Tokyo International School

A Historic First: TOK Begins at Our School!
Today marked a monumental milestone for our community: the very first Theory of Knowledge (TOK) session in our school's history for our Grade 11 students as we started our IB DP this year!

What is TOK?
Theory of Knowledge is the true heart of the IB, challenging students to step back from what they are learning and reflect on how they know what they claim to know. It encourages them to question the world around them, analyse assumptions, and understand the different perspectives that shape our global society.

Proud of Our Thinkers
We are immensely proud of our students' presentations! They stepped up to the plate and brilliantly explained how complex knowledge concepts apply to real-world situations, showing off their impressive analytical and communication skills.

History is officially in the making at our school, and we can’t wait to see how these young minds continue to grow, question, and lead as they journey into Grade 12 next year!

Over the weekend, TIS staff, students, and families represented TIS at the Tokyo Rainbow Pride Parade. Alongside ASIJ and Nishimachi, our TIS community demonstrated our shared commitment to building an inclusive world where every individual feels valued, respected, and free to be their authentic selves. Together, we celebrate diversity and pride!

We have some absolutely incredible news to share!

Our Board Chair, Ikuko Tsuboya Newell (Bea), has been honored with a prestigious Minister’s Commendation by Matsumoto, the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. During the ceremony, Minister Matsumoto expressed his gratitude for Bea's longstanding dedication to increasing the number of International Baccalaureate (IB) World Schools, including her cooperation in the development and implementation of a Diploma Program that can be taken in Japanese.

Serving as Japan's IB Ambassador and an education advisor to the government, her commitment continues to enrich educational opportunities both within our school and across the nation. We are profoundly grateful for her visionary leadership and remain deeply inspired by her ongoing guidance as we work together to support our students' growth. Please join us in offering our warmest and most respectful congratulations to Bea on this well-deserved recognition.

A huge THANK YOU to our fantastic parent community for hosting another incredible Staff Appreciation Lunch today!

Talk about a theatrical transformation! This year, they turned our drama room into a beautiful, cosy restaurant, and we are still in awe of the ambience and the delicious food.

We are so incredibly lucky to have such a great parent community here at TIS. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for spoiling us, making us feel so appreciated, and bringing a little extra warmth to our day!

Last Friday, 20 of our upper school students and three teachers traded the classroom for the fresh mountain air of the Tanzawa Mountains for an unforgettable overnight cabin adventure. Focused on practical outdoor education, the group spent Friday and Saturday fully immersing themselves in the scenic beauty of the Kanto region. They tackled everything from a thrilling water hike to a challenging two hour trek right up to the mountain ridge, showing incredible stamina and appreciation for the great outdoors.

While we have to admit the local fish completely outsmarted our young anglers, the students quickly proved just how resourceful they can be. They pivoted like true camp chefs, whipping up a delicious and crowd pleasing ""one pot pasta"" over the camp stoves. Throughout the trip, they also practiced building campfires, headed out for some exciting wildlife spotlighting, and embraced every bit of hands-on learning before wrapping up their journey on Saturday.

We are so incredibly proud of the teamwork, resilience, and maturity our students demonstrated. Parents, we hope you’ve enjoyed hearing all about their adventures since they returned last Saturday

We would like to invite the TIS community to join us for this year’s Upper School Arts Cafe, a student-led celebration of the creativity of our students and the Upper School Art exhibition.

When: Wednesday, June 3rd, from 3:30pm to 5:00pm
Where: Upper School Art exhibition - Upper School Art room, 2F USB
Arts Cafe - Gym

In the gym students will have the opportunity to share their talents through music, visual arts, theatre-related activities, and many other creative projects. Light refreshments will be available in the Gym during student performances.

In the Upper School Art room - every upper school visual art student will have one of the artworks they have created in class this year on display.

We look forward to celebrating our students creativity with you!

Lower School Parent Teacher Conferences

There is a special energy in the school today! Our Parent Teacher Conferences highlight the power of partnership as our Lower School teachers and parents come together to celebrate our students' growth.

These conversations go so much deeper than just a progress update; they are a chance to look at the ""how"" of learning, discussing the goals our students are reaching for, the unique strengths they bring to the classroom, and the confidence they are building every single day.

We truly value the time spent aligning our efforts to support every child’s journey. A huge thank you to our wonderful parent community for your engagement, your insights, and your shared commitment to making this a year of discovery and joy for our learners!

What a Night of Mayhem and Music!

Our Spring Production of ""An Absolutely True Story, as Told by a Bunch of Lying Liars"" was a total knockout! Our Upper School students took us on a hilarious, high-stakes journey to solve the mystery of a broken vase, where every character was more dishonest than the last. The comedic timing was brilliant, and the performance was perfectly complemented by the incredible sounds of our Instrumental Ensemble.

A huge thank you to our incredible students, teachers, and parents for making this such a wonderful, high-energy event. We are so proud of the talent and spirit our community showed on stage and in the seats!

POW! ZAP! CREATIVITY!
Our Grade 2–7 students recently leveled up their art skills in an unforgettable, hands-on masterclass! We were thrilled to welcome world-class comic book artists Neill Cameron and Mollie Ray, who joined us all the way from England to inspire our young creators.

The workshops were far more than just a presentation, they were a deep dive into the world of professional storytelling. Neill and Mollie kicked things off with a live demonstration, breaking down the ""secret sauce"" of character design from creating expressive faces to capturing dynamic action on the page.

Then, it was time for our students to take the lead!

Equipped with fresh tips and professional techniques, the students jumped straight into their own sketches. The room was buzzing as Neill and Mollie moved from desk to desk, providing expert one-on-one guidance, helping students refine their lines, and encouraging their wildest story ideas.