Location

KCJS is housed in the Fusokan building on the Imadegawa campus of Doshisha University, which is bounded on the south by the Kyoto Imperial Palace (Kyoto Gosho) and to the northeast by the Shokoku-ji Temple. There is a subway station (Imadegawa) directly underneath the campus, which makes your commute and trips to the city center very easy. City buses regularly stop in front of the campus, too.

Since KCJS moved to the Imadegawa campus of Doshisha University in 2009, KCJS and Doshisha University have developed a strong partnership, for which KCJS students have access to on-campus facilities including the main library, computer labs, cafeteria, and university Co-op bookstore, stationery shop, travel agency, and convenience store.

The partnership also allows frequent interactions with Doshisha University students. Some of Doshisha University students enroll in KCJS disciplinary classes in the afternoons giving you the opportunity to study alongside local Japanese students. They also participate in our conversation partner program. Moreover, as a KCJS student, you may also have the opportunity through our Community Involvement Project or “CIP” to participate in a Doshisha “circle” or university club and get to know your Japanese peers while also polishing your Japanese conversational skills.

History

Originally established in 1875 as Doshisha Eigakko (Academy) by Niijima Jō, aka Joseph Hardy Neesima, Doshisha University has always been regarded as one of the top private universities in Japan.

Currently, Doshisha University comprises 14 undergraduate and 16 graduate programs including two professional schools (the law school and graduate school of business) in the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences. It has a student body of over 29,000 students. The Imadegawa campus is Doshisha’s original campus. With its beautiful red brick Victorian buildings set among mature fruit and deciduous trees, it resembles a college campus in New England. In fact, Amherst College, which Niijima attended from 1867 to 1870 was the model for Doshisha and the two colleges have had a close affiliation ever since Doshisha was established.

For more information about Doshisha University, please visit the official website.