The globalization of higher education (HE) is having a significant impact on tertiary institutions throughout the world. Considerable growth in demand for HE is expected, but this will be accompanied by increasing competition for students among institutions, as well as among countries. In contrast to its economic impact on the world, the global influence of Japan’s HE system has been relatively small. In the face of this, Japanese institutions are actively seeking to boost their profiles internationally. To some extent, these efforts can be tied to government concerns about Japan’s role in the world, but they are also connected to a significant problem for Japanese HE, that of a steadily declining population of domestic college-age students. This problem is particularly acute in regional areas, where the population declines are most marked. This chapter will provide an overview of recent trends in Japanese HE, and will then outline the unique challenges faced by regional institutions. The issues discussed will be illustrated by a description of one regional university’s efforts to boost its international profile, the Hokkaido University of Education (HUE).