The major cities of Nagoya, Osaka, Kyoto, and Kobe are within a few hours of Tokyo by train. The roots of the University go back to 1549, when St. Francis Xavier, a Jesuit, landed in Kagoshima with the hope of starting a Catholic university which would introduce Western culture to Japan. From this modest beginning, Sophia University has grown to be one of the Japan's foremost private universities with a student body of 11,400 undergraduates and graduate students. The teaching staff reaches nearly 1,000 and come from 27 different countries. Only the Sophia men's Dormitory is on-campus.
Rooms are double-occupancy and are furnished with linens.
There is a mandatory meal plan. Some off-campus dorms provide meals. Rooms are single, but some have a suite system, with phones and bath and other facilities shared. Women's dorms have enforced curfews. Host families provide breakfast and supper, unless arrangements are made beforehand.