Keio

Keio refers to several related Japanese institutions and brands centered on the name Keio. The term is most notably associated with Keio University, a private research university in Tokyo and Kanagawa Prefecture, and with the Keio Group, a major private transportation and retail conglomerate.

Keio University began as Keio Gijuku, a private school founded in 1858 by Fukuzawa Yukichi in Edo (present-day Tokyo). It evolved into a university and, after Japan’s postwar education reforms, adopted the name Keio University in 1949. It is one of Japan’s oldest private universities and ranks among the leading institutions nationally. The university maintains multiple campuses, with the Mita campus in Tokyo as its main site, and offers programs across humanities, social sciences, science and engineering, medicine, and business. It is known for its research activities and alumni in business, politics, and academia.

Keio Corporation, officially Keio Electric Railway (京王電鉄), operates as a major private railway and transportation group in the Tokyo metropolitan area. It runs a network of lines including the Keio Line and Inokashira Line, a Tama Monorail line, as well as bus services and related retail and real estate ventures under the Keio Group umbrella. The brand also extends to department stores and other consumer services associated with railway corridors. The Keio group plays a significant role in western Tokyo’s transit and commercial life.