Ever wonder what it’s like to attend an international school in the heart of Tokyo? Right here stands Nishimachi International School. Since 1949, Nishimachi has been cultivating well-rounded individuals. It focuses on intellectual, creative, personal, social, and physical abilities.
Nishimachi International School aims to develop learners and leaders. These individuals should know, care, and take action. They should bring value to others and positively impact the world.
Nishimachi is known for its academically rigorous program. It is rich in diversity and has an intimate school community. The school demonstrates a commitment to lifelong learning.
A Nishimachi education goes beyond academic programs. What makes Nishimachi special is its community. The school has a culture of respect. Nishimachi embraces diversity. The school focuses on active learning, trust, and communication. There is a strong commitment to language learning in both English and Japanese. Every community member is part of continuous growth and learning.
Nishimachi International School was founded by Tané Matsukata. She was the granddaughter of former prime minister Matsukata Masayoshi. She was also the sister of Haru M. Reischauer. Haru was the wife of former United States ambassador to Japan Edwin O. Reischauer.
Tané Matsukata returned to Japan after seventeen years in the U.S. She had received her education there. She also spent the war years there. She found Tokyo still badly scarred from the war. Rebuilding had slowly begun. In discussions with friends, she realized education’s important role in reconstruction. They explored alternatives. They concluded a new approach was needed. It needed to stress the human side of learning. It needed to have peaceful coexistence as an objective. Learning English was step one. They saw this as fundamental. It extended children’s understanding beyond their own culture. They hired a teacher for Japanese. The school opened its doors to its first four students.
The school year for grades 1-9 begins on August 21. It finishes on June 12. Middle school students enjoy dances. They also enjoy a week-long ski trip to Kazuno. Nishimachi owns land in Kazuno, Gunma Prefecture. It is about 3 hours from the city. The land belonged to Ryoichiro Arai. He was Tané Matsukata’s maternal grandfather. He was a silk producer. In 1945, the Matsukata women and children moved to this farmhouse. They sought refuge from the US bombings of Tokyo. Today, the property is a camp. It includes a main house. It also has a traditional Japanese farmhouse. The farmhouse has been converted for additional sleeping accommodations. There is a renovated traditional Japanese storage house called an okura.
Nishimachi International School is accredited by several organizations. These include the Western Association of Schools and Colleges WASC. Also the Council of International Schools CIS. It is a member of the Japan Council of International Schools JCIS. Nishimachi is also a member of the East Asia Regional Council of Overseas School EARCOS.
The campus is located in central Tokyo. It comprises six buildings. These include the Matsukata House. There is also the Ushiba Memorial Gymnasium/auditorium. The kindergarten building is in the nearby Moto Azabu Hills complex. The primary building is here. The upper elementary/middle school building is here as well. Lastly, the Yashiro Media Center.
Matsukata House was the original family residence of Nishimachi’s founder. It now serves as the school’s main administrative building.
The Yashiro Media Center is housed in its own three-floor building. It contains about 18000 books. 70% are in English. 30% are in Japanese. It uses the Dewey Decimal System. Nishimachi’s outdoor education center is Camp Rioichiro Arai Kazuno. It is in Gunma Prefecture. That is 150 kilometers northwest of Tokyo.
The core of the facilities is the Matsukata House. It was built in 1921. It is a three-story wooden colonial style house with a basement. Shokuma and Miyo Matsukata commissioned the American architect William M. Vories to design the house. Takenaka Komuten built the house.
Notable alumni include mountaineer Conrad Anker. Also Tom Cochran an Obama administration official. Artist Shingo Francis also attended.
Nishimachi International School has a rich history and a bright future.