Overview
- The dorm’s self-governing association delivered 8,858 signatures on March 19 urging Kyoto University to restart dialogue and carry out seismic work that respects the 1913 building’s architectural and historical value.
- An August 2025 Osaka High Court settlement requires residents of the old “current building” to vacate by the end of March 2026 for university-led seismic measures with re-entry afterward, while the 2015 new building remains occupied.
- Students say specific construction plans have not been disclosed; the university has told them it will not publish details at this stage and intends to fence the site from April, according to the association.
- Residents and supporters advocate repair rather than rebuilding to preserve the dorm’s spatial and structural features and the community it supports.
- The settlement obliges the university to start work promptly, aim to finish within five years, provide alternative housing during construction, and permit eligible residents to return once work is complete.