Western Washington University, located right on Northern Puget Sound in Bellingham, Washington, has a reputation of excellence in liberal arts education. For five years in a row, U.S. News & World Report ranked Western second among the top public, master's-granting universities in the West. In the 2002 ratings, Western was 19th among all universities from Texas to California, public or private.

Many students enrich their education through international exchange or study abroad experiences. Western’s Department of International Programs and Exchanges offers exchange programs to over 70 countries. This international focus is shared by the Department of Modern and Classical Languages, with programs in six languages including Japanese. The Japanese program produces Japan Week, an annual 5-day celebration of Japanese culture, language, theatre, films, and food, reflecting the growing interest in Japanese language and culture.