Kinugasa Campus

The International Houses (I-Houses) are dormitories primarily for international students coming to Japan from overseas to study at Kinugasa Campus. There are three I-Houses near campus, and Resident Mentors (RMs) living in each house support students who are living in Japan for the first time.

日本語English

Eligibility and priority

Top priority
  • Exchange students and students in short-term programs
  • International students entering regular undergraduate programs taught in English (both privately funded and government-sponsored)
If rooms are available

International undergraduate students in Japanese-taught programs, international graduate students, etc.

If rooms remain after the students above have moved in, we may send these students information about moving in. They have lower priority (undergraduate students first, then graduate students), and depending on availability, no information may be sent in some semesters.

Not eligible at entry

Other Japanese students

Students cannot move into an I-House when they enter the university. However, in semesters when rooms are available, we may recruit short-term residents for one semester from students already enrolled at Ritsumeikan. → Short-term residents

*Japanese nationals entering an undergraduate program taught in English may also be eligible if their circumstances are similar to those of international students, for example if they have lived overseas for a long time and have never lived in Japan. If this may apply to you, please contact the International Center, Kinugasa Campus.
*Whether you can move in, and which house you are assigned to, depends on applications and room availability each semester.

Overview 概要

Rent

From JPY 39,000/month
Water, electricity and internet included

Rooms

Furnished single rooms
Each room has a desk, chair, bed, bookshelf and air conditioner, so you can start your life in Kyoto from the day you arrive in Japan.

Support

Resident Mentors in every house
Feel free to ask them about dorm life, the university and daily life in Japan.

Available in all three houses

  • Desk & chair
  • Bed
  • Bookshelf
  • Air conditioner
  • Lounge
  • Coin laundry
  • Bicycle parking
  • Auto-lock
  • RM support

Choosing a house 寮の選び方・3寮の比較

ItemI-House TokiwaI-House UtanoI-House Taishogun
Rent (monthly) *1JPY 39,000JPY 49,000JPY 49,000
Rooms5235190
To campus: walk——approx. 20 min
To campus: bicycleapprox. 20 minapprox. 15 minapprox. 10 min
To campus: public transportRanden approx. 30 minBus approx. 20 minBus approx. 5 min
Fridge in room—YesYes
Toilet in room—Yes—
Sink in room—YesYes
KitchenDining kitchenDining kitchenLiving-dining kitchen
BathShared bath (by gender)Bath + shower rooms (by gender)Shower rooms (by gender)
In-room internetWired LAN / Wi-FiWired LAN / Wi-FiWi-Fi *2
DetailsSee detailsSee detailsSee details

*1 Water, electricity and internet included. Applies to residents moving in from March 2026. A separate administrative processing fee also applies.
*2 In-room Wi-Fi at Taishogun can be unstable. We recommend arranging your own pocket Wi-Fi or a similar service.

I-House Tokiwa

Iハウス常盤(formerly Ritsumeikan International House I)

JPY 39,000/month — lowest rent of the three

A single room at I-House Tokiwa
Single room: bright, with a large window
The lounge at I-House Tokiwa
Lounge: with books, a TV and a piano
The shared bath at I-House Tokiwa
Shared bath: a large Japanese-style bath (separate for men and women)

Highlights

  • Lowest rent of the three: JPY 39,000/month
  • Easy to get around by Randen and bus
  • Many supermarkets and shops nearby
  • A close, family-like community

Access

To campus
Bicycle approx. 20 min / Randen approx. 30 min

Nearest station
Narutaki Station (Randen)

View on Google Maps

Room types

  • 52 roomsSingle student rooms

In your room

  • Desk & chair
  • Bookshelf
  • Closet
  • Bed & curtains
  • Air conditioning & lighting
  • Internet (wired LAN / Wi-Fi)

Shared facilities

  • Kitchen with fridge
  • Shared bath (by gender, no individual shower booths)
  • Toilets (by gender)
  • Coin laundry with dryers
  • Internet room
  • Lounge & Japanese tatami room
  • Bicycle parking

I-House Utano

Iハウス宇多野(formerly Ritsumeikan International House II)

JPY 49,000/month — private toilet & sink

A single room at I-House Utano
Single room: your own toilet and sink are in the room
The lounge at I-House Utano
Lounge: a place to meet, decorated with flags from around the world
The kitchen at I-House Utano
Dining kitchen: with a view of the trees

Highlights

  • Private toilet, sink and fridge in every room
  • A cozy house with 35 rooms
  • Quiet, surrounded by greenery

Access

To campus
Bicycle approx. 15 min / Bus approx. 20 min
(may vary with traffic and weather)

Nearest bus stop
Yūsu Hosuteru-mae (Youth Hostel)

View on Google Maps

Room types

  • 35 roomsSingle student rooms
  • 2 roomsGuest rooms
    (for researchers and faculty)

In your room

  • Desk & chair
  • Bookshelf
  • Closet
  • Bed & curtains
  • Fridge
  • Toilet
  • Sink
  • Balcony
  • Air conditioning & lighting
  • Internet (wired LAN / Wi-Fi)

Shared facilities

  • Dining kitchen (each floor)
  • Bath (by gender)
  • Shower rooms (by gender, individual booths)
  • Coin laundry with dryers
  • Internet room
  • Lounge with kitchen corner
  • Japanese tatami room
  • Bicycle parking

I-House Taishogun

Iハウス大将軍

JPY 49,000/month — closest to campus

The living-dining kitchen at I-House Taishogun
Living-dining kitchen: a large island kitchen where residents cook and chat together
A single room at I-House Taishogun
Single room: with a fridge, sink, wardrobe and desk

Highlights

  • Bus approx. 5 min / bicycle approx. 10 min to campus
  • 190 rooms — lively, with many residents
  • Women-only floor (4th floor)

Access

To campus
Bus approx. 5 min / Bicycle approx. 10 min / Walk approx. 20 min

Nearest bus stop
Tōjiin-michi

View on Google Maps

Room types

  • 190 roomsSingle student rooms
  • 1 roomAccessible room
  • 12 roomsShort program rooms
    (4 people per room)
  • 5 roomsGuest rooms
    (for researchers and faculty)

The 4th floor is for women only. Residents cannot choose their floor.

In your room

  • Desk & chair
  • Bookshelf & trash bin
  • Shoe rack & clothes hanger
  • Bed & curtains
  • Fridge
  • Sink
  • Air conditioning & lighting
  • Internet (Wi-Fi only)

Shared facilities

  • Living-dining kitchen (each floor)
  • Shower rooms (by gender, each floor)
  • Toilets (by gender, each floor)
  • Study room (each floor)
  • Coin laundry with dryers
  • Rooftop drying area
  • Multipurpose room
  • Lounge
  • Courtyard
  • Table tennis
  • Public phone
  • Vending machine (drinks)
  • Bicycle parking

Note: In-room Wi-Fi can be unstable. If this concerns you, we recommend arranging your own pocket Wi-Fi or a similar service.

Fees and period of residence 寮費と入寮期間

Fees (residents moving in from March 2026)

ItemTokiwaUtanoTaishogun
Rent (monthly)JPY 39,000JPY 49,000JPY 49,000
Residence entrance feeOne month's rent (one-time, non-refundable)
Bedding rental (monthly)JPY 2,000
Move-out cleaning feeJPY 10,000
  • Rent includes water, electricity and internet.
  • The accessible room at Taishogun has the same rent.
  • Fees may change each semester.

Costs when you move in

In addition to the residence entrance fee, rent and bedding rental, a separate administrative processing fee applies.

Details of the initial costs will be provided in the dormitory application guide.

Period of residence (up to one year in general)

April enrollees: from a date in mid-March designated by the university to the end of February the following year

September enrollees: from a date in early September designated by the university to the end of August the following year

Move-in dates are set each semester and announced in the dormitory application guide. The period may differ depending on the resident.

Steps to move in 入寮までの流れ

  1. STEP 1ApplyFollow the application guide for your student category.
  2. STEP 2Get your resultWe will let you know whether you have a place and which house you will live in.
  3. STEP 3PreparePay the initial costs, register your move-in date and read the guidebook.
  4. STEP 4Arrive and move inMove in on your designated date and get an introduction from an RM. Check-in is on weekdays, 10:00–17:00, in principle.

Life in the house 寮での生活

Group photo of the 2026 Resident Mentors (RMs) at the Kinugasa Campus I-Houses
Resident Mentors, 2026 academic year

Resident Mentors (RMs)

RMs are student staff who live in each I-House. They help run the houses and plan events, and they are the people closest to residents — feel free to ask them about dorm life, the university and daily life in Japan.

House rules and emergency contacts

House rules and emergency contacts are in each house's guidebook. Please read it before you move in.

Download the guidebooks →

Downloads ダウンロード

DocumentTokiwaUtanoTaishogun
Guidebook (English)PDFPDFPDF
ガイドブック(日本語)PDFPDFPDF
Map (to show taxi drivers)PDFPDFPDF

Related information 関連情報

Resident Mentor (RM) recruitment

We recruit student staff who support residents' daily lives and plan events and activities in the I-Houses.

Application period and how to apply: Resident Mentors (RM) Information (in Japanese)

Short-term residents

Only in semesters when rooms are available, we recruit undergraduate and graduate students already enrolled at Ritsumeikan (all nationalities) to live with international students for one semester. Recruitment may not take place in some semesters, depending on availability. This does not guarantee a room at the time of entry to the university.

Application period and how to apply: Short-Term Residence Information

Contact 問い合わせ先

Office

International Center, Kinugasa Campus

Meigakukan, 1st floor

accomm@st.ritsumei.ac.jp

We can help you in English or Japanese.

Office hours

Weekdays (Mon–Fri)10:00–17:00
Lunch breakClosed 11:30–12:30
Weekends & holidaysClosed
Summer / spring break13:00–17:00

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