1914 Seikei Junior High School opened. 1915 Seikei Elementary School opened. 1916 Juridical Foundation Seikei Gakuen fou
Chronology The History of Seikei
Leaping Forward with Tradition Principal Looking back on the history of Seikei Gakuen, the school was founded in 1912 by Haruji Nakamura on the educational principles of “Respecting individuality”, “Cultivating one’s character” and the “Fulfillment of labor” of each individual student. The “fulfillment of labor” can be understood as the cultivation of strong emotional strength. It has been over 90 years since the school was founded, and it can be said that Japan and the world is in a period of transition. With the coming of the 21st century, Japan and the world hopes for renewed order and balance. We believe that now, more than ever, there is a strong need for “individuals who can develop themselves”, constantly bettering themselves, “individuals with all personality types who can be active globally” with a spirit of mutual understanding and contributing to the region, and “individuals who can balance (cooperate) within society and within teamwork as well as realizing a leadership role.” Education that fosters these types of individuals connects with the educational principles that Seikei Gakuen was founded upon. As time passes, society and the environment that encompasses the world continues to change greatly yet, we can say that the educational principles of our founder Haruji Nakamura as applied to the education of our youth, are as important today as they were when the school was founded. With the background of this day and age, in 2012, Seikei Gakuen will celebrate the 100th anniversary of its founding. We have instituted the New Seikei Creation Plan that aims to “Create people with individuality and who
“Creating People with Individuality who are Self-Reliant” Creating a school on principles that apply to the coming age
Masanori Tani Sayaka Atobe
are self-reliant” to keep alive the spirit on which the school was founded for the future as well as to develop it even further. In order to foster individuals who will draw on this spirit and who can contribute to the continual development of society and the world, Seikei Junior High School and Seikei Senior High School have put forth the following educational visions. “Fostering culture and intellectuality that are recognized globally”, “Fostering a self-reliant spirit and an autonomous ability to take action in a cooperative fashion” and the “Fostering of intellectual and scientific curiosity.” We will strive to further enrich and enhance the three pillars of our education, our traditional unified education, all-around education, and education that enhances the individuality of each one of our students. With its history of education that brings out the true abilities of individuals and its education of returnee students from early on, Seikei Gakuen is a pioneer when it comes to the energy it has put into education from an international standpoint. It has a long history of foreign exchange programs with high schools in the United States and Australia, and a great many of our students participate in intra and interschool overseas exchange programs. In 2004, to further develop our goals for the future, the Seikei Institute for International Studies, a longitudinal school educational facility, was opened. We look forward to further enhancing international education and exchange. Another characteristic of Seikei Gakuen is its educational environment. The elementary school, all the way up to the university for under-graduate and graduate studies are
1906 Haruji Nakamura founds the private cram school “Seikei-en” in Hongo Nishikatamachi 1912 Seikei Commercial School opened in Ikebukuro in Toshima-ku with the aid
all on the same campus. This allows our abundant educators and staff to offer education as well as rich individual guidance and advice for one’s life plan that changes as the individual matures. The facilities that are offered in our campus environment include various libraries, classrooms, auditoriums and training facilities not seen at other junior and senior high schools. This allows us to fully contribute to the student’s educational life inside and outside the classroom. In addition, despite the fact we are located in Tokyo, a vast metropolitan area, the abundance of greenery and natural surroundings on our campus allows students to enjoy a relaxed school life. In our long history, Seikei Gakuen has always produced many promising graduatesindividuals who are active in many areas not only in Japan but in the world as well. In order to further nurture youths who will contribute to the development of Japan and the world in the future, our entire faculty and staff will always constantly endeavor and be active in sustaining our vision for the future.
Haruji Nakamura, the founder of Seikei Gakuen was deeply fearful that the uniform approach to education in Japan towards the end of the Meiji Era was disregarding a person’s individuality. He “wanted to fulfill a human education that balances personality, learning as well as the mind and body, not merely an emphasis on knowledge.” In 1906 (39th year of Meiji) he established and opened a student cram school in Hongo Nishikatamachi and renamed it “Seikei-en” the following year. The idea that Haruji Nakamura wanted to fulfill at Seikei-en was to make students understand “what it is to live.” To achieve this, Mr. Nakamura took the lead for the students and taught students with his very own way of life as a model. This is truly the beginning of human education. With the assistance of two academic colleagues Koyata Iwasaki and Shigezou Imamura, Haruji Nakamura opened the Seikei Commercial School in Ikebukuro in 1912 (45th year of Meiji). The main focus of education for our founder, Haruji Nakamura was “Respecting individuality”, “Cultivating one’s character” and the “Fulfillment of labor.” The personalized practical education initiated in Seikei education was like an ear-piercing alarm bell for the public and government schools at the time, which had lost sight of true educational callings because of an “overemphasis on intellectual education” and “standardization.” Seikei Gakuen has steadily progressed to this day by placing the cultural education principle of “drawing out one’s individuality and cultivating one’s character” as its foundation. The weight of tradition that comes from the consistency of educational principles is beyond comparison. We pride ourselves in knowing that these traditions support and serve as the center of Seikei educa-
tion at Seikei Junior High School and Seikei Senior High School. The seeds that Mr. Nakamura, Mr. Iwasaki and Mr. Imamura had sown have grown into a giant tree known as “Seikei Gakuen” and we are preparing to make a new leap forward as we approach the 100th anniversary of our founding. The ethos of placing importance on individuality and freedom will continue to be passed on through the elementary, junior and senior high schools and university. We will continue to foster self-initiative and creativity, polish the personality of each individual, as well as nurturing knowledge and skills for internationalization and computerization required in future society. In order to realize the principle of “creating self-reliant persons with individuality”, Seikei Gakuen will continue to create a new history and tradition.
of Koyota Iwasaki and Shigezou Imamura. 1913
All 8 verses of “Shinryokuka” (Ichiro Kobayashi) sung during “Gyonen”. (a form of meditation)
1914
Seikei Junior High School opened
1915
Seikei Elementary School opened
1916 Juridical Foundation Seikei Gakuen founded (approved in the 8th year of Taisho) 1917
Seikei Girls’ School opened Seikei Business College opened
1924 Chief Executive Director Haruji Nakamura passes away The school is moved from Ikebukuro to Kichijoji 1925 Seikei Senior High School (7-year system) opened 1927
School song established
1935 International Class added to Seikei Elementary School 1947 The new Seikei Junior High School inaugurated 1948 The new Seikei Senior High School inaugurated 1949 Seikei University inaugurated (Faculty of Economics and Politics established) Exchange program with Saint Paul’s school starts 1951 New school facilities for the junior high school completed. School moves. 1959 Seikei Meteorological Observatory established (Observation and reporting starts in the 1st year of Showa) 1962 New school facilities for the senior high school completed. School moves. Faculty of Engineering established Gymnasium for junior and senior high school completed 1964 Junior high school special international class inaugurated
Haruji Nakamura
1965 Faculty of Literature established at university 1968
Faculty of Economics and Politics at the university reorganized into the
Seikei Elementary School
Faculty of Economics and the Faculty of Law
Seikei Junior High School and Senior High School
1970 Exchange program with Cowra High School starts 1981 Second gymnasium for the junior and
Seikei University
senior high school completed
The origin of a name
1
Both the School's name-Seikei (sei ) meaning to make and (kei ) a path,and it's emblem the peach, have their origins in the 130-volume work titled Historical Memoirs, written by Si-ma Qian in China some 2,100 years ago. Among the many people and historical events written about in this work is a man of great integrity named General LI, whom Si-ma Qian compares to a peach. Just as the sweetness of peaches attracts people, who create a path to the tree, General Li's virtue attracted people to him.
1982 The school’s zelkova tree colonnade selected as one of the “New Tokyo Hundred Sights (Number 59)” Junior and Senior High School Special Classroom Building completed 1983 Acceptance of returnee students in senior high school starts 2002
90th anniversary of founding
2003 Cowra short term study abroad program implemented 2004 Seikei Institute for International Studies opened
2
Seikei’s Education Policy
Respecting Individuality
Providing Internationalism
We believe that “everyone is outstanding because we are all different”
Exchanges with “foreign exchange students” is an everyday occurrence
We realize this when we see the individuals who have graduated from Seikei Junior High School and Seikei Senior High School who are active in society. This is a sincere way of life and represents clear human qualities that we would like to refer to as the Seikei style. The way of thinking, perspective and ability to take action that students acquire in school is one that cannot be imitated by other schools. We make individuals shine with
our high quality, determined convictions and big-boned way of thinking. Another thing that we realize is that these individuals, across the board, have acquired an impartial point of view. This is truly the accumulation of education that respects individuals at Seikei. Students learn to respect themselves and individual personalities in an academic culture that respects the individuality of each person. It creates a character that does not
judge people by their educational background or financial status. At the same time, it allows individuals to discover one’s self and say with pride that everyone is outstanding because we are all different.
At Seikei, we have pro-actively engaged in educational activities to nurture individuals who can stand on the global stage, for example by starting acceptance of returnee students before any other school. At Seikei, we believe that by creating educational opportunities that allow students to actually encounter people from overseas, students will develop into individuals who can respond to internationalization. Not only
were we among the earliest to start exchanges with schools overseas, but also in accepting foreign exchange students. It has become an everyday occurrence to see Japanese students and foreign exchange students communing together on campus.
Seikei Institute for International Studies
Eyes on the world, starting at Seikei
Self-reliance and Autonomy
Cultivating character through an all-round education At Seikei Gakuen, we have aimed to give students the opportunity to learn in a wide range of areas not just only for entrance exams. We also aim to provide a true human education that places its emphasis not on cramming knowledge into minds but on experience and realization. Apart from the classroom, the students themselves organize and manage events such as school festivals, athletic meets, extracurricular activities, and
even active club activities. All of this fosters independence, teamwork, leadership and compassion towards others in addition to a rich education. Through these school activities, students discover lifetime friends as well. In regards to discipline, we do not have to set detailed regulations in writing. The awareness and pride of being a student at Seikei is top priority. What is fundamentally
At Seikei, we have traditionally put our strength in education in international understanding and international exchange activities. One example of this is the International Class for returnee students established in the 1930s. With this tradition, we have made the aim of our entire school from elementary school to university to enrich education adapted for internationalization, and in April of 2004 we established the Seikei Institute for International
required is that students adopt an attitude that they take responsibility for their own actions without being told. We guide students so that they nurture the two strengths of “self-reliance” so that they can look at themselves and “autonomy” so that they can control themselves, in order for them to make appropriate judgments and actions.
Studies, a longitudinal school organization. With our educational strength that draws on our characteristics as an integrated academy, and our aims to provide a high level of internationalism from an early stage, placing an emphasis on developing communication skills in foreign languages, to know “Japan’s place in the world”, as well as concentrating on modern history, we provide true internationalism that does not specialize in just languages.
Educational Continuity
The Learning Environment at Seikei
Learning and expanding talent as the student matures
The vast natural area of Musashino, fostering encounters and rich sensibility
Seikei has an 80-year history and tradition of educational continuity between junior and senior high school. Students aim to use their own talent and characteristics by being able to take their time learning the fundamentals in a wide variety of areas without fitting various individual characteristics into one mold. In their junior and senior high school years, we provide a well thought out curriculum and lifestyle guidance as the student grows and develops through the introduction stage, enrichment stage and finally the passage
(development) stage. We help students understand for themselves their talents and develop them particularly in the enrichment stage through learning in a wide variety of areas. Of course we provide detailed and attentive guidance and follow-up to students who enter Seikei starting in high school. What we at Seikei take pride in most is our outstanding faculty in our schools from elementary school to university. Education is an action that involves one human being reach-
ing out and working with another human being. Seikei’s quality is in its faculty with a high level of specialized knowledge and who are overflowing with a passion for education. The teachers start by having the student take interest. In order to do so, each class is original and innovative allowing the students to learn while keeping their tension high. Students who have learned to enjoy the process of learning and studying will study by themselves and take themselves even further.
One major characteristic of Seikei is that despite its location in Kichijoji, a metropolitan area, there is still a rich natural environment remnant of Musashino. The zelkova tree colonnade that extends from the main entrance of Seikei Junior High School and Seikei Senior High School, was planted by hand by the students and fac-
ulty when the academy moved from Ikebukuro to Kichijoji. They are approximately 100 years old. They are designated as natural treasures of Musashino city and have also been selected as one of Tokyo’s “New Tokyo Hundred Sights” and “The Hundred Sounds of Japan” as selected by the Environment Agency (the present
Environment Ministry). In addition, there are school facilities abundant with nature. Students who spend their time here surrounded by the various seasons of nature are provided with sensibility even without them knowing and acquire a human kindness.
Learning Through Experience
Learning is best when encountering the real thing One aspect of learning that is important to Seikei is learning through experience. Our founder Haruji Nakamura defined “fulfillment of labor” as one of the pillars of Seikei education. That tradition lives on in our students learning from practice and experience.
3
We provide students with various opportunities to see with their own eyes and feel with their hands, the real thing, through experiments in class, practical work, creation, outdoor observation, viewing events, summer school, class trips and learning
trips. Students acquire the “strength to think for themselves”, intellectual curiosity and scientific curiosity. This is an asset that cannot be compared to anything else.
4
The Characteristics of Junior High School Education Characteristic 1
Characteristic 1
Realizing talent through varied learning
A curriculum that nurtures culture and personalities that can be active
The ability to think Many people who observe classes at Seikei Junior High School are amazed at the fact that students actively participate in and speak up in class and take interest in a variety of things. This is a result of education that doesn’t cram knowledge into a student’s mind but instead an education that first encourages the student to take interest and nurtures the ability to think. The appeal of Seikei’s classes appears in the great number of students who not only raise their hands in class to ask questions but who also go to the faculty room to ask questions about things they don’t understand. Because of this foundation, Seikei’s educational principles of “motivate one's self” and “study by one’s self” are realized.
A Wide Range of Learning At Seikei Junior High School, we provide education that encourages each student to realize his or her own various personalities and talents. From this viewpoint, the same level of importance is placed on every subject. Subjects
6
Entrance ceremony Class commencement ceremony New student reception Orientation Health exam
5
May Class outing Midterm exams Class trip (3rd year students) Excursion (1st and 2nd year students)
5
when they are accepted to Seikei University.
Senior high school is a time when each individual student takes the talent and personality that they realized in junior high school and expands them for the future. We do not treat the learning at Seikei Senior High School as solely for university entrance exams. We believe that learning is for students to decide what to aim for in their lives and to expand their talent and personality in order to achieve their aims. Our curriculum aims to provide a wide learning spectrum not biased in one specific area and is formulated centered on compulsory classes that create a foundation for future learning.
Senior High School-University Coordination There is also coordination between Seikei University, which is located on the same campus. Starting in 2004, senior high school students are able to audit official university courses. If they undergo the necessary procedures and obtain credits, we have developed a system where these credits will be accepted as university credits
Characteristic 2
Learning Through Experience
Extracurricular Hands-on Learning
Experience classes
At Seikei, where we place a strong emphasis on handson learning, school events and extracurricular activities apart from classes are important. In the first year of junior high school, students make friends through activities centered on nature observation. In the second year, there is a “Summer School” where students climb and endure a mountain approximately 2,000 meters high and become familiar with nature. Third year junior high school students take part in class trips to see and touch the real thing after studying in national language, social studies and art classes. In addition there are opportunities for students to watch Kyogen drama and listen to music, go to the planetarium, or go on “excursions” to learn points on disaster prevention and what to do in a disaster. We provide a wide variety of opportunities for students to learn social knowledge and rules.
English classes are held with two teachers, a Japanese instructor and an assistant who is a native speaker. Students are able to experience real life conversations that cannot be experienced in any other class. In addition, in the national language class, there are classes where students are given a theme and divided into 2 groups, one for, one against and then “battle” each other in a debate. In sciences such as biology, there is a long tradition of each student growing and experimenting on fruit flies with differing qualities; thus, they are able to learn about genetics in practice.
8
June Literature department presentation (June exhibit) Disaster prevention training
7
July Final exams International class transfer entrance exams(1st year students) Summer school (1st and 2nd year students) End of classes ceremony
August
10
Summer vacation
9
September Class commencement ceremony
October
12
Cultural festival(Komichi-sai) Class outing Sports festival Midterm exams Disaster prevention training
11
November
School talent show Elections for student council officials
December
Final exams End of classes ceremony Ski classes
1
January Class commencement ceremony International class transfer entrance exams (1st year students) International class transfer entrance exams (2nd and 3rd year students)
2
February
Entrance exams Cold endurance health walk Literature department presentation (February exhibit)
3
March
End of year exams Ball game competition End of classes ceremony Graduation ceremonies
International Studies In order to nurture worthy Seikei individuals in this age of internationalization, Seikei was among the earliest to commit to an enriched language education. We have created classes not only for English conversation, but for German, French and Chinese as well and all students have the option to take these classes. Of course, in order to acquire not only language skills but an international outlook as well, we are also committed to classes in history as well as a wide variety of other classes. In addition, one of Seikei’s characteristics is the large number of students who take advantage of our various exchange systems in order to study abroad. As a school, we provide all the support possible so that our students can do so.
istics is the variety of courses. Students formulate plans on their own and perform research and investigations beforehand and then depart. These differ from regular run-of-the-mill class trips in that students who opt to take part create their own research and investigative trip. *Destinations: Korea, Yakushima Island, Okinawa, etc.
Learning Trips Learning trips that take place every year during summer vacation and spring break are experiences that cannot be experienced in other schools. One of the main character-
School Life
Seikei Junior High School
April
Fulfilling learning contents
Encountering the real thing and nurturing intellectual and scientific curiosity A lot of experiments and practical exercises can be seen at Seikei Junior High School. There is an emphasis on experiments in the sciences. From observing plant life on school grounds, classes in physics, chemistry, biology and geosciences take place in the Science building upon serious experiments. There are also research practical exercises such as astronomical observations and fossil collecting with applicants from the 1st to 3rd grades. Working together outside the boundaries of a school grade is one of the appeals of practical exercises. Practical exercises in Art, technology and home studies are also important and nurture intellectual curiosity and interest in science.
4
are divided into specialized fields and teachers with a high level of specialized knowledge in each field conduct the classes. Another characteristic is that we also put our strengths into experiments, practical exercises and learning activities in art related fields. Through this, students are able to truly realize their talents and areas they excel in. In addition, we believe that acquiring a rich education and an impartial viewpoint to be one of the most important aspects as a person. One example is that we offer calligraphy as an art course and that the national language, social studies, mathematics and science are all segmentalized. Especially in social studies, this is divided into geography, history and civics. Science is divided into biology, geosciences, physics and chemistry. In each field, specialized teachers are in charge of the class, a style rarely seen in other schools. The student’s attention level in class is high, and there is a closeness only seen in Seikei such as students seeking out teachers to ask questions.
Characteristic 2
Experiments Practical Exercises
School Life
The Characteristics of Senior High School Education
4
Seikei Senior High School
6
April Entrance ceremony Class commencement ceremony New student reception Orientation Health exam
5
May Midterm exams Sports festival Class outing Student assembly meeting
8
June Literature department presentation (June exhibit) Disaster prevention training
7
July Final exams End of classes ceremony Study trips
August
10
Summer vacation Study trip
9
September Class commencement ceremony Sports festival
October
12
Cultural festival (Komichi-sai) Midterm exams Disaster prevention training
11
November
School talent show
December
Final exams End of classes ceremony
1
January Class commencement ceremony Seikei University recommendation test (3rd year students)
2
February
General entrance exams Returnee entrance exams Marathon contest Literature department presentation (February exhibit)
3
March
End of year exams 2nd year transfer entrance exams End of classes ceremony Graduation ceremonies Study trip
6
YFU
