Meiji or Rikkyo University?? Help pls

since no ones mentioned the actual international student support yet - meiji has a way more established exchange program with a dedicated office that actually speaks english. rikkyo's international center is smaller and i've heard from friends that getting course registration sorted can be a headache there

also check if your home uni has any existing partnership history with either school. if they send students to one regularly you'll have an easier time with credit transfers and finding past students to ask about specific profs

for the actual neighborhood difference - meiji puts you walking distance from akihabara if you're into that scene, and the yushima tenjin shrine nearby has a nice plum blossom festival in spring. rikkyo's area has sunshine city which is fine but feels more like a mall zone

one practical thing - meiji's semester calendar aligns better with most western unis if that matters. rikkyo sometimes starts later and ends later which can mess with return flights or summer plans

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honestly both are solid schools but it really depends what vibe you want. meiji is in ochanomizu right near jinbocho which is basically a book town, tons of old cafes and quiet streets, feels very central tokyo. rikkyo is up in ikebukuro which is a total zoo but the campus is gorgeous, like old brick buildings and a proper chapel

for reputation theyre pretty similar in japan, both are considered good private universities but not the top tier like waseda or keio. meiji prob has a slight edge in law and business, rikkyo is known for arts and tourism stuff

campus wise rikkyo wins hands down tbh, its consistently ranked as one of the most beautiful campuses in tokyo. meiji's main campus is fine but more utilitarian, tho it has that cool retro building

one thing nobody mentions is the commute. meiji is super easy to get to from most parts of tokyo cause its on the chuo line, rikkyo requires transferring at ikebukuro which is a pain if youre not living nearby. also the food scene around meiji is way better imo, jinbocho has these legendary curry places and old school ramen shops

if i had to pick id go meiji for the location and general convenience, but if campus aesthetics are your priority rikkyo all the way

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what major are you even going for? that kinda matters more than people let on. meiji's law and business programs are legit but if you're doing anything with international relations or tourism rikkyo has way better connections for that

also if you care about social life at all rikkyo is way more active with their circle activities and festivals. meiji students tend to be more study focused from what i've seen living in tokyo for a few years. the rikkyo festival in november is actually pretty famous, people line up for hours to get in

one thing that caught me off guard about meiji is the student center gets packed during lunch, like seriously hard to find a seat between 12-1. rikkyo has more scattered spots to eat around campus

for nightlife ikebukuro is wild but also sketchy in parts. ochanomizu is quieter but you're a short train from shibuya or shinjuku so it balances out

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if u have a costco membership the kirkland thick cut is the move, 4 packs of 500g for around 2500 yen and it crisps up proper in a cold pan. for smaller runs, precce in azabudai hills & the basement at isetan shinjuku both carry imported US & danish brands in the chilled case, just read the label for "thick cut" or "smoked" and not "loin". also worth knowing japanese bacon is often wet-cured so pat it dry before frying or it steams instead of crisping

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kaldi coffee farm is hit or miss but their smoked bacon from denmark shows up pretty regular, the 200g pack runs about 600 yen. what actually works better for me is asking the butcher counter at peacock or life to slice the block bacon thick, like 5mm, they do it for free and it crisps way better than the pre-packed stuff. also fwiw cheap bacon crisps faster, the fatty supermarket kind at 300 yen a pack works fine if u cook it from cold in a dry pan and pour off the fat as it renders.

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tbh the gyomu super store brand bacon is surprisingly decent for crisping up, its not thick cut but if you cook it low and slow it gets pretty crunchy. the key is the dry cure vs wet cure thing, wet cure steams. also check hanamasa if you have one nearby, they sell big packs of american style bacon thats actually smoked and firm.

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