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FAQ Regarding the Implementation of The Basic Policy to Ensure the Safety of Yoshida-Ryo Resident Students (1st Ver, Updated)

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UPDATE 4 (20 April 2018): "Related links" added at the bottom
UPDATE 3 (7 March 2018): "Related links" added at the bottom
UPDATE 2 (2 February 2018): "Related links" added at the bottom
UPDATE 1 (22 January 2018): date in "A-15" corrected

Kyoto University formulated and announced the implementation of the Basic Policy to Ensure the Safety of Yoshida-Ryo Resident Students (hereinafter referred to as “the Basic Policy”) on December 19, 2017. This FAQ intends to provide the answers to questions that may be asked by Yoshida-Ryo resident students, other university students, faculty and staff members, and members of the public regarding the Basic Policy. The answers provided in this FAQ are based on current university policy, and it includes questions about matters such as students moving to alternative accommodation. We will continue to update the information as needed if we receive other questions from students, or if other matters arise.

January 17, 2018
Kyoto University

*Please note: The following are hypothetical questions formulated by the university to enable readers to understand the Basic Policy. Any persons appearing in the following text are fictitious.

Q-1:
I am a first‐year student. If we are not able to apply for accommodation in the Yoshida-Ryo from January 2018, is it still possible to apply to stay in the Yoshida‐Ryo during December 2017?

A-1:
You cannot apply to stay in the Yoshida-Ryo even during December 2017. The Basic Policy specifies: “(1) New applications for accommodation in the Yoshida-Ryo will not be accepted from January 2018.” The Yoshida-Ryo Resident Student Association submits the Yoshida-Ryo resident list to the university every month, and the university has already received the resident list for December (as of December 19, 2017). Therefore, the university will not accept any new applications for the Yoshida Ryo on or after that date. (This information has already been provided on the university’s website, on the page headed “Supplementary Explanation of the Basic Policy to Ensure the Safety of Yoshida-Ryo Resident Students” [dated December 21, 2017].)

Q-2:
I am a student preparing to take the Kyoto University entrance exam, and I would like to live in a student dormitory as private apartments are expensive. However, if new applications for the Yoshida-Ryo are not accepted, students like me may not be able to find accommodation in a student dormitory.

A-2:
We sympathize with new students facing economic difficulties, but it is unavoidable that the number of dormitory rooms with lower rents will be reduced for a certain period due to the implementation of the Basic Policy. However, the university has decided to place the highest priority on the safety of the Yoshida-Ryo resident students. Even though the number of dormitory rooms will be reduced for a certain period, we are planning to address the issue of the aging buildings, and are considering an increase in the number of rooms. Therefore, we hope to be able to provide our students with more dormitory rooms and better facilities in the future, and we ask for your understanding.

Kyoto University provides support and resources for students with economic difficulties, including tuition exemption and scholarships (from both internal and external sources). Please see the following websites for more details:

Q-3:
I am a student preparing to take the Kyoto University entrance exam. I cannot afford to pay the expensive rent required for a private apartment. Is there any support available for students who want to live in a student dormitory?

A-3:
The university is unable to provide support to students solely because they want to live in a student dormitory. Kyoto University also provides dormitories other than the Yoshida-Ryo: the Kumano-Ryo and the Muromachi-Ryo (only for graduate students). (Note: Police raids have been carried out on a section of the Kumano-Ryo, as it is home to some activists associated with a branch of far-left political organization Zengakuren. The most recent raid was carried out on October 31, 2017.)

We recommend that you look into the availability and current situation at these dormitories, and, after consulting with your parents, consider applying for residence from April 2018.

Kyoto University provides support and resources for students with economic difficulties, including tuition exemption and scholarships (from both internal and external sources). Please see the following websites for more details:

Q-4:
I am a second-year student currently living in the Yoshida-Ryo. The Basic Policy specifies that the resident students must leave the dormitory before September 30, 2018. As I want to move to alternative accommodation, I would like to know the schedule from now on.

A-4:

A detailed schedule has not been fixed yet. However the rough schedule is as follows:

  • Late January, 2018: Announcement that applications will be accepted from Yoshida-Ryo resident students who wish to move to alternative accommodation.
  • Mid- or Late February, 2018: Deadline for application
  • Mid- or Late March, 2018: Selection of applicants who will be offered alternative accommodation. (The selection method has not yet been decided, but we are considering a lottery selection. Please kindly understand that you may not be able to move to your first choice of alternative accommodation.)
  • April to the End of September, 2018: Move to the alternative accommodation. (We are planning to arrange the actual move-in day of each student in consideration of his or her schedule.)

The above schedule is tentative. The details of the fixed schedule will be provided to all resident students at a later date.

Q-5:
I am a first-year student living in the Yoshida-Ryo. I want to receive information about alternative accommodation as soon as possible.

A-5:
Currently, we have requested a real-estate company to procure alternative accommodation. It is anticipated that several real estate properties will be available around April 2018. We will provide every resident student with specific information about the properties available as alternative accommodation when we have the information.

Q-6:
I am a fourth-year student currently living in the Yoshida-Ryo. I have to repeat a year for various reasons, which means I will stay beyond the regular term of study (four years). I want to apply for alternative accommodation. Am I eligible to move to alternative accommodation?

A-6:
As the Basic Policy describes, only resident students within the regular term of study are eligible to apply for alternative accommodation. However, if, after reviewing your application, it is acknowledged that your circumstances require special consideration, the university may make an exception and provide you with alternative accommodation even if you are repeating a year beyond the regular term of study.

Q-7:
I am a fourth-year student currently living in the Yoshida-Ryo. I begin a master’s course in April 2018. In this case, if I want to apply for alternative accommodation, am I eligible to move into one?

A-7:
If you are currently living in the Yoshida-Ryo as a fourth-year student of the university, and will be a full-time student on a master’s course at one of the university’s graduate schools as of April 2018, and you wish to apply for alternative accommodation, the university will provide alternative accommodation for you.

Q-8:
I am a fourth-year student currently living in the Yoshida-Ryo. I will graduate from the university at the end of March 2018. Although I wanted to take a master’s course from April 2018, I cannot. I am therefore planning to stay in the university as a credited auditor, auditing student, or research student. I intend to re-apply for the master’s course in April 2019, but I will not be a full-time student as of April 2018. If I wish to apply for alternative accommodation, am I eligible to move into one?

A-8:
Only resident full-time students at the university as of April 2018 are eligible to move to alternative accommodation. However, if, after reviewing your application, it is acknowledged that your circumstances require special consideration, the university may make an exception and provide you with alternative accommodation.

Q-9:
I am a research student living in the Yoshida-Ryo. Who are categorized as full-time students and who are not?

A-9:
Under the Basic Policy, full-time students are defined as: full-time undergraduate students, graduate students, and professional graduate students. Non full-time students are defined as: commissioned students, credited auditors, auditing students, special auditing students, special research students, special exchange students, and research students.

Q-10:
I am a research student living in the Yoshida-Ryo. I will enroll in a graduate school in April 2018. If I apply for alternative accommodation, am I able to move into one?

A-10:
If you are currently living in the Yoshida-Ryo, and will be a full-time student as of April 2018, even if you are currently a research student, you will be able to move to alternative accommodation.

Q-11:
I am a research student living in the Yoshida-Ryo. I am considering enrolling in a graduate school, but it may be difficult to enter the graduate school in April 2018. In this case, am I able to move to alternative accommodation?

A-11:
Only students who are currently living in the Yoshida-Ryo (including those who are currently research students) and will be (or are expected to be) full-time students as of April 2018 are eligible to move to alternative accommodation. However, if, after reviewing your application, it is acknowledged that your circumstances require special consideration, the university may make an exception and provide you with alternative accommodation.

Q-12:
I am a credited auditor living in the Yoshida-Ryo. I am not planning to enroll in a graduate school, but would like to stay at the university as a credited auditor. In this case, am I able to move to alternative accommodation?

A-12:
Credited auditors who are currently living in the Yoshida-Ryo will lose their eligibility for residence from April 2018. The university will not be able to provide alternative accommodation for any non-full-time students, including such credited auditors.

Q-13:
I am a credited auditor living in the Yoshida-Ryo. Currently, both full-time students and non-full-time students are living in the Yoshida-Ryo. Therefore, I think that the university should also provide alternative accommodation for non-full-time students seeking accommodation from April 2018.

A-13:
The university will cover the expenses for moving to alternative accommodation using university grants, which are public funds. Therefore, the university cannot use the limited financial resources available for any applicants other than full-time students. If you will be a non-full-time student as of April 2018, including a credited student, the university will not be able to provide you with alternative accommodation.

Q-14:
I am a third-year student living in the Yoshida-Ryo. The Basic Policy states that students resident in alternative accommodation must pay utility charges. In the Yoshida Ryo, utility charges are shared between the University and the Yoshida-Ryo at the ratio of 53:47. I think that the university should also cover a part of the utility charges at the alternative accommodation.

A-14:
We are planning to provide studio apartment rooms as alternative accommodation. We believe that it would be difficult to gain public approval for the use of university grants, which are public funds, being used for the payment of utility charges for individuals. The university’s view is that the utility charges for the rooms should be paid by the users. The university will cover common service charges levied for the maintenance of corridor lights in common areas, etc.

Q-15:
I am a Yoshida-Ryo resident student. I would like to make an inquiry and consult with someone about leaving the dormitory. Who should I contact?

A-15:
Questions and inquiries should be sent to the e-mail address below. If you are a full-time student at the university, you must send the inquiry from your KUMOI e-mail account, and provide your name, department, and student ID number in the body of the e-mail. After confirming that you are a Yoshida-Ryo resident student, we will respond to your inquiry. If you are not a full-time student, you must send your inquiry from the e-mail address that the university used to contact you on December 19, 2017, and provide your name, department, and student ID number in the body of the e-mail. Once we have confirmed that you are a Yoshida-Ryo resident student, we will respond to your inquiry.

  • Contact: yoshidaryo-faq*mail2.adm.kyoto-u.ac.jp ( replace * with @ )

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