The next chapter of Japan has begun. After an amazing 6 months in the big city of Tokyo, I’m now attending Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto. I’m also now living in a dorm rather than a home stay. I arrived in Kyoto about 6 weeks ago now and I think I have finally adjusted for the most part. The transition was and still is difficult, but some great things have come out of it.
CAMPUS
Ritsumeikan’s campus is gorgeous. It’s much larger than Sophia’s (of course Kyoto is much more spacious) and the environment is pleasing.
This is my favorite spot on campus. It’s usually packed with students eating lunch as you’ll see later. This was also during sakura season. What a beautiful time.
Me and some friends going to the gym, which is really nice actually.
This was on club fair day, when all the clubs and circles came out to introduce what their club/circle is all about. The atmosphere was awesome.
Believe it or not, this is what a normal day of lunch looks like. The acapella club isn’t always performing, but there is always this many people. That’s why I love eating here.
And of course, there’s always funny sights like this which make it that much better.
THE CITY
To be honest, I like Tokyo a lot more. That’s because I love the big and busy city life. Kyoto is quite the opposite. It is pretty large but much less compacted, and it’s very quiet. There are also a lot more older people compared to Tokyo’s “youngness.” It is a beautiful city though.
This is ใใใกใใ, Kurochan or Kuchan. He’s the neighborhood dog who is outside almost every day. We always pet him on our way to school. He’s adorable and very relaxed.
THE DORM
The dorm is awesome. Homestay was great but I missed the freedom that comes with living alone. All rooms in the dorm are singles, so everyone has their privacy. There are 4 floors total with an LDK on each floor. It’s very updated as well, and each room even has their own sink! There’s a beautiful courtyard in the middle too.
The one downside of the dorm is that everyone is an international student besides the RM’s, which are Japanese (there are eight or so RM’s). The international students come from all around the world, though, which is pretty cool for learning about cultures and ideals of countries other than Japan. I’ve also met a lot of great people. I have two language partners as well, so Japanese practice will still happen, in addition to meeting Japanese friends at school.
Overall, I do like Kyoto a lot. There’s a lot back in Tokyo that I miss dearly, which makes it hard, but it’s definitely a great experience and I’m glad that I chose to come here for my second semester. There are also many sights around Kyoto to see, though I have only been to one major one thus far. I’ll most likely write about that for my next blog so stay tuned!