On day two, we began by heading to Kyoto University of Art & Design, along Shirakawa-dori Street. The large steps you see as soon as you arrive are actually featured in the anime, “K-ON!”

The large steps at Kyoto University of Art & Design

Once we finished taking pictures of the steps, we took a short break and were given a talk about the university by a member of its staff. She focused on majors that our participants are particularly interested in, and gave us a detailed introduction of Kyoto University of Art & Design, including prize-winning pieces from current students, the school’s famous “Kyo-zo nebuta” floats, cooperative projects between the university and corporate entities, and much more.

Next, a campus tour!

University staff and current international students at Kyoto University of Art & Design show us around campus

Viewing artwork from the university students

From a café frequently used by the students, we climbed up Mt. Uryu-yama to the university’s highest school building, the Noh Theater Stage, from which we could see a view of the City of Kyoto.

Faced with this scenic view, the participants’ camera shutters barely stopped. After enjoying the scenery, we headed back to the university cafeteria for an affordable, tasty lunch and a chat.

Kyoto International Manga Museum

In the afternoon, we went to the Manga Museum for a workshop on making four paneled manga comics, led by a manga professor from Kyoto Seika University. Our participants were anime and manga fans, so they soon started chatting enthusiastically: “What was the first anime you ever saw?” “What’s your favorite manga?”

Under the teacher’s guidance, students were able to challenge themselves to produce four paneled manga with authentic tools. The theme was a self-introduction, and with manga with and without dialogue, unusual perspectives, and unique designs, the results were truly all one-of-a-kind.

Some participants were attempting to draw manga for the first time, but despite the short time frame, everyone drew extremely high quality pieces.

Unlike a stiff self-intro, it seemed like everyone got to know one another much better through their manga, too.

Exchange Dinner

At the exchange dinner, participants ate some delicious food at a venue with a very “Kyoto” atmosphere, and spoke with Japanese students and other international students currently studying in Kyoto.

We also got to enjoy an iaido (“the art of drawing the sword”) performance, and the creation of fruit daifuku (a traditional sweet).

The older international students helped share their experiences and thoughts on Kyoto with the tour participants, who were also able to enjoy communicating with the local Japanese students all in the short time that dinner lasted. Many students made friends, though, and we were quite reluctant to go home.

On day three, we made sure we had plenty of time, and headed to Kyoto Seika University’s open campus.

Each of our participants was interested in studying something different, so each person went to the events in which they were most interested throughout the day.

During the open campus event, we learned about the university, consulted with teachers and current students, viewed artwork from current students, and even enjoyed a special open campus menu in the school cafeteria.

There was even a trial admissions exam, during which students can experience taking the test with real test problems, and during the actual length of time they’ll be tested during the real exam. Students can also hear advice from the university professors.

The tour participants were excited to hear the advice and recommendations from the staff.

Whether or not they decide to apply to study at this university, this is sure to have been a useful experience as they pursue their studies of art and design.

Admissions Exam Lecture at the Architecture Department

Many of our tour participants were interested in anime and manga, and many of them also plan to continue their studies in graduate schools. Some of them may have felt that when they actually spoke with the professors, they weren’t able to express themselves as they’d hoped or imagined. But many of them learned quite a lot from speaking to the teachers in person, and it was certainly a day full of learning experiences for all.

Kyoto University of Arts & Design prizes creativity and thought process, and Kyoto Seika University cherishes uniqueness and composition.

The two universities we visited are both attractive options for fostering ability in the arts, but both are proactive in supporting students’ job searches, as well.

It’s hard to pick between the two, when both offer technical and practical skills, and a learning environment with beautiful natural surroundings!

Kyoto is a quieter city surrounded by nature, but it’s a convenient urban area, too.

Compared to bustling Tokyo, our tour participants commented that Kyoto seemed very attractive, with its slower, more relaxed pace of life.

There were many arts and design universities that we weren’t able to get to on this tour, but if you’re someone who’s considering continuing your education in Kyoto, why not come and check out a university event for yourself?

(Text: Liu Yun Hsi, Kyoto University of Art & Design)

Kyoto University of Art & Design (Study Kyoto)
https://www.studykyoto.jp/en/study/university/kyoto-art/

Kyoto Seika University (Study Kyoto)
https://www.studykyoto.jp/en/study/university/kyoto-seika/

Kyoto Manga Museum
https://www.kyotomm.jp/

If you want to see more information about arts universities in Kyoto, see

“What it’s like to study manga in an unrestricted and international environment at Kyoto Seika University”
https://www.studykyoto.jp/en/magazine/2019/08/30/study-manga-seika/

“Studying the Arts in Kyoto!”
https://www.studykyoto.jp/en/magazine/2017/03/13/kyoto-arts/

“Study Kyoto Tour: Science Tour Experience”
https://www.studykyoto.jp/en/magazine/2020/01/27/science-tour/

“Study Kyoto Tour: Humanities Tour Experience”
https://www.studykyoto.jp/en/magazine/2020/01/06/humanities-tour/