国際教育研究所

2025年7月10日木曜日

aiinstitute@gmail.com July 9/10/11, 2025

aiinstitute@gmail.com

July 9/10/11, 2025

Visit to Yokohama Overseas Chinese School

at Yokohama Chinatown

2025年6月2日月曜日

国際教育研究所 aiinstitute@gmail.com

June 1/2, 2025

A report from a visit to St. Mary's International School on Sunday

for Mr. Kakeii, a headmaster/teacher/alumnus from 1978 retirement after his long service at the school.

St. Mary's established in 1954 in Yokohama later in Takanawa, Tokyo.

It was "accidental" as Brother Andrew, the head of school once said. He mentioned the students of Sacred Heart International School where used to be coeducation in the elementary school did not want to have boys when they would be fourth grad or so. However, forgettable fact is they had started in Kasoudai, Nakaku, Yokohama around that time observing and with the help of St. Joseph College and I was their student as well as Mr. Bernard of YIS, but they were told to close it when it started to grow, but they were able to find an impressive building bought from a politician and businessman,Tsutsumi through Tony Ko's father's introduction (according to Brother Isidore) at Takanawa near Shinagawa where they will stay from 1954 to 1972.

According to Catholic Church diocese, St. Joseph College under Gyosei were the sole boys Catholic school in Tokyo but had moved to Yokohama as a branch of Gyosei and St. Mary's School was asked to start a boys school in Yokohama as a Seiko Gakuin by Yokohama diocese( at that time they could not get the permission from Kanagawa Prefectural government yet. This is a mark of decline in Catholic authority decline which later Salesian would not listen to the order of Tokyo archdiocese.

They moved to Kaminoge in Setagaya where used to Shibusawa's residence and became Daiichi Kangyo Bank leisure/sports facility. The new facility of St. Mary's International School had impressive Gym and swimming pool and school building built by Maki architect with Edward Suzuki and Shimizu Construction Company. They had a big ground and tennis courts, very impressive facility. They had impressive Spanish style old house kept until they moved to Shibusawa's house in Saitama.

They had Brothers building with about ten or more Brothers until they were to retire in Canada or in Takinoue, Nakaku, Yokohama where they are chartered as school headquarter and religious address.

About ten years ago, St. Mary International School with Seiko Gakuin School rebuild the whole school. buildings. St. Mary's International School moved their school building to the ground side and later they build gym and swimming pool and cafeteria with ground and tennis court in their old building side. It must have been a great construction. Now they can accommodate 1000 plus boys students from 800 before. They closed their monastery and Brothers were either to live in Yokohama or go back to Canada.

They always had impressive bussing system, now they have 11 busses and furthest comes from Yotsuya or Yasukuni shrine. The reason is the Indian Embassy is next to Yasukuni Shrine.

I remember when I visited the English Oxford University scholar in Hachiouji and met Indian scholars. They had mentioned that the Japanese agreed with Indian government accepting Indian IT several 20 or 30,000 engineers that are told to leave the USA. It seems that is taking place and wealthy Indians sent their children to "high" international school and others go to other schools including several Indian International schools.

St. Mary's International School earned their tuition from (1) US military children, (2) foreign businessmen and returnees (3) Chinese businessmen with Foreign Embassies in Tokyo and to (4) major Koreans and today to Indians and graduates and businessmen.

Today they have over 1000 with 3 million yen tuition. That is roughly to say 3,000,000,000 yen.

About Christian Order today: Like St. Mar's International School, many Catholic schools have no religious residing in campus. More they are secular they are doing fine as a school business. Jesuits in Eiko High School left about ten years ago, St. Maur/Yokohama Futaba about ten years ago. Senzoku School which exceeded the Ferris in Todai entrance in 160 are now totally secular. How many of you can see any Christian remembrance in Senzoku, Tamagawa Gakuen, Tokai University, or many others.

It is very rare but Marianist Gyosei still has their monastery and strong in their faith, but Sophia University has no more Jesuit in the administration.

Ferris School under Rev. Brownell had say he will donate his RCA property if the school will not be secular. I have doubt in this.

The strange thing is if you go to St. Mary's or Seiko Gakuin you see the successful school. They did a fine job, but the only thing I see a lack of strong tie with the Church though I think they are trying. This can be true with the most Christian schools.

2025年5月19日月曜日

George Okuhara-Caswell May 19, 2025 Monday Visit to the British Commonwealth Nations War Cemetery at Hodogaya

May 19, 2025

Visit to the British Commonwealth Nations War Cemetery

at Hodogaya to count "B" type Wreaths for the Remembrance Day and ANZAC Day

2025年5月18日日曜日

国際教育研究所 aiinstitute@gmail.com 080-5000-8158 May 17, 2025

国際教育研究所

aiinstiitute@gmail.com

080-5000-8158

May 17, 2025

at 国際教育フォーラム

浜松町　都立貿易センタービル

11hour to 16 hours

met many important international educators

including Mr. Kudo of Seiko Gakuin/St. Mary International School Director

Rugby School/ Phoenix House School, Malvern School, Harrow's School, Gyosei International School, and many others

2025年5月9日金曜日

国際教育研究所 aiinstitute@gmail.com Meeting Chairman of the Board, St. Maur (Endo Sensei), RIJICHOU

May 9 (7th), 2025

Meeting Endo Sensei, Mrs. Endo, Chairman of the Board of Directors, St. Maur International School.

It was supposed to be a courtesy meeting on my Presentation Report of December 2024

at Waseda University CLIL Gakkai,

"Success and Failure of international education"

My conclusion was (1) to have an IB curriculum or not

(2) to have a competent leader, like Ms. J. Thomas of St. Maur,

Brother Andrew of St. Mary, Mr. French and Mr. Tanner and Mr. and Mrs. Bernard of YIS.

Ms. Endo mentioned that she was always with Ms. Thomas on meetings with the Japanese

provincials or leaders. She told me about Gakkou Houjin of St. Maur or Yokohama Futaba

took place in 1972 and before that it was part of Shukyou Houjin of Fubata.

She mentioned there were four schools that wanted to take over St. Joseph property in the late 1990's.

St. Joseph property was so huge that they could not afford it as one. I remember in the project of Yokohama Yamate Gakuen that it was 7, 000 Tsubo.

The height of any building should be 10 meters but schools and hospitals can be 15 meters.

So, the property should be bought by such organization. St. Maur and others had a chance of talking with the Rijichou of St. Joseph/Gyosei Gakuen but he died before the talk.I was already working in Ferris University and heard the talk from others, like Mr. Bernard.

She knew when I was seeking teaching job in the Japanese Catholic schools, some how all the schools had a fight between principals and RIJICHOU. And I did not know where to go.

I end up in university job with Mr. Carvell at Ferris and later at Meiji universities.

I got my "Caswell" status in 2000 and found a great difference in my life.

Before I forget I found how honorable and great the Sisters of Sancta Maria was through her. She had attended Sancta Maria till 4th grade before attending St. Maur's.

She mentioned they were the Order for Social Welfare and main job is to take care of "Single" mothers and they were doing that even in Japan.

I found out today from her and she learned about it after she left the school. That is what really "the Order" supposed to be.

We had a limited time to talk over the issues. She sent me an email mentioning she would like to continue the talk and would like to help me for my status at Beyondia International School.