Bunkasai Japan
立教大学

Rikkyo University 🇰🇷 🇺🇸

The red-brick campus from Tokyo Ghoul, a Korean poet's memorial, and a giant Christmas tree.

Seven minutes from the neon of Ikebukuro Station, you are standing in front of a 1919 brick building wrapped in ivy, with an Anglican chapel beside it. Film crews use it when they need a university that looks like one. Korean visitors come for a poet who enrolled here in 1942 and died in a Fukuoka prison before the war ended.

Rikkyo University's ivy-covered red-brick main building
Photo: Kakidai / CC BY-SA 4.0 / source
Key facts
Nearest station
Ikebukuro Station (JR, Tokyo Metro, Seibu, Tobu), 7 min walk
Open in Google Maps ↗
Normal-day visits
Yes. Walk-in visitors can explore the outdoor areas without registering.
Photos
Outdoors only. No photos inside buildings.
Festival
St. Paul's Festival: Mon, Nov 2 – Wed, Nov 4
Festival details →
Rikkyo University ↗

Last updated: Sep 15, 2026

Why visit

  • The ivy-covered brick Main Building (1919) is one of the most photogenic campuses in Tokyo.
  • It stood in for Kamii University in the live-action Tokyo Ghoul film.
  • A memorial to Korea's beloved poet Yun Dong-ju was unveiled here in October 2025.

On screen & in print

  • Tokyo Ghoul (live-action film, 2017)Film
    The Ikebukuro campus was used as Kamii University, the school Kaneki attends.
  • First Love (Netflix, 2022)Dramafan-reported, not officially confirmed
    Reported as one of the locations for Yae's university scenes.
  • Galileo: Forbidden Magic (2022)Dramafan-reported, not officially confirmed
    Said to have been filmed here as Teito University.

History worth knowing

Founded by an American missionary (1874)

Channing Moore Williams of the U.S. Episcopal Church opened Rikkyo School in Tsukiji. The campus still has an Anglican chapel and a very un-Japanese brick-and-ivy look.

Yun Dong-ju studied here (1942)

Korea's national poet enrolled at Rikkyo in 1942 and wrote poems in Tokyo, including "Easily Written Poem". The first Yun Dong-ju memorial in Tokyo was unveiled on campus on October 11, 2025.

Edogawa Rampo's house

Japan's father of detective fiction lived next to the campus. His house and storehouse library are open to the public for free.

Your country's connection

🇰🇷
Korea
Yun Dong-ju's memorial. Korean visitors come specifically for it.
🇺🇸
USA
Founded by an American Episcopal missionary; Morris Hall is named after a U.S. donor.

What to see on campus

  • Main Building (Morris Hall) & ivy walls free
    Built 1919, still used for classes. Best light in the late afternoon.
  • All Saints' Chapel free
    Anglican chapel from the founding era. Check the board at the entrance for open hours.
  • Former Edogawa Rampo Residence free
    Reopened May 2025. Mon / Wed / Fri 10:30-16:00, free, no reservation.
  • Christmas tree illumination free
    A tree over 25 m tall is lit from Advent until January 6. Free and open to everyone.
The Christmas tree lit up at night on Rikkyo University's campus
Photo: Masako 川o'-')♪ / CC BY 2.0 / source

Nearby to combine

  • Sunshine City: Complex with an aquarium and the Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo, on the other side of Ikebukuro Station. 📍
  • Otome Road: Anime and manga shops aimed at female fans, next to Sunshine City. 📍

Visitor rules

  • Campus grounds are open to walk-in visitors; you do not need to register.
  • Photography is allowed outdoors only. No photos inside buildings.
  • Do not enter classrooms or offices unless they are part of a festival exhibit.

Etiquette →

Plan your visit

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