Bunkasai Japan
慶應義塾大学

Keio University 🇺🇸🇫🇷 🇰🇷

Japan's oldest private university, founded by the man on the old 10,000-yen note.

Fukuzawa Yukichi, the man on the old 10,000-yen note, founded Keio in 1858 after sailing to San Francisco and touring Europe. His campus at Mita has a red-brick Gothic library from 1912, Japan's first public speaking hall, and Tokyo Tower fifteen minutes away on foot.

The red-brick Gothic Old Library at Keio University Mita campus
Photo: Wiiii / CC BY-SA 3.0 / source
Key facts
Nearest station
Tamachi (JR) 8 min / Mita (Toei Asakusa & Mita lines) 7 min
Open in Google Maps ↗
Normal-day visits
Gates open 8:30-17:30, except during entrance exams and New Year.
Photos
Personal photos are fine; no commercial filming.
Festival
Mitasai: Dates TBA
Festival details →
Keio University ↗

Last updated: Sep 15, 2026

Why visit

  • Founded in 1858 by Fukuzawa Yukichi, whose face was on the 10,000-yen bill for 40 years.
  • The Old Library (1912) and Mita Public Speaking Hall (1875) are Important Cultural Properties.
  • Mitasai, in late November, is one of the largest festivals in Japan with over 200,000 visitors.

On screen & in print

  • 'Keio Boy' as a character typeDrama
    Keio rarely allows filming on campus, so it appears in dramas mostly as shorthand for old money and polish.
  • Mita Bungaku (literary magazine, 1910-)Literature
    Founded with Mori Ogai and Nagai Kafu; still published today.

History worth knowing

Fukuzawa Yukichi and the West

Fukuzawa sailed to San Francisco in 1860 and toured Europe in 1862, then wrote the bestsellers that introduced Western life to Japan.

Korea's first students in Japan (1881)

Yu Gil-jun, the first Korean student in Japan, studied at Keio. Many Korean students followed in the 1880s.

Old Library (1912)

A red-brick Gothic library with a stained-glass staircase, occasionally opened to the public in summer.

Your country's connection

🇺🇸🇫🇷
USA / France
Fukuzawa's 1860s journeys; France is the third-largest source of international students today.
🇰🇷
Korea
Yu Gil-jun and the first generation of Korean students in Japan.

What to see on campus

  • Old Library exterior & Mita Public Speaking Hall free
    Both viewable from outside at any time.
  • Keio Museum Commons (KeMCo) free
    Free exhibitions, just south of the East Gate.

Nearby to combine

  • Tokyo Tower: About 15-20 minutes on foot. 📍
  • Zojoji Temple: Next to Tokyo Tower. 📍

Visitor rules

  • Campus open 8:30-17:30 via the main or east gate, except during entrance exams and New Year.
  • No filming or photo shoots for commercial purposes.

Etiquette →

Plan your visit

🏨 Tokyo hotels on Rakuten Travel🎟 Tours & eSIM on Klook

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