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.