Inside: Kyoto Seika University

I didn't have any expectations of Kyoto Seika before I went to Japan, which was good for a chance, mostly I have high expectations and everything turns out to be less than that.

But I can sum up my thoughts about Kyoto Seika University in a few words: Never. Want. To. Go. Back.

This uni is in one word amazing. The architecture is fresh and calming (to me at least) and the whole university is surrounded by greenery and forest which make the air smell fresh here up in the mountains, far away from all the traffic.

There are two way of getting in to Seika. By going down the main road and up to the front where you can park your bikes and where the free shuttle schoolbuses come and go. 

And there is this wonderful route through the woods that leads you straight in the back alleys of the small town around Seika and up into a climb through the forest, entering Seika at the back.

Going down the path from Seika into the forest

And coming out in the small town in which my dorm is located.

Sculptures are found all throughout the path up throught the forest

Fallen flower path

This is a wonderful walk, though I only walked it twice yet. The incredible amount of stairs that go straight up is quite tiring, especially when there is a full day of classes ahead of you.

A very, VERY peculiar part of Seika, or to me it is, is the fact that the have sort of a zoo on the university ground.
In the back of the uni grounds there is a massive cage with a group of deer in there. They make the oddest sound, I am going to quote my Swedish exchange friend Maria on this because she was spot on, this is the quote from her blog:
"The deers sound like .. if you have a balloon, and let the air out slowly by tightening and pulling the opening - that is the sound the deers make. They squeak, like insects." -Maria.
So yeah, deer...

The walk up to the deer cage

It is big and the have plent of room

Next there is the bird houses, which contain roosters and chickens, ducks and a sort of crane bird.

I found out that the animals are kept so that the different departments can do drawing studies on these animals and their movements.
That is why there is also a peacock habitat with 3 peacocks and some turtles.

peacock habitat on the right, this is near the cafetaria and entrance

There is also a pretty big pond with koi carps in there. So yeah, never a boring moment when walking around the Seika grounds.

As I mentioned the architecture is brilliant. Most of the main building is based on old traditional Japanese farm houses, but everything is constructed in modern materials and in clean cut lines.

The main building containing the art shop, offices and Hanga and Eizo art departments

Drive way where the bus to Kokusaikaikan station stops and main entrance on the left.

The grounds are massive. There is a total of 17 big buildings that make up the whole university.
It takes me about a 7 minute walk from the cafeteria to the illustration department, this makes me have to run to be in class on time sometimes.
Everywhere around there are small but deep ditches with water running in there all throughout the grounds. Very lovely and calming

My favorite place is outside of the cafeteria where you can bask in the sun almost all day if it shines.
Infront of the cafeteria is a big square with things going on all the time, people selling secondhand clothes, people performing skating tricks(poorly I might add) and wonderful dance acts.

On the right the tables and stairs where everyone eats on a sunny day. Up ahead are the club buildings.

Walking towards the cafeteria and the main square

View down from the cafeteria square on the koi pond where people sometimes build huge installations and hold performances above the water

The cafetaria serves a wide arrange of foods, from salades and main dishes to desserts.
Upstairs there is a wonderful fresh bakery which sells sweet and savory buns and fresh sandwiches.
Also there are two FamilyMart supermarkets located in two places on the university, this is incredibly convenient.

And now for some food photos!

Chicken namba, fried chicken with sweetsour sauce and tartar sauce. Fried tofu and salad on the side

Katsudon, soft pork stripes with egg and unions over rice. Salad and fruit on the side.

Pork curryrice with side salad and coconut pudding.

Another chicken namba with sides!

Top corner left to right: vegetable tempura, steamed pieces of pumkin and my fav salad.
Down, left to right: Tofu, fruits and rice.

They have a big array of different salades everyday and sometimes I end up with 4 different salads on my plate!
Upstairs next to the bakery and supermarket is a quiet tatami room where you take your shoes off and relax on the tatami mats at the low tables.

My illustration department building is really nice and I love being in there.

The entrance

The big rope is bursting from the ground inside of the illust. building, I love this so much!

My workspace on the bottom left, the third year's main classroom.

I could go on and on with pictures and stories about all the nooks and crannies of Seika. But I hope this will give a good image about how university life is here. It is wonderful and I wish I never had to leave this school..
I will end this post by providing a map of the Seika grounds, just to give an impression of how massive it really is. Click it to see it bigger.
This is an old map, because the illustration department is in building 11 but there are still other dept. in there.

Map downloaded from the Kyoto Seika Univerity website.