Sunnyside International School

A Century of Educational Legacy

Sunnyside International School's story begins not in 1973, but decades earlier, with the Watanabe family's deep commitment to early childhood education in Gifu Prefecture. The family's educational institution traces back nearly a century, with Hisao Watanabe eventually establishing Nagara 2nd Kindergarten in 1972 — a rural school that would become the seedbed for something historically significant in Japanese education.

In 2002, Hisao's son Hisayuki Watanabe took the helm and renamed the institution Sunnyside International School, signalling a bold new direction toward international, bilingual education. This was not a small ambition in a city that is not typically associated with international schools.

A Historic First in 2016

The most significant milestone in the school's history came in 2016, when Sunnyside International School achieved IB World School authorization for the Primary Years Programme (PYP) — and did so as Japan's first Article 1 school (一条校, as defined by the School Education Act) to hold this designation. This was a landmark achievement: Article 1 status means the school is officially recognized by Japan's Ministry of Education (MEXT) as a legitimate Japanese school, something most international schools in Japan do not hold.

This dual recognition — as both a Japanese national school and an IB World School — is extraordinarily rare and opened doors for Japanese families who want international-standard education without sacrificing the credentials that come with attending an officially recognized Japanese institution.

The Primary Division launched in 2016 with just 8 students in a kindergarten classroom. Within a year, enrollment surpassed 70 students, demonstrating rapid community uptake. By 2017, Headmaster Hisayuki Watanabe had also joined the IBO Heads Council, cementing the school's place in the international education landscape.

A Community Institution

Today, Sunnyside operates as a school run by Watanabe Gakuen (学校法人渡辺学園), serving children from kindergarten through Grade 6 (ages 3–12). It remains a small, intimate school — approximately 70 students — but its historical significance as Japan's first Article 1 IB PYP school gives it a prominence well beyond its size.

The Vision: Courageous Voyagers

At the heart of Sunnyside International School's educational philosophy is a powerful, poetic vision: to nurture 'Courageous Voyagers, making contribution for a better world.' This is not merely a slogan — it is the organizing principle around which every aspect of school life is built, from classroom instruction to after-school clubs.

The school's mission, 'Learn together, grow together,' reflects a fundamental belief that education is a communal act. Students, teachers, and parents are all understood to be co-learners in an evolving school community where both successes and failures are acknowledged and shared.

Core Values

Sunnyside has articulated seven core values that animate its daily culture:

• Courage — to try, to fail, and to try again
• Compassion — empathy for others
• Resilience — the capacity to recover and persist
• Curiosity — a love of questioning and inquiry
• Collaboration — working together toward shared goals
• Kindness — genuine care for others
• Respect — honouring others within one's Japanese identity and beyond

These values are directly connected to the IB Learner Profile and the school's PYP framework, ensuring that character development and academic learning are inseparable.

Bilingual Inquiry: A Distinctive Approach

Unlike most international schools in Japan that teach predominantly in English, Sunnyside takes a genuinely bilingual approach, with Japanese and English taught through team-teaching across all grade levels. The school starts its academic year in April — following the Japanese school calendar — rather than the September start common in international schools. This deliberate choice reflects the school's identity as a school that values Japanese culture while reaching outward to the world.

The IB PYP framework structures learning around transdisciplinary themes and inquiry-based units of work, encouraging children to construct knowledge through exploration, questioning, and reflection — not rote memorization. Learning is documented across a variety of media, and students are encouraged to communicate their thinking through multiple modes of expression.

The IB PYP at Sunnyside

Sunnyside International School is an authorized IB World School for the Primary Years Programme (PYP), the IB's framework for learners aged 3–12. The PYP is a curriculum framework that emphasizes transdisciplinary learning, student agency, and the development of the whole child — intellectually, socially, emotionally, and physically.

What makes Sunnyside unusual is that it implements the PYP within the framework of Japan's national curriculum (学習指導要領), satisfying the requirements of both systems simultaneously. This is made possible by the school's status as a MEXT Article 1 school, which requires adherence to Japanese curriculum standards while still allowing for the IB's inquiry approach.

Team-Teaching in Two Languages

Instruction at Sunnyside is delivered through bilingual team-teaching, with Japanese and English-speaking teachers working together in every classroom. Students are immersed in both languages throughout the school day. The goal is not simply language acquisition, but cognitive flexibility — training students to think comfortably in two linguistic and cultural frameworks.

The school explicitly emphasizes language acquisition as a core component of its program, offering structured English exposure at all levels. For students who need additional support, after-school English enrichment classes (such as 'Sparkle Class' — a small-group intensive English program) are available.

ICT Integration

Sunnyside also integrates ICT meaningfully into the curriculum. Students use technology not as a passive tool but as a medium for expressing and sharing their ideas — consistent with the PYP's emphasis on communication across multiple modes. The school uses platforms such as Raz-Kids for English reading development.

A Small, Focused Community

With approximately 70 students across kindergarten and Grades 1–6, class sizes are necessarily small. This creates a highly personalized learning environment where teachers can attend closely to each child's development. The school does not have a secondary division — students graduate after Grade 6, typically transitioning to local Japanese junior high schools or other international programs.

Small School, Strong Community

Sunnyside International School's community is defined by its intimate size. With approximately 70 students from kindergarten through Grade 6, every child is known, every family is visible, and every event is a shared experience. This is not an anonymous institution — it is a school where relationships between teachers, students, and parents are genuinely close.

A Rich Calendar of Events

The school year — which begins in April in the Japanese tradition, when cherry blossoms bloom — is punctuated by a range of school events that blend international and Japanese cultural elements:

• Entrance Ceremony (April)
• Field Trips (outdoor learning excursions)
• Running Tournament (ランニング大会)
• PYP Exhibition — the culminating showcase of student inquiry projects
• Holiday Concert (Christmas season)
• Graduation Ceremony

These events are not merely logistical milestones — they are community rituals that reinforce the school's culture of togetherness and celebration of learning.

After-School Life

Sunnyside offers a range of after-school clubs that extend learning and community beyond the classroom:

• Sparkle Class — small-group English enrichment
• Fun Sports Club — recreational physical activity
• Art Club — creative expression
• Club Japanese — Japanese cultural activities including calligraphy and traditional storytelling
• English Bambini — an all-English after-care program for younger children
• Soccer Club, Piano Lessons, and an English Conversation Club

The Club Japanese program is particularly noteworthy — it embodies the school's commitment to Japanese cultural identity even as it pursues international education. Activities include calligraphy (書道), traditional Japanese play, and folk storytelling, deliberately framed as a 'club' rather than a classroom subject to make participation feel joyful and voluntary.

Parent Involvement

The school's mission — 'Learn together, grow together' — explicitly includes parents as members of the learning community. Parent information sessions are held each year (kindergarten in June, primary school in October), and the admissions process includes a parent interview, underscoring that the school sees families as partners, not just customers.

Aligning with Japan

Unlike most international schools in Japan that follow a September-start academic year and corresponding admissions cycle, Sunnyside International School aligns with the Japanese school calendar, beginning each academic year in April. This has practical implications for families planning enrollment.

The Admissions Timeline

Kindergarten (幼稚園部)

• July 1: Application acceptance opens
• November (late): Half-day trial enrollment
• January (late): Pre-enrollment orientation and face-to-face consultation
• April: Academic year begins

Primary School (小学部)

• October: School information session for prospective families
• November: Application acceptance opens
• December: Parent interview, individual child assessment, and group assessment
• December: Admission decisions communicated
• February: Orientation for accepted students
• April: Academic year begins

What the Process Involves

The admissions process for the primary school includes:

• A parent interview (保護者面接)
• An individual child assessment (児童個人調査)
• A group assessment (集団調査)

For the kindergarten, there is a pre-enrollment face-to-face consultation to understand each child's situation and readiness.

Fees at Enrollment

Families pay a registration fee (申込金) of ¥5,000 upon submitting the application. Upon acceptance, an enrollment fee (入学金) is due: ¥50,000 for students promoting internally from the kindergarten, or ¥100,000 for external applicants joining the primary school.

Monthly tuition for the kindergarten is approximately ¥34,300 (after the government's early childhood education subsidy). For primary school, monthly tuition is ¥55,000, plus a ¥10,000 monthly facility fee. Additional costs include uniform and supplies (approximately ¥120,000 for kindergarten entry; approximately ¥10,000 for primary school).

Who the School Is For

Sunnyside is primarily designed for Japanese families seeking a bilingual, internationally-minded education within an officially recognized Japanese school framework. The school's Article 1 status means that graduation credentials are fully recognized within Japan's education system — an important consideration for families who expect their children to continue into Japanese junior high school.