Waseda

Waseda University will make one of these things happen: if you’ve attended college, it’s going make you angry that no one told you to go to this university. If you haven’t attended, it’s going to lead you straight to the admissions office for an application. The campus is in the heart of Tokyo, but it’s a serene oasis. The buildings are European-esque brick beauties, and the museum looks akin to a house in Bavaria. It feels nothing like Japan except in the cleanliness and courteousness of everyone on campus. As a non-student (not yet, anyway), you can dine in any of the campus cafeterias for a stupidly cheap, but delicious, meal. Next to campus is the Ana Hachimangu Shrine which dates back to 1062. It’s been reconstructed post-WWII, but it’s still beautiful to see the Shinto guardian of the Waseda neighborhood. Take a tour of the library for the ultimate silent-Tokyo tour, and visit the two free museums on campus for a calm, feel-good day in Tokyo without the stress of dealing with mid-term tests.