Originally established in 1874 by missionaries from the Methodist Episcopal Church, Aoyama Gakuin University (AGU) was reconfigured in its current form in 1949 as part of Aoyama Gakuin. Aoyama Gakuin University celebrated its 140-year anniversary in 2014 and is one of Japan's oldest higher education facilities. AGU has established a national reputation for the quality of its education and its international ambiance and is widely recognized as one of the leading private universities in Japan.