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Late in 1957, when the American School located on the Botanical Gardens Army Base closed, missionary families were forced to consider alternative options to educate their children. Doug Muir, the son of missionaries living in Kyoto, became one of the first students of what is now called Kyoto International School. Doug’s mother decided to home school him, his best friend, along with one other student. Classes were held in a vacant bedroom in their family home. The following year, their large 2 story house on Ichijo-Dori was turned into a day school (Kyoto Christian Day School) and a full-time teacher was hired. By the 1958/59 school year 28 students were enrolled between Grades 1-8. The student body consisted of children from missionary homes as well as families visiting Kyoto for special studies. The name changed in Kyoto International School in 1966. Kyoto International School is a creative and innovative school with 60 years of history. Our solid foundation of values and our mission to make the school a fun and collaborative community that inspires and challenges, enabling students to thrive and take responsibility anywhere in the world makes us a great choice for anyone looking for international education. Kyoto International School is in the heart of one of the world’s best-known cities. Our students are readily able to access the city’s cultural richness, historical traditions, and modern innovations. What we are proud of at Kyoto International School is our community. Our students, teachers, and parents work together to ensure our school is safe and secure, provides quality education, and encourages lifelong learning. The small, intimate size of our classes enables us to know our students and families well. We encourage inclusion, open communication, and mutual respect. Our curriculum is significant, meaningful, engaging, and challenging. The International Baccalaureate Organisation’s Primary Years Programme provides the framework to develop the thinking, communication, social, self-management, and research skills our students need for success in the 21st century. We endeavor to nurture the whole child: cognitively, physically, emotionally, and socially. Our students are encouraged to take action as a result of their learning, either on a personal level or with a wider community. We aim to be a well-known specialty school in the heart of Kyoto city, recognized locally and internationally for providing an exemplary international education. To be a fun and collaborative community that inspires and challenges, enabling students to thrive and take responsibility anywhere in the world. Our community holds a set of shared core values that binds all of its members together. These core values are central to learning and provide the school’s foundation in Inspiring Active Learners, Developing Global Citizens. Play is essential for young children’s cognitive, social, emotional, physical, and brain development. Through play-based learning, young learners develop attributes of the IB learner profile, practice and build skills, understand concepts, and acquire new knowledge. They also develop the academic skills necessary to succeed in the world today. Teachers support this through ongoing, planning for a careful balance of child-initiated play and adult-supported learning. In this way, students are given a specific time to practice and learn foundation skills and to apply them to their play Each day for Middle School students starts with a PE and Health lesson. Research shows that exercise in the morning helps adolescent brains (source). After that, there are 5 one-hour learning blocks throughout the day, and one hour of lunch. Students finish each day with a short homeroom time. Students are not supervised during lunch duty. They are free to move around the school as long they are not being disruptive. If they abuse this privilege, they will lose it. Students are expected to attend school every day, as missing instruction adversely impacts student learning and achievement. All absences (full or part day, including tardies), must be documented by a phone call, email, note, or visit from the parent or sponsor to the front office, with information regarding the reason for absence, date, and/or times the student was absent or tardy. Excused absences/tardies include medical/dental appointments, emergencies, illness, or an advanced absence request that has been completed and is on file. We offer a range of co-curricular activities each day for students from Early Learning 3 and above. Activities offered by KIS teachers are free for KIS students. These activities are usually focused on the creative arts (eg: choir, drama, photography, film making, visual arts). We also offer activities that are run by outside providers. These activities incur an extra fee. These activities include soccer (run by FC Kosmos), ikebana (run by Ikenobo), piano, and vocal lessons. We firmly believe that first-hand experiences provide the best learning opportunities. We take advantage of the fact that we are in one of the world’s most culturally rich cities. We provide many opportunities for our students to experience learning outside the classroom throughout the year. Upon entering the school, students are placed in a house team. Friendly, competitive activities are set up each week for the house teams to earn points. A champion house team is announced at the end of each school year The house teams are named after the four guardians protecting Kyoto (stemming from the Heian-Kyo days): the Black Turtles, the Red Phoenix, the Blue Dragons, and the White Tigers! View full school

At KIU Academy, we believe that a western-style education that develops reasoning skills in conjunction with language skills is essential for those intending to survive and thrive in an international environment. However, the goal of developing effective communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills that transcend cultural differences poses a great challenge for the individual. Over the years, KIU Academy has helped many of its graduates obtain and polish these important skills. At the same time, we also believe that it is crucial that our graduates also learn to be independent thinkers and self-directed learners. As a result, many of our graduates have been accepted into a wide variety of colleges and universities around the world. Our curriculum is college-preparatory, but we believe that, besides helping students enter college, it is our responsibility to prepare them with the knowledge and skills necessary for life beyond academia. KIUA offers a practical bilingual education to both Japanese students and foreign students. We believe that we can best prepare students for life by educating them from a biblical perspective. With Biblical principles as their foundation, students will be ready to form their own set of values and make wise decisions. Enrollment age-grades 1-12. There is no discrimination due to religious preference. This number fluctuates year to year, but counting the returnee students with the foreigners brings the Japanese to foreign student average to about 50-50. The boys to girls ratio is also around 50-50. This number fluctuates year to year, but counting the returnee students with the foreigners brings the Japanese to foreign student average to about 50-50. The boys to girls ratio is also around 50-50. Each student has a different language learning ability. At KIUA, students are exposed to an English daily, so, therefore, it is quite natural for students to learn English. However, the fluency they attain varies from student to student. A high percentage of KIUA graduates go to the United States for university. Students who desire to go to Japanese universities often take the Japanese equivalent of the GED exam. (Technically, KIUA students don't need to take this exam, but many universities, due to their lack of understanding, request this type of high school completion certification.) A majority of KIUA students live in Kyoto. However, others come from Osaka, Nara, Hyogo, and Shiga. Elementary school students are encouraged to ride the KIUA school bus from Shin Tanabe station.KIUA, despite being a small school, has 3 fields. Additionally, there is a small playground with play equipment behind the A building for lower elementary school students. KIUA rents local sports fields and a gym for sports such as softball, basketball, and other sports. We do not provide lunch. Students are asked to bring their lunches or they can get lunch through a catering service by requesting a lunch at the school office.KIUA, despite being a small school, has 3 fields. Additionally, there is a small playground with play equipment behind the A building for lower elementary school students. KIUA rents local sports fields and a gym for sports such as softball, basketball, and other sports! View full school

Kyoto Women's University is committed to the pursuit of personal development. The university is located in Kyoto, a city that blends tradition with modernity while boasting an unequaled wealth of history and culture. It is this enterprising spirit that also underlies the founding philosophy of Kyoto Women's University. Over more than 100 years since its establishment in 1910, Kyoto Women's University has taken root in Kyoto and has developed a close bond with local citizens. To promote personal development, our university places high importance on the Buddhist philosophy advocated by Shinran Shonin, the founder of the Jodo Shinshu school of Buddhism. We have earned a high reputation as an academic institution focused on personal development, and we will continue to contribute to society while taking pride in our educational tradition. The founding philosophy and educational goals of Kyoto Joshi Gakuen (Kyoto Women's Educational Institution) are based on Buddhist principles espoused by a Japanese monk named Shinran Shonin (1173-1263). These principles advocate the fostering of human spirituality through learning and enhanced sensitivity towards the lives of others. The humanistic principles presented by Shinran Shonin involve nurturing intelligence and pure sentiments alongside a deep awareness of one's imperfect nature—in the process, cultivating equal love and compassion for all living things. The ultimate truth revealed by Buddha, the enlightened one, teaches us that this is the correct path human beings should follow. According to Buddhist teachings, humans must overcome self-attachment, perceive the foolishness of egocentric passions, recognize their shallowness, and rid themselves of such distorted notions. Shinran Shonin's teachings were derived from Buddhism, but he did more than clarify the Buddhist path. He became intensely aware of his shortcomings, admitted them, and demonstrated that even the ignorant could obtain the Buddhist spirit. However, it is not in matters of spirituality alone that human endeavor is essential. It is also equally important to apply our unstinting efforts to the pursuit of knowledge in an educational context. In such pursuits, we should not rely solely on our efforts. Nor should we focus our energies on doing good deeds through "self-power" alone. If we are excessively self-reliant and self-focused, distortions can occur. The path to correcting such distortions requires the realization of one's egoism. Realizing one's shortcomings requires a deep spiritual awareness. We can only be humble when we reflect upon ourselves. This is how we come to realize the infinite presence that envelops all of our efforts and gives us power. They learn how to live and grow with others while realizing that all life is equal. This is the origin of humanistic teaching and the foundation of our educational philosophy. Today, Kyoto is home to several companies that lead the world in state-of-the-art technologies, reflecting a fusion between tradition and technological innovation. Kyoto is a cosmopolitan city that attracts people from all over the world. This enhances students' learning environment further, as we see our numerous graduates go on to achieve success in their chosen fields. We will continue to provide education programs based on our traditional values and meet the needs of today's society. And we remain committed to fostering women who can play an active role in the future. View full university

Our university was initially established under the name Kyoto School of Foreign Languages in May of 1947. It was soon after World War Ⅱ when great demand had arisen for international understanding, which would lead to world peace. One of the urgent requirements to accomplish this goal was to nurture young Japanese men and women who could master foreign languages and understand the cultures, economies, and societies of the world. To master a foreign language, however, is not an easy task for the Japanese. One reason for this sad truth lies in our linguistic system, which has a peculiar structure. Another reason is non-linguistic. We have exclusively developed our customs and traditions through our unique historical and geographical background. In other words, people in a country surrounded by the sea - like Japan - tend to have far more trouble learning a foreign language than those residing in countries bordering immediately on others. Thus, we believe that having linguistic talent is not good enough to overcome this handicap. We Japanese must have the incessant drive and go through thousands of repetitions to acquire foreign languages. Our university's motto," PAX MUNDI PER LINGUAS" (World Peace through Languages), represents the founders' strong wish for achieving world peace. In addition to the Latin motto, the importance of "an indomitable spirit" has also been emphasized and valued as a primary basis for education and research. That is what the founders believed to be an essential quality for students of foreign languages to possess. It is said that we live in the age of the "flat world". It is a world in which one can, if he/she so wishes, find all the vital information on the Internet, a telecommunication space equally and reasonably accessible at the ease of one click. So the formidable challenge that the university faculty face today, though perpetual it may seem, is in what ways and means instructors can inspire their students to develop sufficient motivation to study and academic enthusiasm to keep on studying. No doubt, the key to the problem is mostly in the hands of individual faculty members. At the same time, an equally helpful clue might be found in instructor-student collaboration in class based on mutual trust and students' daily campus life from which a spontaneous desire to learn arises from the students themselves. For this, a proper emphasis needs to be placed on campus life because a university campus is a space where students are assisted in developing their professional identity in their way. Simultaneously, their two-or four-year campus life is the most critical period to solve problems in collaboration with each other. In this globalizing world, one is expected to gain broad knowledge, not to mention a good command of a foreign language, with which world affairs can be seen and grasped from a broad perspective with the help of background information in history and culture, as well as with the ability to initiate a dialogue with peoples in distant lands to solve problems with them collaboratively. To meet such needs, Kyoto University of Foreign Studies and Kyoto Junior College of Foreign Languages are proud to have so far produced a good number of outstanding graduates, following the ideals of Dr. and Mrs. Morita, the university founders, expressed in our school motto, "World Peace through Languages". To bring the twin institutions of Kyoto Gaidai further progress from now on, We hope to see our institutions transform into ones that are clearly and genuinely distinguishable from other Japanese universities and colleges, and also into ones in which students can have the first-hand experience of foreign countries and cultures through their daily campus life, while living in Japan, in order to learn about world languages and cultures. View full university

Our university's central principle is "Toward a Kyoto Renaissance," as expounded by the founder Shochoku Tokuyama before the start of the 21st century. We believe that the continuous diligent pursuit of art and culture will lead us to an aspiring future, and with that spirit. Through artistic creation and philosophical inquiry, we aspire to form new humanistic and global outlooks. We hope our students exercise their consciences as they wield their talents. Our university has contributed to the growth of global art and culture. While maintaining art-related education and research standards in many fields, many faculty members have put in a great effort. Many alumni have cooperated to support that growth. Furthermore, through our activity, we have received support and cooperation from various fields. It is necessary to ardently appeal to society for human "imagination" and "creativity" because these are the keys to overcoming the human race's problematic issues. The university can only fulfill its role as an educational institution once its alumni have found their place within society. We aim to fully support our studentsʼ activities and help build a system of social reforms focused on promoting youth "creativity." To establish the possibility of a new civilization driven by artistic culture and a philosophy based on abiding love toward humanity and nature. At our university, faculty members include active artists and teaching staff from various fields who go beyond specific departments and are ready and waiting to draw out students' potentiality. Because of these teachers who are at the leading edge of academia and art, it is possible to send forth many talented graduates to the world. Whether with academics, art, or sports, the most important thing is to acquire the field's techniques. University offers this chance to students. University is a place to meet people. We hope that students will meet friends who can help cultivate their characters and study. When fellow students who believe in the power of art come together, tremendous energy is born, and that place becomes a base point for the creation of culture and art. The fact that the Kyoto University of Art and Design is located in the Kyoto Basin gives our students a special privilege. Kyoto has more than 1300 years of history, and it is a rare city in the world, one that is continuing to develop. While cherishing this privilege and placing themselves in Kyoto's tradition and vitality, we hope that the students enjoy their academic years. Our Mission: To instill a strong sense of spirit into young art, students will enable them to overcome the challenges posed by this crisis age. To foster an attitude that utilizes the power of art for others' happiness and give them the power to empathize with another's predicaments. To acquire the creativity that will reform society and solve this era's difficult problems. To send young people with an artistic spirit out into the world. We believe that the revival of the arts is if nothing else. This movement will nurture a future generation to launch a new renaissance, which is perhaps the most critical mission for our entire institution. Young students at this university are allowed to reconsider their preconceived ideas. We use art as the most easily understood and unique method of guiding students into a life of collaboration and communication within society. We offer the "Monday Project," in which students discover the unlimited potential of teamwork, and "Real Projects," which consist of more than 40 real-world projects entrusted to the university by the community each year and in which students can utilize their talents. We also offer "Ultra Factory," in which students can join frontline artists in the production, and a "Career Design Program," which consists of internships and career-support classes. View full university

Since its foundation in 1897, Kyoto University has cultivated academic freedom under a spirit of self-reliance and self-respect and opened up new horizons in the creative scholarly endeavor. The university has also sought to contribute to peaceful coexistence across the global community. Our world is currently experiencing several rapid changes that would have been unimaginable in the 20th century. The global conflict structure, which was expected to be resolved with the end of the Cold War, is growing in both complexity and intensity due to ethnic and religious tensions. Simultaneously, the pace of global environmental degradation accelerates, unprecedented major disasters and deadly infectious diseases wreak havoc across the world, and financial crises shake both national economies and individual lives to the very core. Universities need to think seriously about what they stand for in these turbulent times. The three core missions of a university are education, research, and social contribution. Two of these, research and social contribution, are apt to change in response to global trends. Education, however, has an essential nature that I believe to be unchangeable. In line with its commitment to independent learning, Kyoto University must maintain its position as a bastion of academic freedom, slightly detached from general society and unconstrained by convention. To do so, the university must be a place where academic endeavors can proceed undisturbed while also providing windows into the world and society. These windows can be opened by faculty members equipped with cutting-edge knowledge of the world and society that lies beyond. However, the most crucial role in our university is played by students who venture outside the windows. We must work carefully with industry and government partners to provide windows that allow students to make the best practical use of abilities they have developed at the university. Many changes are currently underway in universities' financial affairs, including a decline in general operating subsidies and a growing emphasis on competitive funding. It has become essential for us to secure our funds to undertake improvements to the educational environment. We must make a case to broader society regarding the need for these improvements, in the hope of receiving generous support from the businesses that expect so much of Kyoto University and from our alumni. I also look forward to building stronger partnerships with the local community, maximizing the benefits of our location in Kyoto—the world-renowned capital of Japanese culture—and working with other universities to develop the city itself into a rich and varied academic campus. Furthermore, suppose we are to attract outstanding faculty and students from universities across the world. In that case, we need to develop original curricula and joint research projects that capitalize on Kyoto's attractions and make them known internationally. I am confident that these efforts will contribute significantly to our region's development and the future of Japan and the world as a whole. As a comprehensive, research-oriented institution, Kyoto University must integrate its liberal arts and foundation education, specialized undergraduate education, and graduate education programs in ways that equip students with creativity and practical capability. To do so requires the development of educational pathways offering a hierarchical arrangement of diverse disciplinary knowledge and facilitating a wide variety of learning choices. It takes time for students to realize their abilities to the fullest extent. I hope that we can provide a supportive learning environment in which students are not rushed into making decisions regarding their future and instead can follow a positive trial and error process that will enable them to be more confident in the futures that they eventually choose. To cultivate students with abundant inventive capabilities, all faculty and administrative staff members must be committed to pursuing research and social contribution initiatives that attract international attention. Kyoto University has ten faculties, 18 graduate schools, 14 research institutes (more than any other university in Japan), and much other education and research facilities. I will be doing my utmost to ensure that our goals are advanced across all these different branches of the university community. Kyoto is a city of rich cultural heritage with over 1,200 years of history. Many in Japan regard it as the country's spiritual wellspring and cultural heartland. Its numerous historic locations, including the approximately 2,000 shrines and temples, are classified as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. This ancient cultural legacy coexists side by side with technological innovation and entrepreneurship Kyoto is home to several major technology companies, including Nintendo, Kyocera, and Omron, and a broad range of modern cultural facilities, such as the Kyoto International Manga Museum. View full university

Kyoto Tachibana University was founded in 1967 as a private university for women based on Tachibana Educational Institution, a long history of more than one hundred years. The University, which became co-educational in 2005, consists of five faculties and eleven departments now. There are approximately 4,200 undergraduate students,60 graduate students, and 30 international students. Kyoto Tachibana University is in Kyoto, the ancient capital of Japan, prospered as the center of politics and culture for many years since the late 8th century. With an educational and academic philosophy of "Independence, Coexistence and Practical Knowledge," we cultivate human resources that are sought by society. We also endeavor to provide a variety of educational courses that promote a range of careers and vocations. Japan's ancient capital, Kyoto, provides the perfect location for conducting a range of academic study and research. It is a treasure trove of cultural and historical importance, added to its museums and commercial establishments that keep traditional merchants' skills and customs alive. Fieldwork based on these assets promotes active involvement in learning through hands-on experience. The University provides a variety of overseas study and training opportunities that meet the needs of individual students. Students gain profound experience through extensive and intensive international contact. Comprehensive career development programs are offered to help students determine their future occupations, design a plan for their career development, and acquire job-related skills and knowledge. International students from any institution can enter a regular program of study or research at Kyoto Tachibana University upon passing the required entrance exam and Japanese language conditions and provided they will have graduated from high school by the time they enter their undergraduate course. International students attending the Japanese Language Program must be from one of the universities abroad affiliated to Kyoto Tachibana University. The Japanese Language Program provides instruction suited to the student's level. Class sizes in this Program are small, thus facilitating individual progress. Kyoto Tachibana University promotes unique, high-level research that attracts widespread interest both within Japan and abroad. The Integrated Research Center aims to conduct multidisciplinary research across various fields, including literature, languages, history, education, architecture, management, nursing, psychology, physical therapy, and paramedic science, which serve as theoretical bases of the University's five faculties and 11 departments. It strives to activate research within the University by calling for research projects on open-type research aid systems and regional solutions and obtaining external funding. It is also engaged in promoting research activities, as it provides research exchange opportunities through "Tachibana Research Salon" and reviews the University's research programs. The Center for Regional Collaboration plays the role of developing collaborative projects with our University and regional communities, local authorities such as Kyoto City, businesses, and non-profit organizations. Systems of support are organized upon request from within and outside the University to advance various regional collaborations, social action projects, and industry-academia projects. The achievements are communicated widely to society. It also engages in exchanging information on and off-campus by publishing the PR magazine "Tsunagaru" and holding the "Tachibana Session." The Institute for Women's History and Culture was established in 1992 to advance women's place in contemporary society, by conducting integrated research on women's history and culture and by illuminating them from both sexes' perspectives. One of its missions is to fill the gaps in history to add depth and breadth to the study of history as a whole by reviewing history from the viewpoint of "women." The research findings are available to the public in publications such as "History of Women in Kyoto" and "Representative Transgender," and in symposiums and research reports. The Center for Cross-cultural Nursing and the Promotion of External Relations explores the diversity of nursing caused by the universality and different cultures, by transcending nursing culture, regardless of nations. By promoting practice-based nursing education activities, cross-cultural and international exchange, and external relations, it engages in activities for contributing to the progress of the science of nursing. The center is open to the local community and is engaged in refresher lectures for active nurses and international academic exchange with notable lecturers. View full university

"SEIKA renounces all the conventional values of the past like a blank canvas. We are creating a new university imbued with the spirit of freedom and autonomy where all faculty members and students are respected first of all as people." Seiichi Okamoto, SEIKA's first president, envisioned creating an entirely new kind of university education, passionately advocating a university-based concept on the spirit of freedom and autonomy. Kyoto Seika University（SEIKA） was founded on the principles laid out in the Foundational Principles of Education proposed by its first President, Seiichi Okamoto. Staff and teachers who agreed wholeheartedly with Okamoto's Memorandum on Foundational Education Principles committed their support, and in 1968 Kyoto Seika University (then Kyoto Seika College) opened. Kyoto Seika College bases its education on principles of great respect and regard for humanity. These principles uphold the Constitution of Japan and the Fundamental Law of Education and are also essential to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Kyoto Seika College does not educate through any specified religion. However, it respects the truths sought by many religions and their ethos of sincerity and love towards humanity. Students will be taught to respect teachers. This is because, without respect for teachers, one cannot undergo character formation or academic training. Further, through education by teachers, we foster love and respect for our parents and neighbors. The affection and responsibility of teachers to their students must be without limit, like that of parent to child. Both staff and teachers bear some further responsibility for education outside of the classroom. Students' liberty and independence on campus are respected, and that ethos is cultivated. Accordingly, students must take responsibility for campus order. Shortcomings in respect and language will be rectified for a new era, and attitudes and language lack dignity will be unacceptable within the College. All education in Kyoto Seika College has a responsibility for expanding human history and contributes to the formation of humanity striving its utmost in Japan and the world. As its basic educational principle, SEIKA will respect the autonomy of the individual. Our objective is to promote a spirit of independence, thereby contributing to human society through intellectual and artistic learning. To fulfill its objective of promoting the spirit of independence combined with social responsibility, SEIKA will always maintain awareness of the social viewpoint and contribute actively to society. SEIKA will form an organic community incorporating faculty members, students, and administration, and we will educate our students based on human relationships within that community. Foundational Principles of Kyoto Seika University: SEIKA will create outward-looking educational opportunities within Japan and abroad. To fulfill the ideal that human society should transcend national, religious, and ethnic differences, we must develop human relationships that respect differences in values. SEIKA will not limit its education to the promotion of any specific religious or ideological viewpoints. However, we will respect the universal values that human beings have cherished through history and the spirit of trust and love. SEIKA will offer an education that promotes human independence and meaningful co-existence by basing its approach on contemporary society's real problems. Formation and management of the university's intellectual resources must be organized to make a positive contribution nationally and internationally. SEIKA's education and research, which aims to provide constructive criticism and contribution to contemporary society, must be guaranteed by university governance, which always upholds social responsibilities and faces social realities. SEIKA will be governed with egalitarianism among faculty members, students, and administration, and the values consciously chosen by the community members will be equally respected. The exclusive promotion of any particular principle would be the oppression of individual freedom preventing the development of true independence and is therefore rejected. SEIKA's community will be improved by the community members' self-enlightenment and mutual constructive criticism, creating new educational and research potential. Undignified attitudes and speech are unacceptable. No discrimination will be tolerated. All members of this community are expected to uphold the above principles and have the right to formulating new concepts of what a university can be. View full university