Dormitory Events

Dorm residents themselves plan and hold various elaborate events in order to forge deeper connections between dorms, as well as stronger fellowship between residents. In addition to the events listed below, each dorm also has many other events that are held independently.
*Events may be postponed or cancelled due to measures to prevent COVID-19 infections, or held after taking thorough measures to prevent infections.

March: Dorm Graduation Service

The dorm graduation service, an annual milestone, is the time to send off the fourth-year students who have shared dormitory life with other residents for the past four years. The event is held at the Lambuth Memorial Chapel for each dormitory, and the graduating students, Dormitory Deans, Dormitory Managers, and current students have a final conversation about four years of dorm life. Looking back on their dorm life over the past four years, the tearful words of the graduating and current dorm residents almost bring others to tears. Residents' dorm life begins with the entrance service in the Lambuth Memorial Chapel and ends with the graduation service in the Lambuth Memorial Chapel.

March: Dorm Entrance Service

New dorm residents begin their four-year dorm life with the dorm entrance service, which is held at the Lambuth Memorial Chapel. As you feel a sense of anticipation and anxiety about the new life ahead, living in the dormitories and going to university with many fellow students is sure to be a valuable experience for the rest of your life. The dormitory entrance service will be conducted by the university chaplain, and will include a performance by a pipe organist, hymns, and a chorus by the Kwansei Gakuin University choir. After the service, an orientation is held to help students understand how to prepare themselves as dormitory students.

April: New Resident Orientation and Welcome Mixer

The orientation, the welcome mixer and other events are planned to quickly familiarize new residents with dorm life, so that they will be able to live comfortably. These are also opportunities to form connections with senior students in the dorms.

June: Four-Dorm Joint Fellowship Camp

In early June, the four-dorm joint fellowship camp (for Keimeiryo, Seishuryo, Seizenryo, and Seifuryo) is held at Sengari Camp, which is north of Kobe City and surrounded by the refreshing mountains of Hokusetsu. The executive boards of the four dorms plan and manage the event, and participants, mainly first-year students, form deeper friendships with other dorms in the midst of nature. The camp includes orienteering, a test of courage, fireworks, and curry making. The camp aims to deepen students' "horizontal ties" with each other, and is a great help for them in their subsequent university and dormitory life.

June: Four-Dorm Joint Service

The four dorms (Keimeiryo, Seishuryo, Seizenryo, and Seifuryo) hold a service in mid-June. The students themselves prepare for the service, officiate, sing hymns, and listen to messages from the Dormitory Deans.

October: Four-Dorm Joint Sports Festival

A sports festival is held in October, and all dorm residents participate. Teams engage in dodgeball, relay races, and other games to form deeper friendships among dorm residents by working hard together and praising each other's efforts. A wonderful(?) prize is awarded to the winning team and the MVP.

集合写真 — A group photo after the sports festival. It was very exciting!

October/November: Four-Dorm Festival

When fall begins, the dorms come alive with activity as the residents prepare for the festival. The dorm festival is held at each dorm, and residents develop closer vertical ties (relationships across grade levels) and horizontal ties (relationships within their grade levels). Keimeiryo hosts mochi pounding and video shows created by dorm residents; Seishuryo hosts video shows created by dorm residents and comic performances; Seizenryo hosts bazaars, bake sales, and theatrical performances; and Seifuryo hosts costume competitions and performances and games by each grade level.

December: Four-Dorm Christmas Event

In December, the interiors of the dorms are adorned in Christmas colors. Christmas trees are decorated in the dormitories, and dorm residents practice caroling, in addition to exchanging carols with neighboring universities. Christmas celebrations are then held in each dormitory. The celebrations includes words from the Dormitory Deans, shared meals, and a fantastic Christmas atmosphere. The celebration is created by the dormitory students themselves, taking advantage of the individuality of each dormitory. It is the most quintessentially Kwansei Gakuin University event all year.