Information Plaza

2025/03/31

On June 1, 2017, the Information Plaza was opened. Located to the west of the Mita Campus main gate on a site that was once a gas station, this facility is designed to provide information and services to visitors. Four departments—the Office of Community and Regional Affairs, the Admissions Center, the Office of Communications and Public Relations, and the Office of Facilities and Property Management—collaborate on its operation, which is jointly managed with Trust Co., Ltd. It serves important functions, including providing university information and selling official merchandise, and plays a key role as the "face" of the campus.

The number of visitors to the facility has been increasing year by year, reaching approximately 15,000 in fiscal year 2021, 27,000 in fiscal year 2022, and 54,000 in fiscal year 2023. It was particularly busy during the open campus month in August 2023, when about 25,000 people visited in a single month. These figures indicate that the Information Plaza, despite its somewhat hard-to-find location due to traffic flow, is now recognized as a key information hub.

The increase in international visitors is also noteworthy. The number of foreign visitors, which was about 280 from November 2022 to October 2023, rose to approximately 800 during the same period the following year. This is attributed to the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the staff has been strengthening its multilingual support. They can be seen carefully assisting each visitor, making full use of translation devices and standardized written materials. This fosters cross-cultural and linguistic exchanges, sometimes turning a simple information session into a moment of new discovery and inspiration.

Most of the first-floor space is occupied by the Keio University official merchandise shop, which is also open on weekends. It features exclusive items such as food products with the university logo, tableware, and music boxes, offering visitors special mementos to commemorate their time on campus. In addition to carrying "Mita-hyoron (official monthly journal published by Keio University Press)," the shop also stocks books related to Keio University. It is not uncommon for visitors to strike up conversations with the staff, deepening their interest in the university and the campus, making the shop a space where they can experience the charm of the university firsthand.

The building itself has several noteworthy features. Its glass-walled exterior harmonizes with the Enzetsukan (Public Speaking Hall) and the greenery of Inariyama Hill behind it, creating a sense of transparency and openness. The design, which incorporates natural light, not only makes visitors feel warm and welcome but also enhances the scenic beauty of the Mita Campus. The building's finishes have also been carefully considered, with exterior tiles of a similar color used to match the adjacent South School Building. Furthermore, thinned wood from Minamisanriku, Miyagi Prefecture, a town with which the university has a comprehensive partnership agreement, is used in parts of the interior, serving as an accent that reflects regional collaboration.

Together with the Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, which operates on the second floor of the Information Plaza, we are striving to contribute to the sustainable development of society and the region through partnership and cooperation.

(Masaaki Kono, Office of Community and Regional Affairs)

*Affiliations, job titles, etc., are as of the time of this publication.