Future global leaders spread their wings at JINIS

Gota Yamane, the director of corporate affairs at JINIS, talked about its educational aims. “Speaking English does not make you an active global citizen overseas,” he said. “We believe it is important for students to acquire a solid foundation of Japanese education and then go out into the world.”

The curriculum is adapted from the British-based International Primary Curriculum and guidelines from the ministry of education. Although many students wish to go on to boarding schools overseas after graduation, they can also go to junior highs in Japan, since the school is an “Article 1” school accredited by the ministry.

Yamane added: “We also value what students learn at elementary schools in Japan. The level of science and math education in Japan is highly regarded throughout the world. JINIS provides an environment where students can learn about Japanese culture and history to acquire a sense of identity as Japanese, through classes on such things as tea ceremonies, planting rice and making pottery, while practicing the unique Japanese science and math education.”　

Students also develop independence and cooperation through communal living in the dormitory. Entering boarding schools overseas can be a difficult experience for children who have yet to acquire such skills. There are cases where children give up on higher education because they are not yet ready to care for themselves or leave their parents.

Jinseki Kogen, a tranquil town rich in nature, is less than an hour’s drive from Fukuyama, the second-biggest designated “core city” in the Chugoku region. This area has no active faults, reducing the risk of earthquakes. There is also no need to worry about floods or landslides, as the school buildings are on top of a mountain. The town is blessed with the rich nature of the Seto Inland Sea and the Chugoku Mountains and is a treasure trove of delicious food. It is an ideal environment for enjoying authentic arts and sports.

The 830,000-square-meter campus, 17 times the size of Tokyo Dome, includes a Japanese garden and a farm. The Japanese garden was designed by Kinsaku Nakane, a well-known landscape architect who has also created gardens for the Adachi Museum of Art. There are four tea rooms in the Japanese garden, where tea ceremony lessons and cherry blossom viewings are held, allowing visitors to enjoy the unique Japanese mind and the changing of the seasons. In the Farm Area, children experience outdoor activities such as caring for and milking cows and growing and harvesting their own vegetables in the vegetable garden.

For the students, the prospect of living away from their parents for the first time can be both exciting and anxiety-provoking. JINIS provides 24-hour support to ensure that the dormitory becomes a second home for the children. Video calls with parents are held once a week to ensure that children do not feel lonely. The school also provides parents daily updates on their children’s progress via social media.

Meals are prepared by the highly rated company Cezars Kitchen, and Michelin-starred chef Keisuke Matsushima has been invited to provide the children with not only nutritional support, but also gentle attention. Children are also taught the kind of manners that are usually taught at home. Yamane said, “The children enjoy learning about manners on eating, such as how to eat a swordfish neatly.” Mealtimes at JINIS provide an environment where children can learn about all aspects of food education, including local production for local consumption.