Prestigious British School "NLCS Kobe" Breaks Ground on World-Class Campus. Groundbreaking Ceremony to be Held on May 20, 2026 (Wednesday) at Mount Rokko, Kobe

NLCS Kobe, the Japan campus of the "North London Collegiate School," a top-tier international school in the UK, will hold a groundbreaking ceremony and media reception for its new "Rokko Campus," scheduled to open in 2028, on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, in the Mount Rokko area of Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture, a national park.

New Campus Image Rendering

This event will consist of two parts. The first part will be a hybrid groundbreaking ceremony at the construction site, combining a traditional Japanese ritual with a British-style "Groundbreaking Ceremony." The second part, held at "Rokko Mountain Silence Resort," will feature Kobe Mayor Kizo Hisamoto, British Consul-General in Japan Michael Bryce, architect Michele De Lucchi, and students who will be the main protagonists of the future learning environment, presenting the full scope of the world-class new campus project.

World-renowned Architect Michele De Lucchi (AMDL CIRCLE)

Key Highlights

◼ World's first school building by world-renowned architect Michele De Lucchi NLCS Kobe, the Japanese campus of the world's leading school group "NLCS," will have its new campus designed by the master of Italian design, Michele De Lucchi (AMDL CIRCLE). Having led numerous iconic projects such as Deutsche Bank and Poste Italiane, he takes on his "world-first" school building project in his brilliant career.

Based on De Lucchi's belief that "investment in education is the foundation of society," the new campus is designed with the concept of "a school coexisting with the forest." It aims to create a next-generation learning environment that maximizes student well-being while respecting the rich nature of Mount Rokko.

◼ "Hybrid Groundbreaking Ceremony" merging Japanese and British traditions Following the traditional Japanese groundbreaking ritual (Jichinsai), a British-style "Groundbreaking Ceremony" will be held. This international ceremony, unique to NLCS Kobe, will respect the nature of the Mount Rokko National Park area and embody the cross-cultural exchange between Japan and the UK.

◼ World-renowned architect Michele De Lucchi, Kobe City Mayor, and British Consul-General in Japan to attend Architect De Lucchi, who designed the new campus, will visit Japan. In addition, Kobe Mayor Hisamoto and the British Consul-General in Japan will gather. The ceremony will include a presentation of the new campus by De Lucchi and a talk session. Representatives of current students, symbolizing the future campus, will also participate and deliver speeches.

Event Outline

[Date] Wednesday, May 20, 2026, 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM (Reception opens 9:30 AM)

[Schedule] *Subject to change

<Part 1: Groundbreaking Ceremony> Venue: NLCS Kobe New Campus Construction Site (Rokko Mountain, Nada Ward, Kobe City) Content: Groundbreaking Ceremony (Jichinsai), Groundbreaking Ceremony (British-style), Photo session

<Part 2: Media Reception> Venue: Rokko Mountain Silence Resort (1034 Minami-Rokko, Rokko Mountain, Nada Ward, Kobe City) Content: Organizer's greetings, congratulatory speeches by guests, new campus presentation, student speeches, photo session, talk session, press scrum

[Main Scheduled Speakers] Kizo Hisamoto / Mayor of Kobe City Daniel Lewis / Managing Director, NLCS International Matthew Williams / Founding Principal, NLCS Kobe Michael Bryce / Consul-General, British Consulate-General in Japan Michele De Lucchi / Architect, AMDL CIRCLE Kohachi Ikeda / Representative Director, Hakko LR NLCS Kobe Students

"A School Coexisting with the Forest" to be Born on Mount Rokko, Kobe

The new campus of "NLCS Kobe" will be located amidst the vast nature of Mount Rokko, a national park overlooking the Seto Inland Sea. This area, enveloped in rich greenery and the changing seasons, will play an extremely important role in fostering children's creativity and inquisitive spirit, as well as supporting the well-being of faculty and staff.

The design is handled by Michele De Lucchi (AMDL CIRCLE), a leading contemporary Italian architect. With the theme of "a school coexisting with the forest," a total of six buildings, including a classroom block, gymnasium, auditorium, and boys' and girls' dormitories, will be arranged to maximize respect for the existing ecosystem, minimizing disturbance to existing trees and water systems.

This new campus, targeting senior school students (equivalent to junior high and high school), will also include dormitories, accommodating both boarding and day school students. In the unparalleled environment of Mount Rokko, it will provide an irreplaceable learning place that promotes academic inquiry and human growth.

Classroom (Image) Library (Image)

Reference: "A School Coexisting with the Forest" to be Born on Mount Rokko, Kobe! Designed by World-renowned Architect Michele De Lucchi AMDL CIRCLE