Dates TBA
Tsuda Festival 津田塾祭
Tsuda University
In 1871 a six-year-old girl sailed from Yokohama to America with a government mission and came back eleven years later speaking better English than Japanese. Tsuda Umeko went on to found this college for women, and since 2024 her face has been on the 5,000-yen note. Her campus opens to everyone for one October weekend.
✅ Open to everyone🚶 No reservation💴 Bring cash
Key facts
- Dates
- Dates TBA
- Hours
- 10:00-18:00 (2025)
- Where
- Kodaira Campus
Open in Google Maps ↗ - Nearest station
- Takanodai Station (Seibu Kokubunji Line), about 8 min
- Entry
- Free
- Reservation
- Not needed
- Payment
- Bring cash: most stalls don't take cards
- English
- Mostly Japanese (Google Lens helps)
- Official site
- Visit official site ↗
Dates not yet confirmed on the official website.
Last updated: Sep 15, 2026
What it is
- A women's university in Kodaira, western Tokyo, that opens its campus to everyone for the festival.
- Usually a weekend in mid-October (2025: Oct 18-19). 2026 dates are not announced yet.
- Hartshorne Hall (1931), the main building, is named after Anna Hartshorne, the American friend who raised the money for it.
Highlights
- The Tsuda Umeko archive room on campus tells her story; check whether it is open on festival days.
- Takanodai is also the station for Musashino Art University, whose festival is the following weekend.
Best time to go
General tips that apply to most Tokyo university festivals.
- Right at opening, usually 10:00: stalls are ready and lines are short.
- On multi-day festivals, weekdays are the quietest days.
- Saturday early afternoon is the busiest time almost everywhere.
- Eat before 11:30 or after 13:30 to skip the lunch rush.
Suggested plan
- 10:00 Pick up a map at the gate. Do the popular indoor events (exhibitions, workshops, cafes) before the lines grow.
- 11:30 Lunch from the food stalls, ahead of the noon rush.
- 13:00 Watch bands, dance and theatre on the outdoor stages.
- 15:00 Walk the campus sights, then sort your trash at an eco-station on the way out.
Rules at the festival
- Ask before photographing students up close.
- No photos where signs say so.
- Sort trash at the eco-stations: burnable, plastic, cans, PET bottles.
- Don't bring your own alcohol. Many festivals ban it; where it is sold, buy only from the official stalls.
- No smoking and no drones on campus.
- Only enter rooms that are part of the festival.
Point-and-show phrases
No Japanese needed. Show this screen to a student at the stall.
| これください | This one, please Kore kudasai |
| いくらですか？ | How much is it? Ikura desu ka? |
| 写真を撮ってもいいですか？ | May I take a photo? Shashin o totte mo ii desu ka? |
| カードは使えますか？ | Can I pay by card? Kaado wa tsukaemasu ka? |
| ゴミ箱はどこですか？ | Where is the trash bin? Gomibako wa doko desu ka? |
| 入口はどこですか？ | Where is the entrance? Iriguchi wa doko desu ka? |
| トイレはどこですか？ | Where is the restroom? Toire wa doko desu ka? |
| おいしい！ | Delicious! Oishii! |
| ありがとうございます | Thank you Arigatou gozaimasu |
Cash & ATMs
Most 7-Eleven stores have ATMs that accept foreign cards, and many are open 24 hours.
Stay & tours
Affiliate links. Booking through them supports this site at no extra cost to you.