What is it like to study abroad in Kyoto? Imagine starting your morning with a leisurely walk past quiet temple grounds, grabbing a delicious breakfast on the way to class, and ending the day with friends beside the tranquil waters of the Kamo River as the sun sets behind the Arashiyama mountains. For many study abroad students in Kyoto, that’s a daily experience.
If you’re considering a study abroad program in Kyoto, here’s a look at what a typical day might feel like.
Curious what a day in the life for a study abroad student in Japan looks like? Read on to discover why so many college students fall in love with Kyoto.
A Slow Start to the Morning
You wake up just as the sky begins to glow with a lavender dawn. The morning air is cool and refreshing, making it easy to start your day. You either grab your bicycle (a used one you found for a good price shortly after arriving) or set off on foot toward campus. Along the way, you pass traditional wooden machiyabuildings and neighborhood shrines tucked between homes.
As you move through residential areas that are stirring with life, the pillowy scent of freshly steamed rice mingles with the savory smell of miso.
You stop at a nearby konbini (convenience store), a staple of student life in Kyoto. Some mornings you’ll grab a warm pastry or sandwich paired with a coffee, but this time you opt for an onigiri (stuffed rice ball) and matcha. Quick, highly affordable, and delicious, konbini breakfasts have become a beloved part of your routine.
As you stroll beneath Japanese maple and cherry blossom trees, their green leaves shining under the growing morning light, you appreciate this daily moment of peace and look forward to the day ahead.
Learning Inside and Outside the Classroom
You arrive on campus at Ritsumeikan University and make your way to class, where you’re greeted by your professor and your classmates, some of whom are becoming your closest friends.
Your Japanese Studies lectures are enriching, but your favorite part of studying abroad in Kyoto is connecting your classroom learning to the city itself. You’ve noticed how the local environment enhances your understanding of Japanese history, traditions, and language. Concepts discussed in class often appear in real life just hours later as you familiarize yourself with the architecture, local customs, religious sites, and everyday Japanese phrases.
Whether this is your first time studying Japanese or you’re in one of the more advanced level Japanese language classes, you find Kyoto especially welcoming. Practicing the language is highly encouraged. Businesses and university staff are accustomed to interacting with international students, so many of them speak slowly and clearly, and some can use English if you’re struggling to understand them.
You’ve also been taking advantage of a buddy program at your host university, which provides a place for you to develop conversational Japanese language skills while you connect with local students.
Although learning the language isn’t always easy, now that you’ve been practicing every day for weeks, you’re starting to see real results—and it’s even more rewarding than you originally imagined it would be. As you become more confident in your Japanese language skills, Kyoto begins to feel more like home.
Lunch with Friends
Around midday, students scatter across the city in search of delicious food to eat, which is never hard to find in Kyoto. Some days you find yourself at a cozy café eating pastries and matcha desserts; on others, you’ll sit down at a favorite family-run restaurant tucked down a side street.
Today, you and your friends are trying out a new ramen spot—it may be your favorite one yet. Thick, savory broth and springy noodles topped with kujo green onions, a local specialty.
Over lunch with your friends (a mix of international and local students), you exchange recommendations, plan weekend trips, discuss cultural differences, and talk about what you’ll do in the evening.
Afternoon Explorations
After you finish classes for the day, you might head to the famous bamboo groves of the Arashiyama district, browse local markets, or wander through historic neighborhoods that transport you back in time. Perhaps you’ll stop by a shrine or temple and collect a goshuin, a unique stamp that many students enjoy gathering at destinations across Japan.
On some afternoons, you walk beneath rows of picture-perfect torii gates at the Senbon Torii path, photograph a hidden temple garden, or simply spend an hour exploring streets you’ve never visited before.
These experiences feel different when you’re living in Kyoto as a student rather than visiting. There’s no pressure to see everything at once. The city reveals itself gradually, encouraging you to slow down and discover the hidden gems of Kyoto that most tourists will never experience.
Evenings by the Kamo River
As the day begins to wind down, many students in Kyoto find themselves drawn to the Kamo River. Groups gather along the riverside to talk, study, read, picnic, or simply enjoy the atmosphere. The gentle meandering of the river offers a welcome contrast to busy academic schedules and city life.
Some evenings involve café hopping or trying a new restaurant. Others are reserved for studying, completing assignments, or practicing Japanese vocabulary before the next class.
Tonight, after a rejuvenating hour by the river, the evening takes a more exciting turn. You meet up with friends in the lantern-lit alleyways of Pontocho, squeezing into a tiny bar or restaurant for a late dinner before wandering toward nearby Kiyamachi. There, the city is bustling as students and locals gather in lively bars, and music drifts out onto the street along the canal.
As you’re headed home for the night, you’re reminded of the beautiful dichotomy of Kyoto: how you can enjoy a day filled with both tranquility and thrilling nighttime fun.
Weekend Trips from Kyoto
While Kyoto has more than enough to keep students satisfied, its location in the Kansai region makes weekend travel incredibly convenient. A train ride to Osaka can take as little as 30 minutes. Often called the “Kitchen of Japan,” Osaka is also known as the country’s comedy capital. You can discover exciting nightlife, world-renowned cuisine, and a faster-paced urban energy that’s perfect for weekend trips or a night out.
Tokyo isn’t out of reach either. The fastest trains will take you to Japan’s capital city in just over two hours. Closer to Kyoto, Nara awaits, where you’ll find historic temples and the famous Nara Park, known for its bowing deer.
This weekend, you decide to head West to Kobe. Settling into a high-speed train from Kyoto Station, you spend the journey reading and watching scenery shift outside your window. As the city comes into view, the bright red Kobe Port Tower rises above the waterfront, framed by the sparkling waters of Osaka Bay and the mountains beyond.
The day offers visits to historic sites, picturesque panoramas from the Kobe Nunobiki Ropeway (a cable car that rises above the city), and a relaxing trip to Arima Onsen, one of Japan’s historic hot spring towns where steaming mineral-rich waters offer a welcome break from a busy week of classes and exploration.
Sitting quietly in the onsen, surrounded by the mountains, you find yourself reflecting on everything you’ve experienced so far and wondering where next weekend might take you.
What Students Learn from Everyday Life in Kyoto
Studying abroad in Kyoto is different for everyone. But the best study abroad programs in Kyoto offer a few common experiences: opportunities for deep cultural and language immersion, experiential classes that incorporate the local history and traditions, and trusted support that leaves room for independent discovery.
With each conversation in Japanese and every moment spent navigating daily life in Kyoto, you gain skills that transcend academic learning alone. You become more adaptable, independent, and culturally aware. You discover the intricacies of Japanese culture and what it means to live in Kyoto. Day by day, Kyoto teaches you how to embrace unfamiliar experiences with confidence and curiosity.
By the end of your study abroad journey, you may find yourself thinking of Kyoto as a second home. Long after you’ve left, the lessons you learned in Japan continue to shape how you engage with the world around you.
Ready to experience student life in Kyoto for yourself? Explore AIFS Abroad’s summer study abroad program in Kyoto and start planning your adventure today!
If you’re looking to turn your dream of studying abroad in Japan into reality, AIFS Abroad is here to help. Our programs offer valuable inclusions that allow you to truly make the most of your experience in Kyoto—including housing, trips and excursions, comprehensive insurance, 24/7 emergency assistance, trusted on-site support, and more.
Take the first step toward your summer in Kyoto with AIFS Abroad—your adventure in Japan’s cultural capital is closer than you think!
