Campus Life

The friendly campus environment offers you an endless
array of opportunities for socializing with Japanese students.

  • Tomodachi Program

    Our Tomodachi program connects YiJ participants with Konan students by email and SNS correspondence even before arriving in Japan. Konan students await the start of the Year-in-Japan Program to welcome their new friends to Konan and lead them on a tour of the campus and Okamoto area.

  • Student Clubs

    Belonging to a group and experiencing friendship and bonding through Japanese group dynamics is an experience that enriches student life in Japan.

  • Language Partner

    Our Language Partner program is an ideal opportunity for YiJ students to work one-to-one with Konan students in order to help each other practice the languages they are studying. KIEC assists with matching partners, and then students meet at their convenience. Beyond the language exchange that naturally occurs, each student has the opportunity to broaden his or her cultural perspectives through language partner friendships.

  • Ajisai Events

    We periodically offer a variety of cultural opportunities, such as shodo (Japanese calligraphy) and sado (Japanese tea ceremony), for Japanese and international students to experience and enjoy together.

  • Global Zone Porte

    Global Zone Porte, the university’s main facility for intercultural exchange, is a meeting place for globally-minded students. This facility combines three distinct areas that complement each other and promote international exchange.

    Konan students who want to experience an intercultural atmosphere and be part of our global community on campus are always welcome to take part in activities and events that offer opportunities for meeting and making friends with their peers from abroad. They also practice their English skills in the area known as Language LOFT.
    Another area known as Ajisai Room was established especially with exchange students in mind and it is a place for gathering and enjoying the company of other students between and after classes. Konan students are encouraged to communicate in Japanese while they are in the Ajisai Room in order to help our international students to continuously improve their target language ability in everyday situations.
    The third area, our Global Learning Commons, is an open space with an inviting terrace where students gather to study, chat, or just soak in the atmosphere of our international hub on campus. A great motivator for language improvement, the friendships made through experiences at our Global Zone add to the overall study abroad experience for our exchange students by providing unique and unforgettable memories as well as invaluable insights into the Japanese lifestyle.

  • i Commons

    One of our newest and most prominent buildings on the main campus is known as Konan Infinity Commons (commonly referred to as iCommons), and it serves as the true center of student activity at Konan. Students gather here in order to participate in all sorts of student-led organizations, as iCommons houses everything from self-government facilities to the offices from which our broad range of student clubs are managed. The main entrance of iCommons opens onto a large and welcoming atrium space in which special cultural and educational events are frequently held. Many dining options are available in iCommons as well, as it hosts the university’s main cafeteria, a lively Italian restaurant, a convenience store where a quick bite is always available, and a more subdued café located within the bookstore on the top floor.

    Other facilities for students include a fitness room, project rooms, a kitchen studio, a ceramic art studio, and a number of other multipurpose spaces which collectively cater to the potential growth of each individual enrolled at Konan. Student-centered services, such as Konan’s Career Center and Health Center are also housed in iCommons. Finally, plenty of study areas and lounge spaces scattered about the upper floors of iCommons offer inspiring views overlooking the campus, the nearby sea, the mountains directly behind the university, and downtown Kobe in the distance.