Okayama University is a great place to learn Japanese, but on campus other languages seem to be spoken almost more often. Thoroughly international, the university has a robust exchange program that brings people from all over the world to study on its modern campuses.
Established as a university in 1949 on the base of a medical school founded in the 19th century, the university has a history going back to 1670, when the Lord of Okayama founded Japan’s first school for commoners. Wander around the campus to feel the academic energy that ripples through the air.
The heart of Okayama University is the Tsushima campus. Purchase a snack or meal from the nearby student-friendly cafés and restaurants and wander between the hyper-modern buildings.
Watch as students from all over the world dash between lectures and classes. Check out the calendar for the listing of external events, which are sometimes conducted in English. Sit on the sprawling lawns, shaded by old growth trees, and listen to students chattering in varied languages.
For a more urban sense, head south to the Shikada campus, south of the train station. Centered closer to the city, it is less restful, but more purposeful, and surrounded by a good restaurant and shopping district geared toward students. Get a sense of the day-to-day life of an Okayama University student, learning all about the world.
Okayama University’s Tsushima campus is north of the city center, a 12-minute bus ride from the main Okayama Station. The Shikada campus is closer to the city center, a 10-minute bus ride or 20-minute walk from the train station. Other individual buildings are scattered around the province in Kurashiki, Misasa, Higashiyama and Hirai. The campuses themselves are generally open to visitors at all hours, but individual buildings have different hours and may have entrance restrictions for visitors.
