Asian economies have been growing rapidly and are making huge contributions globally. With that comes the realization in the US that Americans should begin in earnest to study Asian languages and cultures, as well as the markets of these countries.

Another cultural wind has been blowing across the Pacific — that of Japanese pop culture! This popular culture includes manga, anime, DDR, Nintendo computer games, "Wii," etc. In the Japanese Studies program at Villanova, you can not only study the Japanese language; you can also learn about Japanese culture (including pop culture), history, society, films, literature, culinary culture and women's studies.

It takes time to master Asian languages, but the intellectual and practical reward is worth the effort, and Villanova University is most likely the place where you can devote sufficient time to learning Asian languages.

Study of Japan provides an understanding not only of Japan, but of Asia in general, with which Japan shares many of its religious beliefs, ethics and aesthetics. Serious studies of Japanese culture, different from Euro-American culture, may help you to prepare to be a member of the global community in the 21st century while reexamining your own cultural values and assumptions from a different perspective.