A Life in Print: An Interview with Motoko Rich

Article by Anna Milstein, Writer

June 7, 2019

A few weeks ago, Dohyun Kim and I were lucky enough to interview Motoko Rich, the Tokyo bureau chief for the New York Times; she began working for the Times in 2003. She attended ASIJ from second to fourth grade. Ms. Rich initially didn’t want to become a journalist, explaining that “when I was...

The Thing About Differences

Article by Marine Savoure, Writer

June 6, 2019

Race. Religion. Politics. Sexual orientation. Lifestyles. Hairstyles. Difference enrichens humanity. Yet difference has too often been―and continues to be―a cause of division. Science teacher Suren Tummala knows well the perception of difference. Born in India and raised in the US, Mr. Tumma...

Book Circulation Up; Reading Down

Article by Lauren Hartz, Writer

June 4, 2019

During activity period and the latter half of lunch, the library is chock-full of people. Look around, and you’ll see students socializing, students studying, students playing video games, and students sleeping. Conspicuously absent, however, are students reading. From 2013-2018, fewer and fewer book...

We Only Have One Earth

Article by Kokoro Igawa, Writer

June 2, 2019

With the number of news articles all over the internet about climate change and how it is affecting our earth, it is easy to feel as though you can’t make a difference at all. However, this is not true. As an individual, you hold a substantial amount of power. Here are some lifestyle changes that yo...

Japan’s Borrowed Holidays

Article by Serena Landers, Writer

May 29, 2019

Many countries have various traditions to celebrate the holidays of Halloween, Valentine’s Day, and Christmas, and in most these holidays have become highly commercialized. This is especially true in Japan, where so many companies use the holidays to promote and sell their products. Hallowee...

Don’t Stand By. Stand Up!

Article by Kokoro Igawa, Writer

May 21, 2019

Bullying prevails in schools and communities around the globe, which is why a few months ago, ASIJ ninth and tenth graders watched the 2011 documentary Bully. This documentary deeply touched the hearts of many, inspiring them to think about bullying in our community. I interviewed a handful of stude...

Know Your School: The History of ASIJ

Article by Serena Landers, Writer

May 20, 2019

ASIJ has a rich history that many students are unaware of, and it stretches far before the move to our current campus. The official founding of our school was in 1902 when it was established as the Tokyo School for Foreign Children. The classes were small in the beginning, but slowly started to gain...

Finding Balance: An Interview with Kristy Raggio

Article by Marine Savoure, Writer

May 14, 2019

At one point or another, we have all struggled with balancing what we personally want to do and what we have to do for school. This balance between school work and personal interests is never an easy one to find, and with AP season and finals upon us, it’s just going to get harder. Kristy Ragg...

Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Cheating Scandal

Article by Dohyun Kim, Writer, Photographer

April 18, 2019

It has been a few weeks since "Operation Varsity Blues," the  college admissions scandal that involved universities and colleges across the U.S. and shocked many unaware of the corruption often present throughout the process. Several wealthy parents and celebrities were exposed to have gone to extreme...

Pledging—Against Spoilers

Article by Anna Milstein, Writer

April 16, 2019

We all know the feeling of accidentally overhearing something you didn’t want to hear. It’s the one thing that wrecks your day and ruins the plot of the movie or TV show you’ve been impatiently waiting weeks, even months for—especially when it releases later in Japan than in the US. &nbs...

Senior Profiles: Kenichiro Bernier and Nico van Houten

April 8, 2019

Hanabi is publishing a series of senior profiles leading up to graduation. Here are the profiles of Kenichiro Bernier and Nico van Houten written by each other.

Disability Awareness at ASIJ

Article by Lisa Neureiter, Writer

April 3, 2019

On February 25, 2019, two wheelchair basketball athletes, Rie Odajima and Shinnosuke Moroka, and Shiho Nagano, coach of the GRACE basketball team, came to ASIJ. While at ASIJ, they spent their day giving presentations to the elementary, middle, and high schools about who they are and what they do. &n...