American missionaries, military personnel and expatriate businesspeople started to relocate to Nagoya, creating the need for schools with English-based curriculum.
The Nagoya TV Tower was completed in 1954, and was considered by many to be a symbol of post-war growth and development of Nagoya and the first of its kind in Japan. Although analogue TV broadcasts came to an end in 2011, it is still considered to be one of the iconic symbols of Nagoya. Little known fact...the Nagoya TV tower was destroyed (in movies!) twice....first by Godzilla in the 1964 "Mothra vs. Godzilla" movie (the same year NIS opened!), and then again by Battra in the 1992 remake of that movie, "Godzilla vs. Mothra".
The Nagoya American School, which was located within the US Occupation Forces living compound near Fushimi that is now known as Shirakawa Park (which also includes Nagoya City Art Museum and Nagoya City Science Museum) closed in 1958 when the land was returned to Nagoya.
Lockheed's school in Gifu closes, leaving the Apostolic Christian Academy (ACA) as the only schooling option for English-speaking families in the Nagoya region.
After the closing of the Nagoya American School and the Gifu Lockheed School, the Apostolic Christian Academy (ACA) was the only remaining option for English-speaking families in Nagoya. The school was operating out of a home, in Chikusa-ku, and capacity was becoming a concern. Tensions also began to mount between parents regarding the mission and vision of the school.
Some of the parents of the new NIS PTA found two allies in their dream to create a new school. Dr. David Smith, who had come to Nagoya as the Director of the Nagoya American Cultural Center devoted much time and energy in meeting with parents and key leaders in business and government. In addition, Aichi Governor Mikine Kuwabara strongly supported the idea of having an international school in Nagoya. Here, Smith and Kuwabara meet to discuss the potential new school.
One week after the Beatle's third hit, "I Wanna Hold Your Hand," reached number one on the UK charts and three weeks after the tragic assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the first Board of Directors meeting for NIS took place. Soon, they were looking for potential sites to build their dream for a school.
The US State Department continued its enthusiastic support and dispatched Paul Luebke from the Office of Overseas Schools to nurture the fledgling NIS.
NIS was nothing more than an idea shared by a group of parents at the beginning of 1964. Arlene Kelly, one of the PTA parents described it, there "were no teachers, no money, no building, no equipment, no supplies, nothing!" However, due to the efforts of Dr. David Smith, support began to pour in from groups such as the United States State Department, various mission boards and denominations, and leading figures in the Nagoya and prefectural governments. His efforts resulted in both the Aichi Governor, Mikine Kuwabara and Nagoya Mayor, Kiyoshi Sugito pledging their support.
Since NIS had no land or place to build a school, Nanzan allowed NIS to use one of their old, vacated buildings in Showa-ku while searching. After help from the community, the building was transformed into the new Nagoya International School with an opening ceremony on September 8, 1964. There were 84 students representing five nationalities and 12 staff members representing three nationalities.
On September 8,1964, the doors of NIS were formally opened in an old building abandoned by Nanzan Junior high School in Showa Ward with 84 students enrolled.
Japan was buzzing in preparation for hosting the 1964 Tokyo Summer Olympics, the first to be held in Asia.
What an exciting time! In February 1965, a land agreement was signed with Nanzan to help NIS obtain legal status as a Gakko Hojin.
Following a year with Margaret Crossitier as Principal, Ralph Elliot was appointed to be the first NIS Headmaster in June, 1965.
On opening day in 1965, NIS's enrollment was 104 students.
With Aichi Prefecture’s support, NIS was able to purchase 7,123 tsubo of land from 16 different farmers in Nakashidami.
Mr. Langerman served as NIS Headmaster from 1966 to 1969.
School opened in 1966 with 130 students.
By the end of 1966, Raymond, who had worked on a similar project with ASIJ in Tokyo, had conducted extensive discussions with the various members of the NIS community and was impressed with their willingness to be daring and creative. Raymond eventually proposed that a circular building be the centerpiece of the NIS campus.
NIS was fortunate to receive contributions from many supporters including the U.S. government, Aichi prefecture, Nagoya city, corporations, civic organizations and many individuals. This community fundraising support allowed plans to move forward.
An official ground-breaking ceremony was held on June 26, 1967 and NIS was honored to be joined by Architect Antonin Raymond and Aichi Governor Kuwabara and Nagoya Mayor Sugito as well as other supporters.
When the doors opened for the first day of school in 1967, NIS had 155 students.
The late sixties were troubled times. The assassinations of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in April and Robert Kennedy shortly after in June. Russia and Warsaw invaded Czechoslovakia and 347 Vietnamese civilians were massacred by American soldiers.
Although the Raymond Building on the new campus was only partially complete, it was decided to hold the first commencement, the Class of 1968, at our new campus.
NIS finally has a permanent home! Classes began for all students in the new building in September, 1968 after an Opening Ceremony. There were 165 students enrolled.
On the first day of school in 1968, 165 students were enrolled in NIS.
Arthur Langerman had faithfully served NIS for three years and overseen the transition to the Moriyama campus. Langerman felt it was time to move and he passed the mantle on to Mr. Donal Spohn who served until 1971.
195 students called NIS their home on the first day of school in 1969.
Preceded by Mr. Spohn, Guy Lott, Jr. became our fourth Headmaster and presided over NIS during a major cultural shift. He liberalized the dress code but also worked hard to raise academic standards. As part of this, he led the school through its first accreditation by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).
A new decade was marked by NIS's highest enrollment to date with 210 students on the first day of school.
In 1970, the deaths of Jimi Hendrix (Sept. 18) and Janis Joplin (Oct. 4), two voices of a disgruntled generation, and the killing of four students at Kent State University served to further the collective angst of young people around the world. Closer to home, many Japanese were shocked by the suicide of novelist Yukio Mishima who represented the views of some Japanese discontented with modernization. Whether it was the protest movement of Japan or that of young people everywhere, NIS became a microcosm of cultural change.
210 students walked through the doors of NIS on the first day of school in 1971.
Taeko Yasuhara wasn't quite sure what she should do. With a degree in American Literature, she had quite enjoyed her job at the American Center Library which was being closed due to cutbacks. She accepted an offer to join NIS uncertain of the school's future and not sure how she could run a library when in fact there was no library. There was a room dedicated as a study hall and library, but books were scattered throughout the building. She enjoyed her job but soon realized that the way non-Japanese children use a library was different from what she was used to operating. To remedy this gap in her experience, she spent time at one of NIS's "sister schools" in the Brookline, Massachusetts public school system to work for two year to learn first-hand the way U.S. schools maintain libraries. She returned to NIS in 1972 where she remained employed for over 30 years.
Experiencing its first decline, NIS opened on the first day of school in 1971 with 193 students.
In 1973, NIS reached a huge milestone: 10 years educating children! The anniversary was marketing by launching a capital campaign to appeal to build faculty housing, deciding to open a kindergarten, and hiring a full-time business manager.
In 1973, NIS enrollment its highest number of students to date with 277 children part of the student body.
Often referred to as the "first oil shock", as a second happened again in 1979. The economic and political crisis resulting from oil export restrictions caused an economic recession and marked the end of the period of rapid growth in the Japanese economy, and, subsequently, impacted enrollment growth at NIS as well.
The first NIS gym seemed like an architectural anomaly alongside the contemporary and circular Raymond Building, however it was functional and served the school well for nearly 25 years. The finest feature of the gym was a hardwood floor with the school name and dolphin mascot hand-drawn at center court. Several years later, classrooms were built below the gym which allowed for the addition of nursery classes and space for music and art to be taught.
241 students were enrolled in NIS on opening day in 1974.
NIS, under the leadership of Guy Lott, Jr., obtained its first accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). WASC's purpose is to foster excellence in elementary, secondary, adult and postsecondary institutions, and supplementary education programs. The Commission encourages school improvement through a process of continuing evaluation and recognizes institutions through granting accreditation to the schools that meet an acceptable level of quality in accordance with the established criteria.
On the first day of school in 1974, 300 students walked through the hallways of NIS.
With enrollment increasing over the first few years in Nakashidami, enhancements were made to the library and the field thanks to donations from the PTA, Aichi Prefecture, and Nagoya City. In addition, faculty housing and a gymnasium were completed in 1974 (both no longer standing), and tennis courts were completed in 1976 (also no longer there).
The new school year of 1976-77 brought new leadership. Merritt Jenson became our new Headmaster and Clark Offner took the position of Chairman of the Board.
Enrollment on the first day of school in 1976 was 263 students.
The first day of school in 1977 saw 296 students on the NIS campus.
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