Welcome to Yamanashi Eiwa
Yamanashi Eiwa Gakuin is located 150 km southwest of Tokyo. It consists of three kindergartens, a junior and senior high, a university, and a graduate school. We are pleased to introduce our junior and senior high schools. We aim to educate girls in the Christian faith, teaching them to know God and seek the truth for themselves, to study with a serious mind; to find meaning and joy in sharing their daily lives, and to create a steady foundation on which to build their lives. We are proud of our long history as a mission school, and grateful that our ties with other countries continue to grow. Surrounded by mountains, peach orchards, and vineyards, Eiwa challenges young women to develop their individual abilities and contribute their talents to the world.
Foundation
In 1889, Yamanashi Eiwa Junior & Senior High School was founded by missionaries from the Methodist Church of Canada to fulfill a need for Christian women’s education in Japan. The school was named Eiwa(英和), using characters which represent English and Japan. Together they express the idea of international education. Early missionaries were involved with administering the school and today the entire faculty continues to bring their message of international understanding to our students.
School Motto
- Respect for God
- Love for Others
- Self-Development
Our motto reflects Yamanashi Eiwa Junior & Senior High School’s purpose to prepare young women for a lifetime of Christian service.
School Life
Service
School starts at 8:40 with worship and homeroom. Each of our six grade levels have 3-4 homerooms with around 20 to 35 students. Junior high students study together with their homeroom class all day while high school students follow their own schedules.
Classes
Classes begin at 9:10, each day there are six periods.
Yamanashi Eiwa students study:
Art & Music
English
Health & P.E.
Home Economics
Information Science
Japanese
Mathematics
Natural Sciences
Religion
Social Studies
Lunchtime
Students bring their own lunches to eat with their friends.
After school
When afternoon classes finish, everyone participates in cleaning the school for a short period of time. Worship and homeroom time finish the school day. Around 4:00, students can head home, but some high school students take elective classes, while other students may stay until 6:00 to learn and practice tea ceremony, flower arranging, or do other activities.
Saturday
Regular classes are held Monday through Friday. Eiwa will offer special Saturday programs every other Saturday for all the junior high school students in the spring of 2012. Intensive Natural Science Class students in the high school have Saturday classes every other Saturday as well.
Club Activities
- Handbell Choir
- Mandolin
- YWCA
- English
- Drama
- Art
- Broadcasting
- Literaturewell
- Tennis
- Rhythmic Gymnastics
- Kendo
- Badminton
- Swimming
- Volleyball
- Basketball
- Archery
- Tea Ceremony
- Flower arrangement
- Science
- History
- Dance
- Golf
- Track and Field
Calendar
| April | School year starts |
|---|---|
| May | Foundation Day |
| June | School festival and Chorus Contest |
| July | Summer programs in Canada |
| August | Second semester starts. |
| September | Camp |
| October | Sports Day |
| November | Christian Awareness Month |
| December | Christmas Worship Service |
| January | English Drama Day and entrance exams |
| February | Ski camp |
| March | Year-end exams, school trip & graduation |
Eiwa Jr. and Sr. High Today
Currently, around 600 girls from age 12 to 18 study at Yamanashi Eiwa Junior and Senior High School.
Junior High
Students receive a well-rounded education through classes, extra-curricular activities, and special events.
High School
Students prepare for their higher education by taking core courses and choosing electives related to their future academic and career interests.
Looking Toward the Future
In addition to religious, academic, and extra-curricular programs, students at Yamanashi Eiwa Junior & Senior High School have the opportunity to experience international education through exchange programs, service projects, and contacts with people in Canada, Australia, Korea, Germany, Thailand, Laos, and other countries. We look forward to developing and strengthening our international friendships for many years to come.
History
| 1889 | Classes started with six students. |
|---|---|
| 1892 | Foundation Day was celebrated by bringing flowers to hospital patients. “Flower Day” is now held every year. |
| 1917 | English classes became compulsory. |
| 1928 | Today’s uniform was designed. |
| 1939 | After seven Canadians, the first Japanese principal was appointed. |
| 1945 | The school buildings were destroyed in WWII bombings. Classes continued in old army barracks until the school was rebuilt with donations from the United Church of Canada. |
| 1947 | Under Principal Katherine Greenbank, a new curriculum was started and student numbers grew to 641. |
| 1949 | The chapel was built, followed by a missionary house. The missionary house had been used as a student dorm from 1980 to 2009.. |
| 1957 | Katherine Greenbank received an Honorable Citizen Award for her work at Eiwa and in Kofu. |
| 1975 | Missionary Daphne Rogers donated handbells to form Eiwa’s Handbell Choir. |
| 1984 | The first Canadian summer program was held in Abbotsford, Alberta. Other exchange programs include Perkiomon Valley H.S. (from 1974) and University of Lethbridge (from 1991). |
| 1989 | Eiwa’s 100th Anniversary was celebrated by over 1200 students, faculty, and friends of Eiwa. |
| 1997 | The campus was greatly expanded following a remodeling and construction project. Junior high students started studying in a new building, and high school students began studying under a system where they choose their own courses. |
| 2003 | A sister school relationship started between Ewha Girls’ High School in Korea and Eiwa. |
| 2004 | Intensive English Class started in the junior high school |
| 2006 | The chapel was renovated as an earthquake-proof building. The first two-month study tour for Intensive English Class was held in Orillia, Canada. Progressive Studies Class and Intensive Science Class started in the senior high school. |
| 2007 | Three courses, Intensive English Class, Progressive Studies Class and Intensive Science Class started in the senior high school. |
| 2009 | Eiwa’s 120th Anniversary was celebrated. |
| 2011 | A sister school relationship started between Mentone Girls’ Grammar School in Australia and Eiwa. |
1927 “Flower Day” is now held every year.
1928 Today’s uniform was designed.
1949 The chapel was built, followed by a missionary house.
1997 New junior school building completed.
1997 High school school building relocation.
From Yamanashi Eiwa Students
“I clearly remember the day that I first put on my Eiwa uniform and walked through the school gates. I had decided to come to Eiwa because I wanted to know more about English, Christianity, religious music and handbells…and I liked the pretty uniform, too. But on that day, I was really scared…”
“I first encountered the Bible and hymns at Eiwa. The life of Jesus taught me that the most important things for us are faith, hope, and love. I’m sure when I face a difficult situation, these three things will help me choose the right way…”
“Each of us seeks our own dreams, and starts our own lives, but we are sure to remember the time we first met, and the time we said goodbye. Most of all, we will remember our friendship.”
