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Nestled in the heart of Shinjuku and situated all within a kilometer’s walk from each other are Waseda’s three central campuses: Waseda, Nishi-Waseda, and Toyama. With nearly 150 years of history, the main campus at Waseda has expanded over the years, spreading out into different campuses throughout the surrounding neighborhood. As Waseda has physically expanded, so has its footprint upon the landscape and its places available for students and staff alike to enjoy.

The concept of the “third place” is often defined as being a place that is not work or home, but a place that is somewhere people go to between these two constants in life. A place of community and comfort that fills in the gap between going to work and going home. For some people, such as Huang Wenting, this could be a coffee shop. Nicknamed “Green” by those close to him, he particularly enjoys sitting by “the wooden table and chair outside the Tully’s”, which is pictured below. It’s located just in front of the main Nishi-Waseda Campus east exit off of Meiji-dori Ave.

Green loves this place mainly for how “chill” it feels in that he can relax during the summertime while also being able to concentrate on his research for his academic studies as a graduate student in the Graduate School of Creative Science and Engineering. Hailing from China, he is an international student that enjoys the simple things in life like a good latte and good company.   

Going over to the main campus, economics student (School of Political Science and Economics) Lee Yoon Seo from Korea, enjoys her time in the Howard Hagiya Memorial International Student Lounge on the first floor of Building 3 (pictured below). Lee mentions that she often has lunch or coffee there with her friends and often feels comfortable there because she can communicate freely with people. In her own words, it makes it “a perfect place for group projects or casual meetings.” She also enjoys that, since it is an international lounge, there are many students from diverse backgrounds that she can interact with. It makes her “feel more at home while studying abroad.”

Moving onto Toyama Campus, Chitose Shindoh, who is a student from the School of Culture, Media, and Society, particularly enjoys the Transcultural Studies Room on the 9th floor of Building 33 for much the same reason that Lee Soon Yeo liked the international student lounge. Chitose, who is originally from Tokyo, especially likes how the “Teaching Assistants there are always kind and help with homework or questions from class” and how there are also amenities available for students as well. Some of these amenities are pictured below with Chitose next to some tea, snacks, and a pleasant view of the surrounding city. The ease of access and its location are major contributing factors to why this is a third place enjoyed by many on campus as it continues to be a place of cultural understanding and general relaxation as well.

In conclusion, the relationship that one has to campus life is uniquely personal but could be widely shared within these third places. Each one presents a different understanding and view of how to unwind and escape from the pressures of home and work (or school).

There are so many other third places not mentioned throughout these three campuses that are important to the countless students that pass through them each day. They could be as simple as a bench or a place in the gardens that has any sort of sentimental or personal meaning. These places are out there for you to discover and to enjoy, and I hope you can find your “third place” somewhere among the campuses of Waseda.

About Author Connor Mangelson: Hi everyone! I am an urban planning professional originally from Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. As a former urban planner, member of the American Planning Association, current member of the City Planning Institute of Japan, and current graduate student in the Morimoto Lab of Transportation and City Planning, I act as a student contributor under the direction of the Waseda Office of Communications and Public Relations. I have been living in Tokyo for the past two years researching how to make our cities around the world more interconnected and walkable. I enjoy skiing and exploring the nature surrounding Tokyo in my free time, especially in Nagano and Gunma. I am happy to have called Japan home for the last couple of years, and I hope you will have the chance to do so too!

＊Photos provided by the students featured in this article as well as Morimoto Lab Students. Special thanks to Ryunosuke Katagiri (片桐龍之介)