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Japan, Tokyo
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Tokyo International School began in 1994 as Tokyo International School Pre School with five students, serving mobile expatriate families in Tokyo. It was the first international school in Tokyo to offer a one-to-one laptop program and later earned accreditation from the Council of International Schools in 2004. IB authorization followed with the Primary Years Programme in 2005 and the Middle Years Programme in 2007. In 2013 the school moved to a purpose-built Minami Azabu campus, and in 2017 it gained non-profit status as a Gakko-Hojin with Ikuko Tsuboya Newell serving as Chair of the School Board. The school began offering Grade 10 in 2024 to complete the IB MYP, started Grade 11 in 2025, and plans to move to a new campus in August 2026 at Takanawa Gateway City.
The school describes itself as a vibrant international community of around seventy nationalities, with every member valued and having a voice. The TIS community is organized in part through the TIS Family Community (TFC), the parents' association of which all parents are automatically members. TFC volunteers coordinate support for families entering Japan, organize social events for the community, run fundraising for extras and support TIS-affiliated charities such as Playground of Hope. Social life and community engagement are coordinated via the TFC Facebook Group, with events including cocktail evenings, sake tastings, shopping trips, running clubs and taiko drumming.
The Parent Teacher Association at Tokyo International School operates as the TIS Family Community (TFC), and all TIS parents are automatically members. Active members support families entering Japan, organize social events for the community, run fundraising for extras, and back TIS-affiliated charities and projects such as Playground of Hope. TFC-led projects include the Cherry Blossom Fair, a fundraising committee, and coordinating parent education workshops. Regular volunteering roles include class homeroom parents, library helpers, and field trip coordinators. Social activities organized by TFC include cocktail evenings, sake tastings, shopping trips, running clubs and taiko drumming, coordinated through the TFC Facebook Group. New parents are welcome and encouraged to get involved, with a core volunteer group aiming to create a warm, inclusive community.
Tokyo International School (TIS) is a non-profit IB World School in Minami Azabu, Minato-ku, with over 460 students representing 70+ nationalities. TIS delivers the IB Primary Years Programme (Kindergarten–Grade 5), serving about 230 students aged 5–11 and the IB Middle Years Programme (Grades 6–10), serving about 160 students aged 11–16. The school also offers the IB Diploma Programme, with Grade 11 introduced from the 2025–26 school year. Japanese is taught alongside English (the language of instruction). TIS highlights its central Tokyo location and uses nearby parks, museums and landmarks as part of school life, alongside trips such as residential visits to Hakuba, Nara and Kanazawa, plus a Grade 10 overseas trip to Thailand.
