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.
.JPG)
