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Programme Details
Programme Details
Minimum mark 60%
Level Undergraduate / Postgraduate
Language/s English / Japanese
Agreement Scope University wide
Application Information: Students should be aware that once accepted, the deadline for students to apply to Kyoto, is mid February. Therefore students should ensure that they are aware of the documents/information required by looking at Kyoto's web pages.
Exchange Places 2 full year places for 2026/27
Overview
Overview
About:
Kyoto University is the second oldest university in Japan and one of the country’s highest ranked tertiary institutions. It is famed for producing world-class researchers, including 13 Nobel Prize laureates. The University is home to 10 faculties and more than 15 graduate schools. It is a comprehensive research university with a student body comprising ambitious young people from diverse cultural backgrounds who are pursuing studies in a wide variety of fields.
The motto of the school, which was founded in 1897, is “freedom of academic spirit”, a value it aims to instill on the 22,000 students enrolled on its undergraduate and graduate programs.
KyotoU ranks competitively in most major rankings, usually coming in the top two for Japan, the top 10 for Asia, and in the top 50 universities globally, making it a major player on the university scene.
Contact at Kyoto:
Mr. Takeshi UEMURA - ryuga-exchange@mail2.adm.kyoto-u.ac.jp or inbound.exchange@mail2.adm.kyoto-u.ac.jp
Yoshida-honmachi, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8501 JAPAN
Highlights:
The main Yoshida campus has been at the core of the university since its founding, and is notable for its fascinating architecture, encompassing a variety of styles, from brick buildings such as the Clock Tower Centennial Hall (a symbol of the university) to modern laboratory buildings.
Other campuses include Uji campus, which hosts research institutes, state-of-the-art laboratories and testing facilities, and Katsura campus, conceived as a “technoscience hill”. Mixing the traditional and cutting edge, there is therefore no one typical student experience at Kyoto, though what is common to all students is the sense of belonging to an academic community at the forefront of new scholarly horizons, in particular when it comes to new technologies and meeting global challenges.
KyotoU is ranked 65th in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2020 and 2nd in the Times Higher Education Japan University Rankings 2020.
Location:
For those interested in Japanese culture, the city of Kyoto will be of interest as it’s the birthplace of manga and was the capital city of Japan for over 1,000 years. Numerous cultural assets cultivated throughout its long history remain all over the city, and one in every 10 people there is a university student – by far the highest proportion of any Japanese city.
Kyoto is also blessed with an abundance of nature, surrounded by mountains and tranquil temple gardens. Parts of the city are also a conservation hub. Compared with Osaka or Tokyo, the cost of living in Kyoto is relatively low; as the city center is fairly compact, students can travel around safely by bicycle.
Academic information
Academic information
Kyoto University International Education Program (KUINEP):
The KUINEP program enables exchange students to study in English. Students are required to register for at least 7 modules per semester, mostly from the liberal Arts and Sciences. Each module usually comprises 2 hours of lecture time per week, and carries 2 credits. Students can also take courses offered by undergraduate faculties, including those taught in Japanese, subject to approval from the lecturers in charge.
Kyoto University General Exchange (GE) Program (enrollment status: GEA or GESR):
Students either take courses, mostly from the Kyoto University Faculties or Graduate Schools to which they are affiliated (as "General Exchange Special Auditors", or GEAs), or conduct research under academic supervisors without attending classroom lectures (as "General Exchange Special Research Students", or GESRs).
Undergraduate GEAs must take at least 7 modules per semester. The requirement for postgraduate GEAs is 4 modules per semester, not including Japanese language classes.
Credits
7 or 8 Kyoto modules (14 - 16 credits) = 60 York Credits
Exchange students at Kyoto are required to take a minimum of seven courses each semester. One course generally offers 90 minutes of lecture once a week, complete in 15 weeks and is worth 2 credits.
Language:
Classes at KyotoU are taught in Japanese and English. Please note, a sufficient level of Japanese proficiency for Japanese-taught programs is required. To enrol in the GE Program, students must have an N1 level Japanese Language Proficiency Test or equivalent.
Exchange students can take a maximum of 4 Japanese language courses per semester at Kyoto (8 hour or 4 hour Intensive Japanese Language courses count as four and two courses respectively).
Student life
Student life
Accommodation:
International students at KyotoU have a range of accommodation options available both on and off-campus. All exchange students are entitled to accommodation provided that there are enough dorm rooms available. Find out more information about accommodation at KyotoU.
Orientation / Welcome week:
At KyotoU, a comprehensive two-day orientation program will be offered to exchange students before the start of each academic term. It covers the curriculum, student life at the university and in Kyoto, Japanese culture, and support services provided by the university. The orientation programme includes accommodation check-in, a briefing on practical matters and university services, a briefing on course registration, academic counselling, welcoming events and a city tour. It is also an excellent opportunity to make friends with other exchange and study-abroad students.
Support Services:
A range of support services are available to students at KyotoU, including disability support, counselling, and health advice. The Student Lounge KIZUNA hosts monthly events, offering opportunities for participants to experience Japanese culture and get to know their counterparts from other countries.
Visas:
Information from KyotoU.
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.
Personal Liability Insurance:
When entering KyotoU, students must also join the University CO-OP Personal Liability Insurance for Students (Gakubai), which requires an annual payment of around 2,000 yen. To enroll in Gakubai, students must first join the CO-OP by paying a 4,000-yen membership fee, which is fully refundable upon deregistration.
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.
Student experiences
Student experiences
Yanzhen, Sociology, Year Abroad 2023/24
"Though the study at Kyoto University is quite packed, I'm happy that I'm learning so many different things that I otherwise wouldn't have the chance to know if I stayed in York. Most of the lecturers here are genuinely nice, some of them can be a bit harsh in terms of grading and stuffs but others are extremely supportive. For me, the biggest challenge is to juggle between different responsibilities and tasks, especially when you are away from home in a less familiar environment you have to handle everything yourself and balance life, study, and perhaps work. However, I can say with confidence now that the hardest part is that initial mental power it takes, once everything is set into motion it starts to move a bit automatically and becomes so much easier. I went to the UK for education from China, and I decided to come to Kyoto when I was still new in York and hadn't really felt settled down. These experiences can be scary at first, but that's exactly the beauty of seeing the world :)"
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.
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