In an effort to appeal to a more international audience, Japan’s Kinki University is changing its name to something that doesn’t instil images of sexual perversions in the minds of English-speakers.
The Osaka-based university takes its Kinki name from its home region of south-central Japan, but officials believe that the name is distracting to foreigners, with many making inappropriate jokes during conferences at the Kinki school.
The university is one of the largest in western Japan, with the school’s website boasting of its successful law school, scientific research, and athletes who represented Japan at the London Olympics.
However, the school administration believes that now is the time to change the name before they make a push for wider international recognition, as spokesman Ishihiro Seko told the Japan Times:
“We aim to get more foreign students coming here, so we’ve decided to change our English name to ensure there is no misunderstanding.”
The university is to rebrand itself as Kindai University, based on a contraction of its official name, according to NPR.
