Kansai Gaidai University offers an Asian Studies Program that features a wide variety of courses taught in English by experienced scholars. The aim of the program is to provide international students with a means of exploring Japan and Asian Studies while they reside in Japan. Previous Japanese language training is not an absolute requirement, but some background in the Japanese language is recommended. Students can enroll in the program for either one semester or one full academic year. The fall semester starts in late August and ends in mid-December; the spring semester starts in late January and ends in late May. Kansai Gaidai is located in the city of Hirakata (population 408,000), midway between Osaka, Japan’s second largest industrial metropolis, and Kyoto and Nara, the ancient capitals of Japan.