The Open University of Japan (OUJ), whose official name was changed from the University of the Air in October, 2007, develops, provides, and promotes innovative higher distance education of top quality, in collaboration with mass media networks and alliances.　As the primary university of lifelong education in Japan, it addresses the wide-ranging learning needs of people during their stages of life.　Indeed, it contributes a lot to the need to achieve a considerable knowledge level of the community at large.

The OUJ seeks to be an institution that is strongly anchored in the Japanese higher education through its educational and innovative activities, and that also operates successfully in the area of lifelong learning. In fact, the program offerings of the OUJ have obviously met a great need of the community for over 20 years. Thus, many take advantage of this opportunity and more than 90,000 students now enroll at the OUJ in total.

Ever since its establishment in 1983, the OUJ has been providing open higher education for each generation.　From its start, it has been doing so at academic level, without setting prerequisites regarding prior education, to any high school graduates who wish to enter into the OUJ.　Thus, it offers people, who never had the opportunity earlier to attend a higher school education, a free chance to do so.　In this context, it makes them freely accessible to open educational resources.

It is widely acknowledged that “ learning is a lifelong job ”.　According to this motto, it is very important to maintain the motivation of continuous efforts for self-study with high level of will in any course of life.　Challenge is of great importance and value to everyone irrespective of age.　One of my favorite words is “ It is never too late to become what you might have been ”, which is a quote from a British novelist, George Eliot. It must be a dream that people learn to look beyond their own specific interests they have long embraced.　To realize such a long-cherished dream makes their life colorful. I trust the OUJ will be able to assist them to do so.