Waseda

Waseda being a residential neighborhood and student district in the center of Tokyo, is not a must-see destination of the capital. While the area is home to several reputable schools and universities, it nonetheless offers a pleasant walk, off the beaten track yet culturally rich. Autumn 🍁 is a particularly enjoyable season to discover the area then adorned by the warm colors and golden hues of the ginkgo biloba trees lining the alleys of Waseda University campus.

Waseda University as the centerpiece

Shigenobu Okuma, an important statesman of the Meiji Era (1868 - 1912), founded the Tokyo Professional School called Tokyo Senmon Gakko in 1882, which became the 1rst Japanese private university under the name of 早稲田大学 Waseda daigaku, abridged 早大 Sodai in the early 1900s. Open to the international and to all social backgrounds, Waseda University is among the most prestigious campuses in Japan and encompasses several faculties such as literature, political sciences, law and economy, business, sciences and engineering, humanities and social studies.

Several famous Japanese personalities are Waseda graduates such as:

• Mystery novels author Edogawa Ranpo (1894 - 1965);
• Japanese actress Sayuri Yoshinaga;
• Contemporary writer Haruki Murakami;
• Uniqlo’s brand founder, Tadashi Yanai;
• Movie director Hirokazu Kore-eda; and,
• Composer and musician Yoko Kanno.

The campus is open to the public and its alleys welcome a stroll in an immersive scholarly atmosphere. The Okuma Auditorium at the entrance is standing boldly as a sample of English Gothic architecture and the landmark of Waseda University. Then, statues and various steles, as well as a handful of small museums are reminders of the place’s history since its founding. We particularly recommend:

• The Haruki Murakami Library (The Waseda International House of Literature) renovated in 2021 by famous architect Kengo Kuma; and,
• Okuma Teien Japanese garden, the students’ beloved green haven of peace.

The university has an annual student festival, called Waseda Sai, that takes place on a weekend in November. This event is a bunkasai, that is to say a kind of open house days held by Japanese schools to celebrate Culture Day (Bunka no hi), a yearly national holiday on November 3.

Nishi-Waseda, the westernmost side

Near Nishi-Waseda metro station, you’ll find the second campus of Waseda University, as well as Gakushuin Women's College whose entrance is marked by a vermilion cast iron gate dating back to 1877. The 2 sites are surrounded by Toyama Park an urban green space dedicated to sport activities with several children playgrounds.

Then, walking up Waseda Dori street toward north and the Kanda river, 2 historical sites can be visited:

• Ana Hachiman-gu shrine, founded in 1062, a place of worship home to both the Shinto and Buddhist religions. Every year in mid-October, it is holding the Takadanobaba Yabusame, a festival with horseback archery performances to watch in Toyama Park.
• Kansen-en Park, that is renowned for its fall colors and whose origins date back to the Shimizu, one of the most important families of the Edo period (1603 - 1868).

Waseda station, in the vicinity, is the terminus of the last tramway line still operating in Tokyo, the Toden Arakawa also called Tokyo Sakura 🌸 Tram.

Museums in the eastern side

The eastern side of the neighborhood is extending to Kagurazaka. Narrow and quiet residential streets open on 2 small museums, that are recommended for the enthusiasts of the artists to whom they are dedicated:

• Natsume Soseki Memorial Museum, dedicated to the novelist (1867 - 1916), and built on the former site of his last house Soseki-Sanbo. The ground floor shows his study filled with books, and at the 1rst floor an exhibition in Japanese highlights his main works. There is also a cafe. And,
• The Yayoi Kusama Museum dedicated to the famous polka dots loving artist.

Located in the north-east of Shinjuku ward and inside the Yamanote line, Waseda is easy to access and close to the big touristy districts of the capital.