The Japanese student dorm that governs itself (2023)

Kyoto is a city of scholars, artisans and factory workers, and its 15 universities were a huge part of the revolutionary student protests that raged through Japan in 1968 – 69. The protests – driven by alienation among Japanese youth – culminated in the All-Campus Joint Struggle Committees, a group of anti-government, anti-Japanese Communist Party radicals fighting against ​“American imperialism”, ​“Russian Stalinism” and capitalism in Japan that left its youth feeling existential.

In that context, the Yoshida dorm quickly became a hub for intelligent young people with counter-cultural views and a curiosity about alternative styles of living. The university has always prioritised dorm applications from economically disadvantaged students, and its self-governing model has protected them from rising costs of living in Japan.

But like all liberal, free-thinking organisations, its history has been punctuated by several battles for survival, and in recent years the crackdown has escalated. In 2017, the university ordered students to leave, saying the building wasn’t adequately protected against earthquakes. After a series of protests, in April 2019 the university filed a lawsuit against the students for illegal occupation, and then were forced to leave.

That legal battle continues today, with more than 15 court hearings to date. The university claims it will rebuild the dorms, with the students having to find temporary accommodation in the meantime. But according to Nomura, the students suspect otherwise. The dorm takes up valuable land close to the university campus and the general consensus is that the building will be demolished and replaced with more profitable accommodation.