Rooted in Purpose: A Visit to the American School in Japan
This spring, I found myself in Tokyo, chasing one of Japan’s most timeless traditions—the blooming of the cherry blossoms. As the petals danced through the air in quiet parks and along city streets, I was reminded of the beauty in transition, growth, and renewal. Amid the calm of hanami, I carved out time for something equally meaningful: a visit to the American School in Japan (ASIJ)—a school that, much like the season, beautifully blends tradition with innovation.
What I discovered wasn’t just an international school serving expatriate and Japanese families—it was a thriving learning ecosystem grounded in purpose, community, and deeper learning.
Learning by Doing: Real Experiences for Real Understanding
At ASIJ, students are active participants in their education. They don’t just memorize facts—they live them. The school’s approach is experiential, inquiry-driven, and thoughtfully designed to help students connect their learning to the world around them.
One project that truly captured my imagination was the Rice Project. Right on the edge of the elementary playground, a rice paddy comes to life through student hands. In partnership with local farmers, students prepare, plant, and tend to the field—adding fish to control mosquito larvae, planting mochigome rice used for mochi, and studying sustainability along the way. It’s science, culture, ecology, and responsibility rolled into one muddy, unforgettable experience. And it’s not just a lesson for the day—it’s a memory that shapes how young people understand their place in the world.
Experts in the Room: Learning from Leaders and Changemakers
During my visit, I learned how ASIJ brings experts into the learning process—not as guests, but as co-educators. Middle schoolers had recently explored adaptive sports alongside representatives from the Nippon Foundation Paralympic Support Center, gaining first-hand experience with inclusive athletics like sitting volleyball and wheelchair portball. These aren’t just cool activities—they’re lessons in empathy, design thinking, and social change.
ASIJ also regularly hosts leaders in academia and industry. Professor Sameer Srivastava of UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, for example, came to campus to discuss his research and journey with students, sparking deep conversations about curiosity, systems, and innovation.
Curriculum that Connects: Integration for Deeper Learning
In every classroom I stepped into, I saw something rare: a curriculum that doesn’t divide learning into silos but instead weaves it into real-world, interdisciplinary exploration. Grade 3 students learning about weather weren’t just reading textbooks—they were presenting weather reports to real audiences, writing scripts, and building models. In Grade 5, students were taking on environmental debates, building arguments backed by evidence, and practicing civil discourse.
These experiences align with ASIJ’s Portrait of a Learner, which emphasizes competencies like creativity, global citizenship, and critical thinking. It’s more than a framework—it’s a lived reality, supported by scheduling, structures, and teachers who trust students to lead their own learning.
Partnerships with Purpose: The World as a Classroom
Beyond campus, ASIJ students engage with the broader Tokyo community and beyond. High schoolers participate in internships, mentorships, and strategic collaborations with organizations like Itochu and International Christian University, applying their learning to real-world problems. Elementary students take part in service learning projects like the Musubi Project, which supported single-parent families during the pandemic, and work with local artisans through ASIJ’s Japan Center to deepen cultural understanding.
These partnerships make learning authentic—and they remind students that education is not preparation for life, but life itself.
A Blossoming Model of Education
Walking through ASIJ’s beautiful campus during sakura season, it was hard not to draw a parallel between the delicate, fleeting beauty of the cherry blossoms and the carefully nurtured growth happening every day at this school. Just like those blossoms, ASIJ’s learning moments are rooted in something deeper—intentional design, care, and a sense of belonging.
This visit left me not only inspired but hopeful. ASIJ isn’t just preparing students for the future. It’s giving them the tools, the confidence, and the mindset to shape it.
Special thanks to Ryosuke Suzuki for the insightful school tour I’ve had in recent months.
