Aoyama Gakuin University, Private university in Shibuya-ku, Japan.
Aoyama Gakuin University is a private institution in the Shibuya district of Tokyo spread across two locations. The main campus sits in Omotesando with buildings for humanities, law, economics and politics, while the science departments are housed in Sagamihara.
Methodist missionaries from the United States founded the institution in 1874 with the aim of promoting Western education in Japan. It took its current form as a university only in 1949, when the academic structure was reorganized after World War II.
The Christian foundation appears in the architectural style of several buildings and in the quiet atmosphere of the campus, while students from Japan and other countries study together in lecture halls and libraries. The language of instruction varies by faculty between Japanese and English, which gives the campus an international character.
Access to the campus is through Omotesando and Shibuya metro stations, both just a short walk from the main entrance. Visitors planning to tour the campus should keep in mind the academic calendar, as there is less activity during exam periods and holidays.
The running team of the institution belongs to the most successful in the Hakone Ekiden, a two-day relay race between Tokyo and Hakone watched by millions on television each year. Since 2015, the team has won the competition seven times, which led to a rise in applications to the university.
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