Keio University

I studied on the Japanese Language Program at Keio University from September 2007 ~ July 2008. This was as an exchange student from the University of Birmingham in the UK, and I was awarded the JASSO scholarship to study there.

Me at Keio Univ.

The Dormitory

I lived in the dorm Plume IS, in Kawasaki. When confirmed as a student at Keio, I was sent an e-mail at the beginning of July asking me to choose my three dormitory choices online. My choices were: 1. Plume IS, 2. Willing Setagaya, 3. Hiyoshi International House. It wasn’t until the end of August that I received confirmation of my placement in Plume IS.

Plume IS

The dorm rooms at Plume IS (pronounced “puramu izu”) have their own bathrooms and kitchenette – all with air conditioning that can be set to heat or cool depending on the seasons. Each room has a landline telephone (you can call from room to room for free, and make/receive international calls which you’ll be billed for), and there is an internet cable you can just plug into and use. You also have your own balcony – boys were placed on the first 3 floors, and girls on the top 3 floors. There is a lift and you’re not allowed to use the external stairs unless there is a fire. The area seems to have developed greatly since I was there, when I last went through Shin-Kawasaki station there were lots of new high-rise tower blocks.

My room at Plume IS

Kitchenette in Plume IS

Bathroom in Plume IS

The rooms come furnished with a bed, futons, table, chair, lamp, shelves, fridge and washing machine. Sheets are changed/delivered once a month (don’t forget to put your old ones out or they won’t give you clean ones!). When I moved into Plume IS in 2007 all of the old residents had left their cooking utensils, microwaves, TVs, mirrors etc so it was great when we moved in as we could just claim what we wanted. When we left in 2008, we weren’t allowed to leave anything behind, so I believe now you need to buy everything yourself. There is a recycle shop about 3 buildings away, though!

View From My Balcony on 4th Floor

The dorm is run by Mr and Mrs. Hongo – both complete opposites of each other! Mr. Hongo can be quite strict and seems grumpy, but he’s just a teddy bear really. Although it is really, really difficult to make out what he’s saying as he mumbles a lot! He’s also quite famous in the neighbourhood, I think he goes to a lot of the izakayas! Mrs. Hongo is constantly really sweet and loves talking with you. There are also three Japanese Keio students living in the dorm, you can ask them anything and they’ll help you out.

The dorm is about a 45 minute commute from Keio University all together. From the dorm to the nearest station Shin-Kawasaki is around a 15 minute walk. From there you take the Yokosuka line to Shinagawa station which takes around 15 minutes. Here you change onto the Yamanote line to Tamachi which is only 2 or 3 minutes. Then it’s around another 15 minute walk from Tamachi station to Keio University.

Shinkawasaki Station

Around Shinkawasaki Station

In the local area there is a supermarket (Inageya), karaoke place and DVD rental store 10 minutes walk away. There is a pharmacy and convenience store between the Shin-Kawasaki station and Plume IS, and a 99yen store right around the corner from the dorm itself. About 20/25 minutes walk away in the opposite direction from the station are the Hiyoshi campus of Plume IS, Hiyoshi station and a small shopping centre with a supermarket, clothes stores, a Muji, make up store, florist, etc etc. This is also right next to Hiyoshi station.

Japanese Language Programme

I began studying at Keio in the Autumn for a full year – in late September we had an induction and placement test. We were all taken into a large room (around 100 of us) and one by one, we were called to the front of the room to introduce ourselves. 自己紹介 is something you will have to get used to very quickly in Japan! After this we were given talks on bank accounts, given tours etc. And of course there was the Japanese placement exam!

The classes on the JLP are split into ability groups, from level 1 beginner to level 12 – people who are super 上手. The placement test involved reading, writing and listening, and as you went along the test the questions got progressively harder. I completed the year in level 4 and our class had around 15 students. From my year at Keio, everyone became really close friends and the small number of international students helps you build a close family. Having someone in your dorm from your study level can also really help when cramming for those kanji tests!

Plume Studying

Weekly tests are a big part of the JLP. Normally we had three tests a week (one grammar and two kanji) and all of these tests contribute to your final grade. 60% is the pass mark and if you fail then you will need to retake the test in your own time – this is also true if you miss a class due to sickness and miss a test. Academically the course is quite demanding, and at first it’s a shock – especially if you come from somewhere like the UK where skipping one lecture isn’t a big deal. On the JLP, if you don’t attend a certain percentage of the classes you will fail the year automatically – it’s a big deal! Of course, attending as many classes as possible will ensure that you really understand the material, as you build upon what you have learnt in the past.

Classes are very active and participation is welcomed. Often when it comes to reading aloud or working through questions as a class, everyone will be ‘picked on’ to answer. The teachers usually just move along the chairs so you know when your turn is coming. We had three classes a week in my level- Monday, Wednesday and Friday. These classes were held from 9am – 11:30am, with a 15 min break, then from 11:45 – 1:15pm. These were of course the Japanese classes, each run by a different teacher. There are also a number of elective classes that you can take – two of the interesting subjects I studied were Religion in Japan and Japanese Management.

My Autumn Japanese Class with Ikeda-sensei