Aoba Japan International School Becomes World's First to Receive IB Group School Accreditation

Aoba Japan International School (Aoba), located in Nerima City, Tokyo, and part of Aoba-BBT Corporation (headquartered in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo; CEO: Iwao Shibata; hereinafter "Aoba-BBT"), announces that it has become the world's first school to receive accreditation under a new framework from the International Baccalaureate (IB) Organization. This innovative framework evaluates and accredits multiple educational campuses as a single, unified group.

Traditionally, international accreditation has been granted on a school-by-school basis. Aoba’s achievement marks the first time globally that a group of campuses has been accredited collectively as one integrated entity. This certification confirms that all campuses and staff meet international standards and operate under close collaboration, ensuring that every student—regardless of campus—receives a high-quality education designed around shared values and benchmarks. This recognition serves as formal validation by an international body of the robust educational model Aoba has developed over the past half-century.

Learn more: https://japaninternationalschool.com/jp

Speed of Evaluation Reflects Embedded Excellence

This accreditation framework is part of a pilot program introduced by IB, with participation from educational organizations worldwide. Among them, Aoba completed the evaluation process the fastest. This rapid achievement was possible not due to special preparation, but because high standards are deeply embedded in the daily operations of each campus and consistently shared and improved across the entire group.

Beyond undergoing evaluation, Aoba actively contributed by providing specific, actionable feedback to the IB on the assessment criteria. This input has been highly valued and is expected to influence the future design of the evaluation framework, demonstrating Aoba’s role as a contributor to the advancement of international educational assessment.

"First" and "Again"—Dual Achievements Confirm Sustained Excellence

In addition, Aoba has successfully renewed its international accreditation (reaccreditation) following a comprehensive evaluation completed in March 2026. This accreditation was conducted jointly by CIS (Council of International Schools)—one of the world’s most prestigious international accrediting bodies, with over 1,500 member schools and universities across 124 countries—and NEASC (New England Association of Schools and Colleges).

The dual recognition—being the world’s first to receive IB group accreditation and reaffirming long-standing quality through CIS/NEASC reaccreditation—validates from two distinct angles that Aoba’s high educational standards are not temporary, but consistently maintained over time.

Recognition of Individualized Student Learning

The independent evaluation team commended Aoba’s educational approach in the following areas:

- A collaborative, inquiry-based learning environment that supports student agency and reflection

- Personalized learning enabled by close collaboration among teachers, support staff, and the school community

- Students’ ability to articulate their own learning and explain in their own words how they approach and solve challenges

- A sophisticated system of assessment, reporting, and teacher collaboration that supports continuous improvement in educational quality

In particular, the recognition of students’ ability to verbalize their learning and describe their problem-solving approaches highlights that Aoba cultivates not just knowledge acquisition, but the ability to apply knowledge effectively. With "entrepreneurial spirit," "innovation," and "social responsibility" as core pillars, Aoba aims to develop global leaders who will continue learning throughout life and drive positive change in the world. This evaluation confirms that these educational goals are being successfully realized.

【Comment from School Leadership】Jake Madden, Head of School

"This group accreditation is not the achievement of any single campus, but a recognition of the collective quality of education developed through collaboration and mutual growth among all Aoba campuses and staff. It is precisely because our multiple campuses have worked together over many years toward a shared vision that we have achieved this world-first milestone. I extend my deepest respect to our teachers, school leaders, students, and all support staff whose unwavering dedication continues to uphold Aoba’s educational mission. Moving forward, we will continue to share insights across our group, engage in ongoing improvement and reflection, and support the growth of every student."

Aoba Japan International School celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, having been founded in 1976. For half a century, Aoba has provided continuous international education from early childhood through Grade 12 (final year of high school), implementing a curriculum centered on the International Baccalaureate (IB) with full authorization for the PYP (Primary Years Programme), MYP (Middle Years Programme), and DP (Diploma Programme). Currently, approximately 830 students from around 40 different nationalities study across multiple campuses, learning together in a diverse and inclusive environment.

Under the internationally accredited education framework, Aoba graduates are accepted into major universities abroad as well as universities in Japan. Holders of the International Baccalaureate Diploma (DP) are eligible for admission to Japanese universities. Additionally, Japan’s Ministry of Education recognizes graduation from foreign schools accredited by organizations such as CIS as qualifying for university admission. Students at Aoba are thus empowered to pursue higher education both domestically and internationally.

Building on 50 years of tradition and achievement, Aoba will continue to deliver high-quality international education and contribute to the further advancement of international education in Japan.

About Aoba Japan International School (A-JIS)

A historic international school operated by Aoba International Educational Systems, Inc. (headquartered in Nerima Ward, Tokyo), a subsidiary of Aoba-BBT Corporation (headquartered in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo; CEO: Iwao Shibata; hereinafter "BBT"). Founded in 1976 in Aobadai, Meguro Ward.

A non-denominational, co-educational international school serving students from early childhood through Grade 12. All classes, except Japanese language courses, are conducted in English.

The school offers robust English support programs to help students fully engage with the IB curriculum. It delivers North American and international-standard curricula from preschool through high school, enabling graduates to apply to universities worldwide.

Aoba is accredited by CIS (Council of International Schools) and NEASC (New England Association of Schools and Colleges). It is also authorized by the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) as an IB World School for the DP (Diploma Programme), MYP (Middle Years Programme), and PYP (Primary Years Programme), offering IB education across all levels. http://www.aobajapan.jp/

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List of International School and Early Childhood Education Locations in the Aoba-BBT Group ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ● Aoba Japan International School

[IB PYP, MYP, DP Authorized School]

・Meguro Campus (Aobadai, Meguro Ward)

・Hikarigaoka Campus (Hikarigaoka, Nerima Ward)

・Bunkyo Campus (Hongō, Bunkyo Ward)

● Aoba Japan International School

[IB DP Pilot Program]

・Global Campus (Online)

● Aoba Japan Bilingual Preschool

[IB PYP Authorized School]

・Harumi Campus (Harumi, Chuo Ward)

・Waseda Campus (Takadanobaba, Shinjuku Ward)

・Mitaka Campus (Mitaka City, Tokyo)

・Nakano Campus (Minami-dai, Nakano Ward)

・Shimomeguro Campus (Shimomeguro, Meguro Ward)

・Yoga Campus (Kami-Yoga, Setagaya Ward)

● Others

[IB PYP Authorized School]

・Summerhill International School (Moto-Azabu, Minato Ward)

[Cambridge Assessment International Education Accredited School]

・Musashi International School Tokyo (Shimorenjaku, Mitaka City)

About Aoba-BBT

Founded in April 1998, Aoba-BBT is committed to the mission of "developing leaders who will thrive globally." The organization offers a broad range of educational programs (Life-Time Empowerment: a lifelong source of vitality) for learners from early childhood through corporate executives, operating international schools, corporate training programs, and online undergraduate and graduate programs (MBA). Leveraging innovative educational technologies, Aoba-BBT provides personalized learning environments to support sustained growth for students and business professionals. As a leader in the education sector, Aoba-BBT continues to evolve and contribute to the future of education. https://aoba-bbt.com