WORCESTER, Mass. - A grant for more than $300,000 from the Japan Foundation will help Clark University fund their instruction in Japanese language and culture. It's the second grant Clark has received in two years from the foundation to support their Japanese language instruction.

Monday, Clark hosted the foundation for meetings and classroom visits, including a class on game design on the former Becker College campus, which is now used by Clark. The foundation said video gaming is very popular in Japanese culture.

"It's very great to see this university try to hire new faculty members and strengthen the Japanese studies," said Nobuyuki Minagawa, program director of Japanese Studies for The Japan Foundation in New York. "I see a lot of connection, active and practical connections, between Japanese studies and gaming design. I think this is very impressive stuff."

Clark said they're the only higher education institution in central Massachusetts to offer Japanese language and culture courses. The Japan Foundation also toured Clark’s Center for Media Arts, Computing, and Design Building, which is currently under construction and expected to open this fall.