Ritsumeikan University has a growing reputation as one of the main private universities of Japan. It is part of a group of prestigious private universities in the Kansai (Western Japan) area, called "Kan (Kwansei Gakuin University)-Kan (Kansai University)-Dou (Doushisha University)-Ritsu (Ritsumeikan University)". In an annual survey conducted by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) of private companies in Japan, Ritsumeikan University was ranked 1st in Industry-Academia-Government collaboration activities for 2 years in a row (2004, 2005), and is continuously working to keep this rank.