Shinsen Tsukuba shū, written in the 15th century. It also houses a collection of rare western texts, including the only Gutenberg Bible in Asia, some of which are available to view in a digital gallery.
Location:
Keio is located in Tokyo and Kanagawa, one of the world's most populous metropolis. Living in Tokyo is a chance to experience Japan through its capital city with its many contrasting faces: unique customs, natural beauty, and futuristic technology. Tokyo offers a seemingly unlimited choice of shopping, entertainment, culture and dining to its visitors. The city's history can be appreciated in districts such as Asakusa and in many excellent museums, historic temples and gardens. Contrary to common perception, Tokyo also offers a number of attractive green spaces in the city center and within relatively short train rides at its outskirts.
Academic information
Academic information
Programs for Exchange Students at Keio University
Keio International Program (KIP):
A comprehensive program designed for exchange students who want to study about Japan and East/Southeast Asia
There are modules in various fields such as Language and Literature, Arts, Culture and Cross-Cultural Understanding, Science, Religion and Thought, History, Media and Communications, Social Issues, Politics, Diplomacy and International Exchange, Business and Economy, and Law.
Student with advanced Japanese language proficiency may also take Japanese-taught modules.
Japanese Language Program (JLP):
An Intensive program for students who wish to focus on Japanese language learning. The curriculum is designed to assist students in attaining the high level of Japanese proficiency required for research and other academic activities in specialised disciplines.
List of available modules
Credit (Full-time Load per semester):
8 modules per semester, which amounts to approximately 16 Keio credits = 60 York credits
Teaching Periods:
Spring semester: March to August
Autumn semester: September to February
Access Keio University calendar.
Language:
Classes at Keio are taught in Japanese and English.
There is no language proficiency requirement at the time of admission. However, Keio recommends that students learn some basic Japanese before they come to Japan, so they can take full advantage of the program and their time in Japan.
Student life
Student life
Accommodation:
Keio assists students in arranging accommodation in Japan. Students are provided with a room at one of the student dormitories subsidised by Keio University. In some dormitories, weekday meals are included in the fee.
Find out more information about accommodation options at Keio.
Orientation / Welcome week:
Orientation will be held prior to the start of the semester.
Support Services:
The International Centre at Keio University has published a handbook for international students which details the wide range of support services and networks available to students. These include student counselling, tutorial services, and more.
Keio University has various support groups which help international students with life in Japan on- and off-campus. The groups also arrange parties, events, and various opportunities to experience Japanese culture and tradition throughout the year.
Visas:
Information from Keio.
Health insurance:
Exchange students must join the National Health Insurance (NHI) as stipulated by the Japanese Government. The monthly premium for NHI varies slightly depending on the city where you live. For more information, please refer to the International Student Handbook.
Travel insurance:
If you are approved by the University of York to participate in this program, you will be covered by the University's Travel Insurance Policy. This is a complimentary policy to cover you for the duration of your University of York mobility experience. Please refer to the Insurance website for all travel insurance queries. You may be required to obtain health insurance valid during your exchange.
Certificate of Health:
Students applying to Keio are required to submit a completed Certificate of Health that must be certified by a health professional. This can incur additional costs, please check with your local health centre.
Student experiences
Student experiences
Will, Law and Criminology, Year Abroad 2023/24
"I am happy to be away from home and experiencing this opportunity. I definitely feel more at home as I have gotten more used to living in Japan. I think I have changed my outlook on life and what I want for my future. My biggest challenge is probably coming to terms with the fact that I have to leave in a few months and the people I have met will be so far away again. I have joined clubs and social events to meet people, as well as talking to people in classes. My country's living costs are around half that of York so i have had no trouble with money."
Antonia, Politics, Year Abroad 2019/20
“Probably the most striking thing about arriving in Japan is just how nice everyone is. I have not met many fellow students but I have had to go to into government offices, banks and shops to prepare for life. People are almost always brighter and more helpful than they are in the UK.
The language barrier is tricky and sometimes awkward but is less of a problem than I expected. As above, everyone is very helpful, and most people know enough English to be able to communicate anything important. My understanding of Japanese is very basic but after trying to speak even broken Japanese in restaurants people have been very encouraging.
I was quite surprised by the almost obsessive focus on hygiene in Japan. Among other things, we are expected to change from outdoor shoes to slippers every time we enter and leave the accommodation, people wear masks to prevent themselves from passing on colds, and in shops you put money in a container for the cashier to take it from instead of handing it to them directly. These are mostly little things that are easy to get used to, but I am mindful of slipping up and possibly appearing improper.
The first thing I did to get settled in was to socialise with the other students in my dormitory, through card games and good old fashioned drinking games, as well as exploring the surrounding area near the accommodation with other international students. This helped me feel more at home by making the surrounding area more familiar and getting me better acquainted with the people I am living with. I think this may help me to build a better support network. Furthermore, I am also now more aware of anywhere I need to go for everyday life while living in Yokohama.”
Top Tips for Studying in Japan
Top Tips for Studying in Japan
Please note: these tips have been provided by students who have studied abroad in Japan - Global Opportunities recommends that you use these as a guide only and do your own research on what is best for you.
Money and Banking:
It was very hard at first trying to figure out which ATMs would accept international cards, and which would not. If you enter a convenience store (conbini) like 7 eleven, Lawson or My Family, they should always have international ATMs. However, this is not always the case, like when I went traveling to Amami Ōshima, they had 0 international ATMs, so make sure that you have cash with you in case of emergencies. Another thing is that they will charge you for taking out cash, 100 yen for 10 000 yen and 200 yen for 20 000 yen or more. You will not be able to withdraw less than 10 000 yen. Also, contact your bank before traveling to tell them that you will be living in Japan and they will have more advice. You can open a Japanese bank account, you do not need a hanko to do so, you will find the process irritating and international transfers expensive. I recommend opening one only if you are receiving a scholarship from Japan or if you are planning on working a part-time job. Don't expect many places to use card when you buy something in Japan either, it is a very cash based society.
I was able to withdraw money from my account in the UK at ATMs in Japanese convenience stores, after letting my bank know that I was going abroad. There was a small fee for withdrawals and the minimum withdrawal amount was 10,000 JPY (around £70) but Japan is a cash-based society and is very safe, so I felt much more secure carrying that much cash around than I would have in England. Furthermore my host university helped me to set up a Japanese bank account that my rent was withdrawn from and I could deposit money into it via ATMs.
In the beginning I withdrew cash from my UK card and used that throughout the week. A lot of places don't accept cards including the train ticket machines. However, you can get transportation cards and load them with money and use them in shops and for the trains, saving you from carrying cash around.
A special card called WeSwap which lets you change currencies easily.
Staying Connected:
I definitely got a new SIM card when I came to Japan. You need a Japanese phone number for nearly every bureaucratic process. For example, registering your address at the registration office, getting a Japanese bank account or renting an apartment etc. I got a great deal from Bic Camera, £9/month for 6GB of Data, although texts and calls cost extra, but most stuff is online anyway and the contract is only for a year. I recommend doing this before you come to Japan.
I kept my old phone and bought a Japanese SIM card. SIM contracts can be a bit complicated in Japan so I purchased a Japanese Travel SIM, which is data only but is a one time purchase that you can top up using cards from electronics and convenience stores and is very easy to set up.
I bought a Japanese SIM while in the UK and picked it up from the airport after I landed. This saved time from having to communicate in a local store. I would recommend Mobal phones, they are relatively cheap and have really big data packages which come in handy when using online maps.
I bought a new sim but portable wifi is also an option.
Food:
The best answer I can give, is to try everything! If you are vegan or vegetarian, then eating out will be difficult, but not impossible. There's an app called Happy Cow, and many Facebook groups which can guide you to the best places to eat if you have dietary needs. Another thing to watch out if you have allergies, be very careful where you eat, because even if you ask in Japanese if there is so and so in the food, most of the time they may not have an answer, and this may seem unhygienic. However that's not the case, they just don't have regulations which enforce writing allergies on the menu. My favourite places to eat / things to eat, would be Jiro ramen (huge food portions, you have been warned), takoyaki, izakayas (traditional Japanese "pubs" with amazing local food), shabu-shabu, yakiniku, gyudon, okonomiyaki, ichigo daifuku etc. Where to buy food, I would recommend the cheapest shop possible, I guess Don Quijote would be a good place to try, but you could probably find cheaper. Japanese food is amazing and it has definitely changed my life, you will never go back to normal rice after you try Japanese rice from a rice cooker.
Eating out in Japan is quite cheap, so I'd recommend eating out fairly regularly for the experience. Personally I found convenience stores to be the best places to purchase meals to eat at home, as they can simply be heated in the microwave and they aren't ridiculously expensive. For me they were ideal as I was working very long hours in the lab and so I didn't really have the time to cook in the evenings.
Everywhere. In Japan, everywhere has good food.
Paperwork and bureaucracy:
You find a Japanese friend, a friend who can speak Japanese or master the language before you arrive. None of the paperwork is in English. It took me 2 hours to register my address and nearly 3 hours to open up a bank account. There will be people to lead you on the way (Resident Assistants), don't be afraid to bombard with questions and get help from people around you, because you will all end up in the same boat and experience the same issues. Google is your friend, but not when the website is only in Japanese, so you may need to discover another friend called Google Translate Website.
A tutor from my dormitory came with me to file the paperwork at the local ward office when I first moved to Japan, and the university also helped me with some of it. When it came time to leave Japan, I had to go to the local ward office to let them know I was leaving by myself but fortunately there were people at the office who assisted me with filling out the Japanese forms.
There was a workshop at the start of the placement which gave you a package explaining the different forms to fill out. If you followed the guide it was relatively simple.
The process is at least somewhat efficient here. Was more difficult not speaking the language and living by myself but the internet was always able to help with the forms that are commonly filled out by foreigners.
What I wished I'd known...:
Scholarships. Apply for them now. Don't wait for the response of your application to get accepted (like I did) before you decide to apply for scholarships. You have to do your own research, and even if you feel like you have no time to apply for them, ask a friend to help you with the process or even your family. It will be a pain, but worth it in the end if you get accepted, because flights and life in Tokyo / Japan is expensive, so be prepared financially. You can also easily find part-time jobs teaching English, they pay very well, make sure to apply for the right visa before coming to Japan.
How different expectations are in a Japanese university laboratory compared to an English one. Some of the protocols were very different to those I was used to in the UK, as were the working hours.
Japanese people appreciate you trying, even a simple phrase in Japanese will impress a Japanese person. Also, there are so many different places you can visit on weekends because the trains are so well organised. Go on weekend trips and see the countryside too.
That you have to make the most of it while you can because anything can happen.
Useful links
Useful links
Contact Global Opportunities
Contact Global Opportunities
Global Opportunities - Find us in Derwent College
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter @GoGlobalUOY
Email global-opportunities@york.ac.uk to make an appointment with one of our advisors.
Videos and resources from Keio
Videos and resources from Keio
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