Curious, Creative and Innovative
Innovative Teaching & Learning
The indoor and outdoor learning environment at The British School in Tokyo is a place of inspiration. Within these spaces, the school's educational approach enables students to think critically, be creative, develop interests and pursue passions.
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Broader Curriculum Opportunities
The British School in Tokyo provides a truly holistic education. Students learn in and outside of the classroom. Opportunities for students to develop their interests and talents are numerous. Music, Sport, Art, and Drama are significant areas of strength. A focus on providing opportunities for students to support their passions and interests is a strong feature of life at the school.
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Academic Results and University Destinations
Academic excellence is a core feature of school life. BST students achieve outstanding outcomes throughout the school, with examination success a significant element in Years 10-13.
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BST Campuses
The BST central Tokyo campuses are unsurpassed for location and, increasingly, the world-class facilities they provide for students and the broader school community. Close to central residential areas, BST families have easy access to both campuses.
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Residential Facilities
BST residentials challenge students to discover new ways of learning and gain a greater understanding of themselves and the world.
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Neighbouring the famous Tokyo Tower, the new Azabudai Hills Campus opened its doors from 28th August 2023.
The new campus caters for the needs of children from Nursery (3 years old) to Year 6 (11 years old). This exciting new development sees Primary children from BST’s current Showa and Shibuya campuses united on one campus.
The Hakuba Valley, is a place of outstanding natural beauty. This region is wonderful to experience all year round. BST students visit this area in the summer and autumn months for residentials and in the winter for ski trips.
During summer or autumn residential trips, students camp in this area. The rivers and gorges are perfect for canyoning, rafting and kayaking. Students also have access to world-class mountain biking, orienteering and hiking opportunities throughout the Hakuba Valley. Additionally, Geography field trips have taken place in the area as geography students put the skills they learned in the classroom into practice.
During the winter, the mountains of the Hakuba Valley transform into vast ski fields. BST students of all levels of ability can develop their winter sports skills. Students choose from skiing or snowboarding and learn with their friends in this fantastic setting.
Located in Gunma prefecture, the heart of Japan, Minakami is right at the source of the Tone River. The region benefits from natural hot springs, rivers for whitewater rafting, and trails for hiking.
BST students can challenge themselves in various outdoor learning activities. The Tone River provides students with the perfect setting for canyoning, whitewater rafting and rafting. Local guides and outdoor learning professionals support BST students in these water activities with cooking and camping skills, navigation skills and problem-solving and team-building challenges.
Additionally, field trips in specific subject areas provide students with depth and practical application of skills.
The BST Outdoor programme offers students the opportunity to experience hands-on learning that facilitates personal growth, promotes wellbeing and embeds a love for the outdoors and leadership through adventurous experiences and challenges. The facilities and activities available in Okutama provide the perfect setting for this. Students travel to Canyons Outdoor centre in Okutama, Tokyo prefecture, where they take part in outdoor activities led by the Canyons instructors, under the supervision of BST staff.
Canyoning is the sport of negotiating your way down canyons by employing various techniques including abseiling, jumping waterfalls and cliffs, cascading down natural chutes and water slides, swimming through crystal clear pools and using special rope systems, such as flying foxes. There is usually a small amount of hiking required to access most courses, but once in the canyon, nearly 80% of the time is spent in the water.
Rafting - is the sport of negotiating your way down a river, which may have different levels of rough or even white water, in an inflatable raft and working together as part of a team to achieve a common goal. Not only great fun but excellent for teamwork and communication.
Based at Mizuumi No Rakuen WorkShop Camp Resort, near Lake Kawaguchi, in Yamanashi prefecture students take part in a range of outdoor activities under the guidance of BST staff and experienced instructors from Mizuumi No Rakuen WorkShop Camp Resort.
Students learn campfire basics such as safety, finding resources, fire lighting along with shelter building and communication activities. Along with this students learn outdoor cooking techniques such as Dutch Oven cooking to make traditional Japanese curry, catching fish by hand and BBQ and pizza making.
The highlights of this residential trip are the activities on and around the lake itself. Students are able to experience Canadian canoeing and hiking in Aokigahara, The Sea of Trees, and a cave exploration tour. All of which have the majestic and iconic backdrop of Mount Fuji overlooking the area.
Each year, BST Year 1 students visit the Waku Waku Village. Whilst there, the students participate in a guided nature trail walk learning about the local flora and fauna as they begin their outdoor learning education. Students also participate in various team-building and problem-solving activities. Team building and problem-solving are two of the core elements of outdoor learning.
The natural setting provides a beautiful learning environment for the students, and the large field in the centre of the village is a safe and contained space for the students to learn. The students also enjoy themselves in the giant treehouse play area and enjoy a picnic lunch with their friends and teachers.
In addition to the extensive facilities at the BST campuses in central Tokyo, BST also has a purpose-built sports facility a short bus ride away.
BST’s Nagasawa Sports Ground consists of a large sports field, cricket nets, skateboard ramps, changing rooms and a clubhouse.
The Sports Ground is in use throughout the week and at weekends. BST sports teams train here, and the school hosts competitive home fixtures, tournaments and significant events that can be streamed through video technology. With BST and its partner sports teams performing at a high level in football, rugby, cricket and many other field sports, the Nagasawa Sports Ground is a home ground to be proud
Like Boshu Kaihin Gakuryo, Tomei Gakuin is a residential satellite facility owned and managed by our partner organisation Showa Women’s University. As such, this facility is available for use by BST school groups throughout the year. BST Primary and Secondary School students have been able to use this site in recent years; Year 5 and Year 7 are the most recent in 2022.
The facility offers the students the opportunity to work on a range of outdoor skills and to experience Japanese culture firsthand. Students can access campus camping, orienteering, local conservation, outdoor cooking, and craft skills activities. Additionally, surfing, snorkelling and stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) are available from nearby beaches.
Regarding Japanese cultural learning, students can access the local farms, Mount Fuji and Odawara Castle. Odawara Castle dates back to the Kamakura Period in the 12th century, famous for the Samurai's rise.
Like Tomeigakurin, Boshu Kaihin Gakuryo is a residential satellite facility owned and managed by our partner organisation Showa Women’s University. As such, this facility is available for use by BST school groups throughout the year. BST Primary and Secondary School students have had the opportunity to use this site in recent years, Year 4 being the most recent in 2022. Students participate in various outdoor and creative activities led by BST staff and local specialists.
The facility is a purpose-built accommodation centre with a dining room, gym, tennis courts and outdoor grounds with private access to the beach. Students sleep in bunk bed rooms in groups of 8, and the centre is equipped with hot baths and shower facilities.
After achieving an outstanding four A*s in her A Level subjects: Chemistry, Physics, Biology and Maths, Mahi Patki is now majoring in Environmental Science at the prestigious University of Tokyo. This course allows her to weave together her academic passions across all three sciences. At the time of her graduation from BST, she was at first unsure about her career aspirations; however, the satisfaction she finds now in implementing solutions to both environmental and social issues looks likely to be the focus of her future career.
Her contributions to life at our school represent an impressive legacy. A few years ago, along with her Senior School contemporaries Mizuki and Flora, she took part in the COBIS Global Social Leaders competition - an organisation striving for the ‘curation of socially active and creative young people’, in which participants focused on the responsible consumption of plastic to try and reduce environmentally unfriendly waste at BST. This resulted in the creation of the ‘E-cool prefects’, and this has now become a permanent position in the Senior School’s leadership team. Mahi’s team left a real legacy, including the removal of vending machines from our school and the PET bottle ban, still in place today.
Building on these achievements, Mahi has tirelessly continued fighting for her beliefs, spreading awareness of urgent social and environmental issues during her time at university. For example, her steadfast work in promoting gender equality, as well as championing the worldwide recognition of women’s issues, has led to her contribution to the women’s health project ‘
Period Rediscovered
’ run by WomEmpowered International (WE Int.) Mahi brought obstetrician Dr Yosuke Matsumiya and PhD researchers from The University of Oxford onboard to add expertise to the panel.
Waco Yokoyama is a policy analyst at Gemserv, working on projects surrounding low carbon energy and sustainability policy, both in the UK and the EU. She specialises in developing sustainable and policy-resilient business and engagement strategies to help guide clients in the transition to a low carbon economy.
An Oxford Kobe Graduate Scholar, she completed her MSc in Environmental Change and Management at the University of Oxford. She continues to engage in discussion on the just-transition, and participated as a panel speaker for BMW and One Young World's event during COP26.
Her background is in Philosophy, with an MA from the University of Dundee whereby she has been awarded with the Joan Laing English Award, the Scots Philosophical Association Award, and the Global Undergraduate Award 2018 & 19.
To win a place at the renowned London School of Economics is a remarkable feat. To get first-class honours is another thing entirely, especially with winning the exclusive LSE Prize for Outstanding Academic Achievement award. From his passion for Economics to his commitment in organising an annual football cup for leading investment banks and law firms for the benefit of the Japan Association for Refugees, he shows a wonderfully engaged character: a prized attribute that he is proud to say, ‘BST helped to cultivate’.
Rajan went on from BST to attend The University of Oxford for his MSc in Economic Development, which was a natural development from his study at LSE and his particularly his experience as an Assistant Economist for the Department for International Trade, providing analysis and evaluation of large market issues. Coupled with multiple internships, an editorial post at the Guardian contributing to articles for The Observer on a range of topics, and working on climate change issues for the Energy, Environment and Agriculture team in HM Treasury, his eclectic curiosity has served him well - he’s taken every possible opportunity.
Rajan achievements go beyond the academic and even the career track: his contributions to his communities are impressive, from volunteering to reviewing, from fact-checking and copywriting chapter drafts sent to Yale University Press and various newspapers. The charity football tournaments mentioned above raised a hefty ¥10,000,000 (£70,000) over two years - an impressive feat! Rajan married Aline (a fellow BST alum) this summer, and as far as we know, theirs was the first marriage to have blossomed from a BST romance. We at offer our warm congratulations, and wish the couple the very best of luck in their years to come.
Showa Campus
1-7-57 Taishido,
Showa Women's University,
5th Building
Setagaya-ku, Tokyo
154-8533, Japan
T: +81 3-3411-4211
