Skip to Main Content
The Student News Site of The American School in Japan

HANABI

The Student News Site of The American School in Japan

HANABI

The Student News Site of The American School in Japan

HANABI

A Look into the 2025 New York City Mayoral Election
A Look into the 2025 New York City Mayoral Election
Article by Naomi Chew, Writer • January 20, 2026

On November 4th, 2025, 34-year-old Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani declared victory in the New York City mayoral election, beating out Independent Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa to become the city’s first...

Three Steps for Earthquake Readiness at Home
Three Steps for Earthquake Readiness at Home
Article by Berenice Bregeon, Writer • December 12, 2025

On November 9th, an earthquake of magnitude 6.9 struck the coast of Iwate Prefecture. Northern Japan was impacted by quakes measuring level 4 on the Japanese scale for seismic intensity and received alerts for tsunamis up...

Sanae Takaichi on her first day as prime minister in the Kantei
Japan Welcomes Its First Female Prime Minister: Sanae Takaichi
Article by Sarah Higashio Gocsei and Shivaan Kothari December 2, 2025

At an extraordinary Diet session held on October 21, Sanae Takaichi was elected as Japan’s first female prime minister, marking a historic milestone in the nation’s political history. Amid efforts to recover from declining...

View All
Beyond the Scoreboard: Field Hockey Develops Culture and Confidence
Beyond the Scoreboard: Field Hockey Develops Culture and Confidence
Article by Tamako Miki, Writer • January 19, 2026

As the winter season settles in, ASIJ’s field hockey team takes to the field with a fresh sense of purpose and energy. Led by their three coaches—Coach Crissy, Chapple,...

View All
The Future: It’s OK If You Don’t Have It Figured Out.
The Future: It’s OK If You Don’t Have It Figured Out.
Article by Andrew Doll, Writer • January 20, 2026

It all began in first grade when my teacher asked me, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”  At first, it seemed like an innocent question, one that my friends and I playfully tossed around....

A Political Oz
A Political Oz
Article by Emma Matsudaira, Writer • December 12, 2025

The new Wicked film arrives in a moment when political division, scapegoating, and public distrust feel sharper than ever—which is why its story, told through bright colours and soaring duets by Ariana...

Does AI belong in the Art Industry?
Does AI belong in the Art Industry?
Article by Jennifer Tsai, Writer • December 4, 2025

Today, artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming deeply embedded in our world: school life has shifted for both students and teachers, thousands of employees at corporations have been replaced by large-language-models,...

View All
Woodstock '99 and Misogyny in the Rock Scene
Woodstock ’99 and Misogyny in the Rock Scene
Article by Elizabeth Rexrode, Writer • January 19, 2026

A landmark of the 60s hippies’ scene, Woodstock ‘69 is still considered one of the greatest rock festivals of all time. With Creedence Clearwater Revival singing pure...

Image from Kai Socco
Whiplash—An Excellent Movie about Excellence
Article by Shiwhan Kim, Writer • September 20, 2025

It’s easy to overlook abuse when it leads to excellence, because with the lash of a whip, perfection can be within reach. The complex relationship between obsession, abuse,...

View All
Gold Circle Awards

Read articles that won Gold Circle awards from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association:

Informational graphics
1st Place - Sena Chang
A Look Through Time: The War in Afghanistan

Interactive graphic
1st Place - Sena Chang
The Russia-Ukraine Crisis: A Chronology of a Turbulent History

Personal opinion: Off-campus issues
2nd Place - Aaryan Kumar
How Japan’s Obscenity Laws Reinforce Conformity

Sports Features
Honorable Mention - Sam Barbir
The Race that Captivates a Nation

ASIJ TV