There's a new and unusual place in Tokyo to learn, grow and have fun -- and it's free. Tokyo Jiyu Daigaku, or Tokyo Free University, has opened its doors for its inaugural year onto subjects ranging from Eastern and Western religion, philosophy and literature, third-world development, creative and spiritual arts and physical exercise disciplines.

"The goals are to know yourself, to express yourself," says school founder and leader Toji Kamata with characteristic simplicity. "The overall objective is to truly become yourself." Kamata, who will also teach at the school, is a man of boyish enthusiasm, known among his theology students at Musashigaoka Junior College in Saitama Pref. for his conch-shell horn, normally blown by yamabushi, the ascetic mountain priests.

Kamata expresses pride in the quality of instructors he's lined up for the year of programs, which began last month. All teach locally at university level or the equivalent. "They are all people who come right from the thick of their fields," he says, noting that one criterion for their selection is deep, even spiritual, immersion in their subjects.

With infectious energy and earnest idealism, Kamata is the magnet around which this community for learning has collected instructors, staff, and donors of space and materials as well as students. Kamata has a knack and a love for organizing successful volunteer events. Of note most recently was the "Kobe kara no Inori -- Tokyo o Hiraku Matsuri (Prayer From Kobe -- Tokyo-Opening Festival)" arts festival, held the weekend of Oct. 10 at Kamakura's Kotokuin Temple, home of the Daibutsu. He combined with Okinawa singer Shokichi Kina in this successful benefit for Kobe earthquake victims.

Tokyo Jiyu Daigaku has taken a year to organize, he says. His inspiration comes largely from his admiration for author and educator Kenji Kenji Miyazawa (1896-1933), whom he considers one of Japan's greatest writers. Miyazawa, known best for resonantly symbolic children's tales, shunned the life of the Tokyo literati and returned to his native Iwate Prefecture. There he set up Rasuchijin Kyokai, a free school where farm workers could pursue academic interests and try expressive arts, including painting and music.

In Tokyo Jiyu Daigaku, Kamata seeks a place for "self-realization," where anyone can bloom as they naturally would, he says, "as a sakura blossom irrepressibly opens."

Freedom to grow, he says, "is different for each person," and is what's expressed in the school's name -- not necessarily personal freedom to act as one pleases.

The school divides its curriculum into five areas: Know Japan (including history, art history, religion and philosophy), Know Society (local and international social issues), Know the Universe (subjects regarding people's place in the universe, the meaning of being human), Creative Arts (studio training in a variety of arts including visual, musical and ceramic), and Physical Inquiry (physical arts for health and spirit development, including meditation and spiritually oriented martial arts accessible to people of all body types and ages).

The school, best described as an adult education center, is not accredited. It is licensed as a nonprofit organization.

What Kamata calls "main event" lectures/seminars are held once a month and last between two and three hours. Fees to cover office costs are minimal. Membership is 10,000 yen or less, depending on how late in the 12-month academic year one applies. From June, for example, membership would be 9,000 yen. For members, an entire year of classes, costs 27,000 yen when paying in bulk. Nonmembers pay slightly more. Nonmembers may also attend by paying 3,000 yen per class/lecture.

About 40 other classes are scheduled throughout the year. Retreat weekends with various themes will be held outside of Tokyo.

Classes are conducted in Japanese, with some exceptions, but efforts are under way to make the school's offerings more accessible to English speakers.

The home of Tokyo Free University is Wenz Studio, a minute's walk from JR Nishi-Ogikubo Station on the Chuo Line (local) and Sobu Line, and Tozai Line subway.