New Facility to Promote the Kashiwa-no-ha International Campus Town Initiative
Rugby School Japan Opens September 4
Aims to Develop Global Human Resources Under Key Words
“Global” × “Education” × “Smart City

September 15, 2023
Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd.

Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd., a leading global real estate company headquartered in Tokyo, hereby announces the September 4, 2023 opening of Rugby School Japan (“RSJ”), an international co-ed school located within Chiba University’s Kashiwanoha Campus for students in years 7 through 13 (under the English system; equivalent to the 6th grade of elementary school to the 3rd grade of high school in Japan), and offering a choice of either day or boarding school options. Rugby School Japan has been promoted by Mitsui Fudosan together with Rugby School International Limited (a UK corporate entity; “RSIL”), the Rugby School Japan Establishment Foundation, Chiba University and Clarence Education Asia Limited (“CEAMS”).

The opening of RSJ, offering world-class educational infrastructure that will be an important piece of the Kashiwa-no-ha International Campus Town Initiative, will attract more diverse, talented individuals to Kashiwa-no-ha, the Tokyo metropolitan area and Japan, and is expected to accelerate innovation in a wide variety of fields.

Rugby School Japan exterior

Key Points of this Press Release

The significance of RSJ as part of Kashiwa-no-ha Smart City

• Located approximately 30 minutes from central Tokyo, with excellent access to an outstanding environment that brings together educational and research institutions and corporations
• Will accelerate the formation of an international academic, educational and cultural space by attracting a world-renowned international school, based on the Kashiwa-no-ha International Campus Town Initiative, which has set out guidelines for Kashiwa-no-ha Smart City.
• Will aim to develop and turn out world-class human resources from Kashiwa-no-ha Smart City by combining RSJ’s historic, sophisticated educational system with the advanced nature of Kashiwa-no-ha Smart City, furthering the goal of making Kashiwa-no-ha Smart City a breeding ground for innovation.

Features of RSJ

• An international school equipped with a rugby field that meets international standards, along with a dance studio, drama studio and other facilities that will provide for a whole person education equivalent to that of the main school in the UK.

The significance of RSJ as part of Kashiwa-no-ha Smart City

■Located in Kashiwanoha, with easy access from central Tokyo and home to many educational and research institutions and companies

The Tsukuba Express Line provides easy access to central Tokyo, only about 30 minutes away. RSJ is located in a positive environment where educational, business and research institutions, including Chiba University and the University of Tokyo, are concentrated. The opening of RSJ will further advance this accumulation of educational institutions.

■Will help realize the Kashiwa-no-ha International Campus Town Initiative, aimed at the creation of an international academic and research-focused city through public, private and academic collaboration

The “Kashiwa-no-ha International Campus Town Initiative,” sets out guidelines for neighborhood creation developed by Chiba Prefecture, Kashiwa City, Chiba University and the University of Tokyo, along with local residents. The goal was the creation of an international academic, educational and cultural space to implement cutting-edge, self-sustaining neighborhood development through public, private and academic collaboration, based on a policy of enhancing the basic educational environment to develop personnel who will be active on the forefront of global developments.

Infrastructure for an international education has been put in place with the recent opening of RSJ, one of the world’s top schools. In addition to existing world-class academic institutions such as the University of Tokyo, Chiba University and the National Cancer Center, new research institutions, companies, and new residents from both Japan and around the world, are expected to come together in Kashiwa-no-ha Smart City. Further, this initiative can contribute to the concentration of international human resources in Tokyo and Japan as a whole, thus improving the international competitiveness of Japan itself.

The UK’s Rugby School is also known as the birthplace of this ball sport, and RSJ itself opened on the 200th anniversary of the game’s birth. As the location of the home stadium for the NEC Green Rockets Tokatsu, Kashiwanoha has deep ties to rugby, and in the past the New Zealand national rugby team was provided with pre-tournament support there. RSJ is equipped with a rugby field that meets international standards, which will lead to the promotion of sports, globalization and community vitalization through rugby.

■Kashiwa-no-ha Smart City will be a breeding ground for innovation, turning out individuals capable of playing an active role on the world stage

Mitsui Fudosan is working to help solve social issues through neighborhood creation, and to date has been responsible for providing not only buildings themselves, but spaces and communities.

In this sense, Kashiwa-no-ha Smart City also serves as a new site for demonstrating a variety of innovations using the city itself as a platform. With the opening of RSJ, the goal is to see an even greater diversity of people utilizing this platform to form a variety of communities, turning Kashiwa-no-ha Smart City into a breeding ground for innovation.

• Kashiwa-no-ha will develop and turn out world-class human resources under the “whole person education” advocated by RSJ. This aims to nurture globally active, next-generation leaders who will shape the vision of the future. This is the goal of Kashiwa-no-ha Smart City.
• The initiative aims to create new industries and cultural values by deepening collaboration and interaction among nearby educational institutions, including Chiba University and the University of Tokyo, as well as businesses, research institutions and the local community. In addition, putting in place infrastructure capable of providing a global education is expected to draw an even greater accumulation of human resources and foreign-owned businesses from regions around the world, with a focus on Asia.
• Kashiwa-no-ha is currently working to develop as a creative site for innovation that will drive new industries. At the same time, as a variety of community activities move forward, including promoting collaboration between academia and business as well as the participation of residents in neighborhood development, it will be important to nurture the next generation of human resources involved in this sustainable neighborhood development. Developing global-level talents in Kashiwa-no-ha who will take on “sustainable development and innovation” will lead to the formation of a sustainable city.

Features of Rugby School Japa

(1) RSJ’s philosophy, programs and facilities reflect the whole person education (“Whole Person, Whole Point”) that is the philosophy of the Rugby School.

RSJ has adopted a British curriculum and house system. In Japan, it will advocate whole person education, based on the “Whole Person, Whole Point” philosophy of the UK’s Rugby School, engaging in educational activities that reflect that school’s 450 years of history and outstanding experience in education.

・The “Rugby Learner Profile,” a world-class educational program aimed at developing and producing global talent

The “Rugby Learner Profile,” common across the Rugby School Group, is a proprietary learning method that all students, from entry to Rugby School Japan through graduation, will be expected to acquire. It encompasses inquisitiveness, communication skills, collaboration, internationalism, versatility, introspection and resilience.

(2) Offering a practical, full-scale education and extracurricular activities with a variety of facilities

Under whole person education, there is a focus on enhancing not only academic study, but classes related to the arts and sports, and on providing a variety of facilities for learning to reinforce those areas. In addition to an international standard rugby field named after Webb Ellis, the boy who originated rugby football, as well as a 25-meter regulation-size swimming pool, the school has a Debate Chamber modeled after the British Parliament, a black-box Drama Studio, a Dance Studio and an art gallery, all designed to develop students’ individuality and talents.

Central Courtyard

Webb Ellis (Rugby field)

Debate Chamber

School Cafe

Drama Studio

Library

Dance Studio

School House (Boys’ dormitory)

(3) Environmentally friendly design, including reuse of the Chiba University buildings

The school has renovated and is using existing buildings to take advantage of the history and environment of Chiba University’s Kashiwanoha Campus, while also providing a variety of large and small green spaces. A cafeteria is built of wood, part of efforts to reduce CO2. Newly constructed buildings have acquired ZEB Oriented and ZEH-M Oriented certification (the cafeteria has been certified ZEB Ready).

Dining Room

■Facility Overview

■Map

Access: Three-minute walk from Kashiwanoha-campus Station on the Tsukuba Express Line