The Open University of Japan
History. Although founded by the national government initiative with a single-issue law and heavily subsidized by the government, it was established by as a , the University classified as a private university in Japan. It was founded on the basic system of The Open University in the United Kingdom. The administration is based in Chiba City although it has offices and learning centers in each of Japan's 47 prefectures. The University offers accredited undergraduate and graduate degrees. With nearly 90,000 students enrolled (in 2007), 45,000 students graduated from the University. It is one of  the largest academic institutions in the nation, and qualifies as one of the world's mega universities. Since it was founded, over 780,000 students have taken courses from the institution. Faculty of Liberal Arts. Bachelor's degree courses are available in six areas of study: Living and Welfare, Psychology and Education, Society and Industry, Humanities and Culture, Informatics, Nature and Environment. 2017 Syllabus. The syllabus is made up of foundation subjects, course subjects (introduction, speciality, and integrated), and graduation research units. Each study unit is supported by a specially written textbook, in conjunction with fifteen 45 minute recorded lectures. Many  face-to-face lectures, condensed summer courses, and online units are also available. (Apart from a very select few) subjects are offered in Japanese only. Humanities and Culture Informatics OUJ as a broadcasting station. The OUJ Academia broadcasts lectures and administrative announcement programs. It owns terrestrial television and radio broadcasting stations at the headquarters in Chiba City. All programs are recorded and edited at the headquarters and transmitted from the Tokyo Tower via UHF television and FM radio, and relayed at Maebashi, Gunma to reach Kantō region as well as on Broadcasting Satellite (BS) channels to reach the whole nation . The broadcasts are exclusively in Japanese language as the medium of instruction. Article 50-4-1 of the Broadcasting Act prohibits the OUJ from broadcasting commercial messages. The cost of the broadcasting system is subsidised by the national budget. It is not affiliated with any other broadcasting networks (although there were supports from television stations in Tokyo at the beginning). As a television station it is the only purely independent/isolated terrestrial station in Japan. Broadcast media. Reception is free to the general public. Television: Physical channel 28 (preset channel 12; Tokyo and Maebashi). Radio: 77.1 MHz FM (Tokyo), 78.8  MHz (Maebashi). BS: Nationwide on channel 231, 232 and 233 for television (the latter two are used for multichannel broadcasting while the former is for regular broadcasting) and channel 531 for radio. No contract charge or subscription fees are charged at OUJ-only recipients. Some cable television and cable radio also re-transmit the broadcasts.