General Information for Student Life

International House

Make inquiry regarding Ritsumeikan University International Houses to following email addresses.
GS: accomm(at)st.ritsumei.ac.jp
CRPS/GLA: oic-dorm(at)st.ritsumei.ac.jp

Webpages for each of the dormitories

• International House Taishogun (GS)
  
• OIC International House (CRPS)
  
• OIC Global House (GLA)
  

Housing

If you look for housing by yourself, you can find the agencies as below.

University Co-op Sumai Sagashi Center (Housing Center)

• Kinugasa Campus TEL: 0120-606-315
• Osaka Ibaraki Campus TEL: 0120-283-481

URL: https://www.ritsco-op.jp/shopinformation/sumai.html

*Please choose a language from TRANSLATE

Creotech Co., Ltd

URL: https://www.creotech.co.jp/apart/ (Only available in Japanese)
*Creotech Co., Ltd. is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Ritsumeikan Trust.

When using real estate agencies

When you sign a housing contract, make sure you understand the contract, including the payment of key money, deposit, renewal fee and other fees, and follow the necessary procedures. You must keep documents such as receipts and contracts in a safe place until you move out.

Our recommended Guarantor Company

In an effort to help students smoothly complete their housing rental contracts, we recommend using the services of the Guarantor Company described below.

When you sign a contract and move into a new apartment, please utilize this Guarantor Company to serve as your co-signer. If you are an international student of our university (regardless of visa status), you are eligible to utilize the Guarantor Company’s housing co-sign guarantee at a specially discounted rate.

• Global Trust Networks (GTN)

URL: http://www.gtn.co.jp/ (Please choose Japanese or English at the page top)

Purchasing a Student Commuter Pass

If you commute using public transportation, such as train and bus, you can purchase a student commuter pass from the public transportation agency. For further details, see the webpage “Purchasing a Student Commuter Pass”

Insurance

Enrolling in Insurance

All degree program students at Ritsumeikan University are enrolled in Personal Accident Insurance for Students Pursuing Education and Research, which covers accidents that occur during lessons and sanctioned extra-curricular activities as well as sudden unexpected accidents that arise while on University property that results in physical injury or harm. In the event of injury under such conditions, contact the Office of Student Affairs on your campus and complete the necessary procedures.

However, please note that this insurance will only cover up to the minimum required days for medical treatment and does not cover matters such as illness or commuting accidents.

During your time as a student, there is the possibility that you may encounter an unexpected traffic accident while commuting, or unforeseen illness or injury. Furthermore, there have been numerous cases in which a student has been found at fault in a bicycle accident and is required to pay a significant sum of money for compensation. In order to be prepared for such situations, we recommend that students enroll in insurance.

Enrolling in voluntary insurance for motorbikes, etc.

In recent years, the cost to cover damages resulting from traffic accidents involving motorbikes has become increasingly high. In addition to an increase in cases where mandatory liability insurance alone cannot cover injury costs, liability insurance is unable to cover any damage to property. However, if enrolled in voluntary insurance, the insurance company can give advice and directly negotiate with the other party from a professional point of view in the event of an accident. No matter if you are considered the victim or the person at fault in an incident, being enrolled can help avoid serious trouble. Of course, you should take every precaution to avoid traffic accidents, but in order to be prepared for the unexpected, we request that you enroll in voluntary insurance. One of the conditions for using voluntary insurance is that you be simultaneously enrolled in mandatory liability insurance. Please be careful not to forget to enroll in or renew your mandatory liability insurance.

Ritsumeikan Cooperative (Co-op): Student Mutual Benefit & Personal Liability Insurance for Students
                               TEL: 0120-465-098
                               URL: http://www.ritsco-op.jp/shopinformation/kyousai.html
                               *Please choose a language from TRANSLATE
CreoHuman Co., Ltd.: Ritsumeikan University Student Comprehensive Insurance
                               TEL: 075-463-9178 (Only available in Japanese)
                               URL: https://www.creohuman.co.jp/business/insurance/  (Only available in Japanese)
                                 *CreoHuman Co., Ltd. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Creotech Co., Ltd.
                                 *Creotech Co., Ltd. is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Ritsumeikan Trust.

Scholarships and other related information For Students without Japanese Nationality

Information regarding scholarships for international students will be provided at one of the orientation sessions.
You may find outlines of scholarship programs from the following Website:
Financial Aid

Student Life Support Resources

Support for students who have worries about student life - "Student Support Room"

The Student Support Room is there to offer advice to students who have worries about student life. Students may worry about different issues such as:"I can't work out the aims of my time at university","I don't find the study interesting","Relations with my friends are not going well","I am worried about the future". Support on these and other concerns is available at the Student Support Room. Counseling from trained counselors (clinical psychologists) is available.

Please refer to the following website for information about how to use the Support Room. You can also refer to the leaflet about the Student Support Room distributed during the orientation.
Student Support Room Homepage

Support for Students with Disabilities - "Disability Resource Center"

Based on the Ritsumeikan University Disabled Student Support Policy, and aiming to become a university inclusive to all including students with disabilities we offer support to students with disabilities.

The Ritsumeikan considers and offers supports on an individual basis, based on the style of education in the student's faculty and the disabled student's needs. In order to discuss support needed after enrolment, please contact the College you are scheduled to enter or Disability Resource Center as soon as possible after you have paid your enrolment fee.
Disability Resource Center Homepage

For Your Safety and Comfortable Student Life

On-Campus Businesses

Only agencies designated by the University, including Ritsumeikan University Co-op and Creotech Co., Ltd., can provide services to students on campus. Other agencies are prohibited from offering services to students and doing business on campus. Even before enrolling at the University, be wary of people offering to help you find a private tutor or accommodation. Do not give your personal information, including your contact number indiscriminately to prevent the misuse of your information.

Student Related Accidents and Incidents

To make your years at the University fruitful, you need to maintain a safe and secure environment. A minor lack or vigilance or carelessness can easily land you in trouble. If you find yourself in trouble of any kind, don't try to handle it alone, consult with the University, consulting services, friends and parents as soon as possible. Problems caused by the accidental disclosure of personal information are common. Be cautious at all times when sharing personal information.

Age of Adulthood: 18 years old

Due to a revision of the Civil Code, since April 1, 2022, the age of adulthood in Japan is 18. Adults can lawfully enter into contracts without the consent of their parents or guardians, etc., but at the same time, they are also responsible for their own actions. There are rules regarding contracts, and there is a risk that you will get into trouble (e.g., pyramid schemes, shady information products, etc.) if you enter into a contract blindly without knowledge of these rules. There are malicious businesses that target people who have just become adults and have little experience in society. Please visit the following websites to gain knowledge and learn the rules about contracts, and acquire the ability to consider them wisely.

Consumer Education Portal Site of the Consumer Affairs Agency (Only available in Japanese)
*For Consultations: Consumer Hotline - call 188

Living by yourself

If you live on your own, you are responsible for looking after yourself. To avoid physical, financial or emotional damage, keep the following in your mind. Observing manners and rules and having a good relationship with your neighbors are also very important when living in Japanese society.

• Always keep windows and doors locked.
• Do not open the door before you see who the visitor is. Check with your landlord when a stranger calls for a utility check-up, a routine visit from a government agency or the like.
• Familiarize yourself with neighborhoods. Find the nearest police box. Get the emergency contact details of your landlord or property maintenance company.
  
  

Fraudulent Sales Tactics

There are various fraudulent business practices aimed at students who have little experience in society, such as price gouging, multi-level marketing (Pyramid schemes) and dodgy product and service sales known as "catch sales." There are also cases of antisocial organizations pretending to be student clubs/circles or volunteer groups soliciting students. These people may suddenly approach you in the street or call you on the phone. (They may be people that you know.) Be careful not to accidentally provide them with your personal information as it may lead to trouble and if something doesn't feel right, it is important to refuse clearly.

Internet Related Troubles

Internet-related trouble is on the rise. Most of the trouble is caused by thoughtless actions such as revealing detailed personal information accidentally or providing inaccurate information. You must understand the danger of internet misuse and the risks to privacy especially when using SNSs and blogs. All activities on the internet are traceable. Whenever putting information on the internet, you must recognize that you have social responsibility. You also have to watch out for fictitious invoices on the internet.

Illegal Drugs Including Marijuana and Stimulants

All the views suggesting that illegal drugs "stop you from being tired," "clear your head," "help you lose weight effortlessly," etc., are false. The possession or use of any illegal drug can result in you being involved in a variety of crimes and cause immeasurable lifelong physical and/or mental harm. In addition, once a person is in possession of an illegal drug they will likely face severe social sanctions resulting in throwing their life away. Please do not get involved with illegal drugs.

Fake Phone Inquiries from Individuals Posing as University Officials

There have been cases of phone calls to student's family homes posing as staff from the Office of Student Affairs asking for students' personal information such as their mobile phone numbers. In the case that the University wishes to contact a student, in principle they will ask the students' parent/guardian to contact the student and have the student contact the University. If your parent/guardian receives such calls, they should ask for the caller's name and telephone number so that you can return the call.

RAINBOW User ID

Ritsumeikan University issues RAINBOW user IDs and passwords to all students upon enrollment.
This RAINBOW user ID and password are very important as it is required for using the university's information environment and IT services (e-mail, manaba+R, etc). Please use and manage your RAINBOW user ID and password responsibly, and handle them with due care.
The RAINBOW user ID and initial password will be notified by Ritsu-Mate at 16:00 on Tuesday, September 17th (JST).
Please login Ritsu-Mate and check "Message" after it is available.

As you will use your ID during the new student orientation, please check the "Initializing the RAINBOW User ID" section of the RITSUMEIKAN IT support website 'BEGINNER'S GUIDE for students', and complete "Perform initial settings for multi-factor authentication" and "Change initial password" beforehand.
*Please select "English" at the page top.

Student Government Board, Academic Association, Parents Association of Student Education Assistance

Student Union

The Ritsumeikan University Student Union is a student-run autonomous organization made up of all undergraduate students at Ritsumeikan University with the aim of contributing to the improvement and expansion of both academic and extracurricular activities as well as the development of the Ritsumeikan Academy.
 The Student Union holds a variety of extracurricular activities including welcome events for new students, the yearly school festival, and various academic, arts and sciences, athletic and volunteer activities, calls for the improvement of student learning environments, improves usage conditions of facilities for extracurricular activities, and contributes to upgrading amenities for students. Information on their activities are posted on the Student Union's website (Only Available in Japanese).

The membership fee is mainly used for the Student Union's various activities, such as holding welcome events for new students and the school festival, and supporting students' extracurricular activity groups. In addition, a group within the Student Union called Global Supporters was established in AY 2021 to support English basis students. In the first year of the group's establishment, they promoted initiatives to support participation in extracurricular activities in English, and took the following actions. (1) Published an English version of "Circle Collection," a booklet introducing RU clubs and circles; (2) exhibited at club and circle information booths at welcome events for new students; and (3) held consultations on joining clubs and circles.

The University believes that the autonomous and independent activities of students via the Student Union play an important role in the growth of the students themselves, and we support the Student Union's activities. In addition, the University is entrusted with partially managing and implementing the Student Union's budget.

Academic Associations

At Ritsumeikan University, most Colleges and Graduate Schools have own academic associations established.

Each academic association aims to stimulate and finance research (General details regarding the academic association of your college can be found in the chart below.)Academic association members are provided with learning opportunities in their College/Graduate School. They will periodically receive the Annual Review (academic journal) that presents the most distinguished of its faculty’s and students’ research papers, book reviews, and academic trends. They will be informed of events such as academic lectures by renowned speakers and seminar conferences.

Each academic association is made up of its participating faculty and students, including graduate students (it is possible for graduates/alumni to be members of an academic association if they follow certain procedures).

The University recognizes the activities of each academic association as significant, and when a student enrolls in a College or Graduate School that holds an academic association, the student will automatically be considered as having joined the academic association, and the University will automatically collect the Membership Fees on behalf of the academic association by including the fee in the student’s tuition.

If the amount of money required for membership is insufficient in the tuition payment of the first academic year, this will be seen as declining membership in the academic association. Declining membership in the academic association will not incur any disadvantage to a student’s studies or research at the University, but they lose the ability to participate in various events by and receive support from the academic association.

General details regarding an academic association of the College of International Relations

Academic association name: The Academic Association of International Relations

Main functions:
(1) Publication of the “Annual Review” (academic journal)
(2) Holding research sessions
(3) Financing research
(4) Holding academic forums
(5) Conducting surveys and observations
(6) Holding seminar conferences

Head office: College of International Relations Office

Parents Association of Student Education Assistance

The aims of the Ritsumeikan University Parents Association of Student Education Assistance are to "work in line with the educational policies of Ritsumeikan University to facilitate close communication with parents of current students, support educational initiatives, and foster friendly relations among members."
Members are asked to pay an annual fee of 10,000 yen (in addition to a once-off joining fee of 5,000 yen) to cover the cost of the association's activities.
To withdraw a membership, you need to contact the secretariat by the end of November.
If the new student's brother/sister is an undergraduate student of Ritsumeikan University, the new student's Registration Fee of the Parents Association of Student Education Assistance (5,000 yen) will be reimbursed.
Register your sibling's information on Ritsu-Mate and if eligible for refund, the Parents and Alumni Association will contact you later.
The Parents and Alumni Association Office has been established within the University to assist the association's operation.
A Parents and Alumni Association Office will use "Parent/Guardian's address and name" submitted to the University in order to send information and/or newsletters.

Admission Fee, Tuition Fees and Other Membership Fees

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Rules and Regulations

Student Discipline

If you violate any University rules or regulations, or if you perform a criminal act, you will be disciplined based on School Education Law, Ordinance for Enforcement of the School Education Law, Ritsumeikan University Regulations (Article 57 Punishments) and Ritsumeikan University Student Disciplinary Regulations.

Discipline is conducted by the University President, after an investigation of the facts by the relevant College, and a faculty meeting. The results will then be reported to the student and the guarantor. Furthermore, the content of the discipline will be made public and recorded in the student registry.

When subject to discipline, in accordance with scholarship regulations, scholarships you are receiving (or are scheduled to receive), including but not limited to scholarships from Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO), will be stopped and/or cancelled.

Motorbike/Bicycle Registration and the Prohibition of Commuting by Car

To protect students from traffic accidents as well as fulfilling their responsibility as members of the University to prevent any trouble to their surroundings, neighbors and living environment, students are encouraged to commute to the University by walking, bicycle, bus, train or other modes of transportation.

Commuting by car

Commuting to the University by car is strictly prohibited. If it is discovered that you have been commuting by car, you will be disciplined in accordance with University regulations.

Commuting by motorbike

The University strongly recommends that students refrain from commuting by motorbike as there has been a rise in accidents around campus involving motorbikes. Accidents not only cause major injuries but students may also be found to be at fault for them. Commutation by motorbike has also been a source of disturbance for residents living near the campus. There have been complaints regarding noise, traffic obstruction, and illegal parking. These are particularly frequent and significant as the campus is located in a residential area. The University, therefore, requires students who have no other choice but to commute by motorbike to register their motorbike. Registered motorbikes must be parked in a designated lot at/near the campus. In order to register a motorbike, the following procedures must be taken.

• Attend the “motorbike safety instruction session” <MANDATORY>

At this session, we present the most common accident scenarios, accident black spots to beware of, and safety precautions; we use actual examples of motorbike accidents involving our students and present the actuality of road conditions around each campus. Please be advised that students are not permitted to commute by motorbike without attending this session. Please visit the “New International Student Orientation” website for more information.

• Register your motorbike (Registration fee is required)

Students must register their motorbike and park in a designated lot at/near the campus. The registration procedure will be explained at the “motorbike safety instruction session”.

Commuting by bicycle

Since many students commute to campus by bicycle, there have been demands from neighboring residents for students to ride safely and observe traffic laws. Accidents involving bicycles occur frequently. Not only are students often injured, there have been incidents where the student on the bicycle has hit and injured a pedestrian severely; such cases often involve a large sum of compensation. Also, many bicycle-related troubles such as bicycle theft and improper parking in and outside campus have been frequently reported. The University, therefore, requires all students who would like to commute by bicycle to register their bicycle. Registered bicycles must be parked in a designated lot at the campus. In order to register your bicycle, the following procedures must be taken.

• Attend “the bicycle safety instruction session” <MANDATORY>

Around 80% of bicycle accidents are the result of rule violations. In such cases, the cyclist is likely to be liable for negligence. The most important measure you can take to avoid such situations is to enhance your understanding of traffic rules and learn to cycle safely. At this session, we explain bicycle traffic rules, the most common accident scenarios, accident black spots to beware of, safety precautions, and present the actuality of road conditions around each campus. For more information, please visit the “New International Student Orientation” website.

• Register your bicycle

Registration is permitted only when you fulfill all requirements including:

• Sticking a crime-prevention registration sticker on the bicycle
• Equipping the bicycle with a headlamp and double locks
• Purchasing Personal Liability Insurance (coverage amount: 100 million yen or more)

Smoke-Free Campus

Smoking is prohibited at all times on Ritsumeikan University campuses except at The Designated Smoking Areas.
*The revised Health Promotion Act prohibits smoking on any type I facility property including university property (the Designated Smoking Areas excluded).

The Health Promotion Act requires that measures be taken to prevent harm from passive smoking in public places. Accordingly, Kyoto City, Kusatsu City and Ibaraki City have all enacted by-laws imposing obligations to endeavor to prevent smoking in public. Kyoto City and Ibaraki City impose fines for smoking in prohibited zones such as entertainment districts and major roads. These fines do not apply to the roads in the vicinity of our campuses, but we are still obliged to endeavor to avoid smoking. In January 2013, Ritsumeikan University was accredited as a model organization for improving smoking etiquette, and initiatives are now underway to prohibit smoking on and around the campus.

Ritsumekan Academy Action Plan for a Smoke-Free Campus (April 2008)

Smoking is not only a hazard to the smokers themselves, but creates health problems for nonsmokers through secondhand smoking. Smoking causes an increase in medical costs which are an unnecessary burden to society. We must decrease the smoking population and prevent secondhand smoking in order to protect our welfare and health.
Most smokers develop a smoking habit in college. As a university, it is our responsibility to contribute to the reduction of the smoking population.

The Ritsumeikan Academy is active in its duty as an educational research institution to contribute to the progress and advancement of humanity and society. To help realize the educational goal “to strive for the perfection of character, and to cultivate healthy hearts and minds, while equipping the society with the resources to be creators of a peaceful and democratic nation and society,” we will towards ending secondhand smoking and take the following measures.
1) Educate and enlighten members of the Ritsumeikan Academy about the harmful effects of smoking on health and society.
2) Protect nonsmokers from damage to health caused by secondhand smoking.
3) Educate and enlighten in order not to produce new smokers.
4) Support smokers’ efforts to quit smoking.

*Students violating the smoke-free campus policy will face disciplinary actions including warnings and guidance from the university.
*Students and their families are asked to understand our smoke-free campus policy above and refrain from smoking while on and around the campus.

Regulations

Regulations

Handling of Personal Information at Ritsumeikan University

The handling of personal information of Ritsumeikan Trust is available on the following website.

1. The Ritsumeikan Trust Privacy Policy
   https://en.ritsumeikan-trust.jp/info/privacypolicy/
2. Ritsumeikan Trust Personal Information Protection Regulations
   https://en.ritsumeikan-trust.jp/info/privacypolicy/g01_01_e/
   
3. Public Announcement Based on the Act on the Protection of Personal Information
   https://en.ritsumeikan-trust.jp/info/privacypolicy/g01_06_e/
   

The handling of personal information is subject to change, so please check the above website for the latest information. If you are unable to view the website because you do not have the Internet connection or for some other reason, please contact the International Admissions Office at Ritsumeikan University.

Ritsumeikan University Tuition Reduction Scholarship for International Students Regulations

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