[Opening April 2027] Dalton X Gakuen High School Announces Principal Appointment – A School That Generates Energy to Support Life Through Collaboration with Diverse People –

Kawaijuku Gakuen Educational Foundation has provisionally appointed Terukane Furuya as the principal-designate of Dalton X Gakuen High School (hereinafter referred to as "this school"), which is currently under preparation for opening in Ichinoseki City, Iwate Prefecture, in April 2027.

Furuya currently serves concurrently as the head of the preparatory office for this school and as the head of research and development at its sister school, Dalton Tokyo Gakuen Junior and Senior High School (hereinafter referred to as "Dalton Tokyo Gakuen"). With extensive experience working for multinational corporations, he embodies the "person who can jump into the field, collaborate with people from diverse backgrounds, and solve problems" that this school aims to cultivate.

Background of Principal Appointment and Educational Expectations for Terukane Furuya

After graduating from the Faculty of Economics at the University of Tokyo in 1998, Furuya obtained a master's degree from the University of Michigan's School of Public Policy in 2005. His career includes a wide range of experience in marketing and new business development at domestic and international companies such as Accenture, Recruit, Twitter (at the time, now X), and Amazon.

He joined the Kawaijuku Group in 2023. Since 2024, he has been affiliated with Dalton Tokyo Gakuen, leading the expansion of overseas partner schools and the development of international exchange programs. Concurrently, as a researcher, he has been engaged in analyzing the growth of students' non-cognitive skills. He discovered that the development of non-cognitive skills is influenced not only by learning within the school but also by experiences outside the school, such as in the local community. This has significantly impacted the learning design that this school aims for.

Currently, as the head of the preparatory office, he is actively involved in curriculum design and lesson planning for this school.

Terukane Furuya, Principal-Designate, Dalton X Gakuen High School

This school aims to be a place where students "explore with their own feet, encounter the extraordinary, and co-create the frontier." Its most distinctive feature is the regional exploration learning conducted in the third term of the first year of high school, where all students leave the classroom, stay for three months in a domestic or international regional base of their choice, and challenge themselves to discover and solve problems through real interaction and collaboration with local residents.

Furuya has gained experience not only in Japan but also as the head of Asia-Pacific operations within multinational corporations, collaborating with numerous people from diverse backgrounds including nationality, race, and culture, and overcoming cultural differences to achieve consensus and solve problems. This is a valuable and rare experience that goes beyond mere overseas business experience.

This experience greatly overlaps with the educational direction of "exploring with their own feet, encountering the extraordinary, and co-creating the frontier" that this school aims for. By leveraging his accumulated experience in collaborating with diverse people in our school's education, and by embodying the education our school aims for as principal himself, we will strongly promote the development of individuals who will carve out the future.

A Message from Furuya

"I want to place the energy of 'taking the first step oneself' advocated by Dalton X Gakuen at the center of our education. I hope that each student, driven by curiosity and a proactive spirit, will face the realities of their community and society, and through repeated challenges, including both successes and failures, deepen their broad knowledge, master teamwork, and cultivate true autonomy. The experience of tackling challenges in collaboration with people from diverse backgrounds trains the ability to confront questions without answers. I will utilize the collaborative practices I have cultivated so far to create a space where students can converse, debate, and find solutions, together with faculty, staff, and partners both locally and internationally. I believe that not only pursuing brilliant success, but also the accumulation of deep experiences will support their lives and become the 'energy' to move towards their next path. With this belief, I will nurture learning at this school."

Recommendation from Dalton Tokyo Gakuen Principal Yasui

"Mr. Furuya has provided many insights from both quantitative and qualitative perspectives regarding student growth at Dalton Tokyo Gakuen, analyzing it from the viewpoint of non-cognitive skills, and highlighting the importance of proactively challenging oneself and continuing to learn, as well as how learning from people with diverse backgrounds as global citizens broadens students' horizons. These educational insights are combined with Mr. Furuya's global experience. I believe that the world-class Dalton Plan education, centered on freedom and collaboration, can be realized precisely because Mr. Furuya has navigated turbulent times with partners from various countries in a fast-paced global business environment. I have high expectations for Mr. Furuya's leadership experience and skills."

Chotoshu Yasui, Principal, Dalton Tokyo Gakuen Junior and Senior High School

Dalton X Gakuen, Practicing "Correspondence Education x Full Boarding x Exploration Learning Domestically and Internationally"

Dalton X Gakuen High School aims to realize its vision of students who "explore with their own feet, encounter the extraordinary, and co-create the frontier," featuring learning that references the educational model of Minerva University in the United States.

The school's most distinctive feature, exploration learning that involves immersing oneself in the local community, is conducted by staying in several regional bases from the third term of the first year of high school. While engaging in subject learning online, students undertake fieldwork in the local area.

In the first and second terms of the first year, and in the third year, students will deepen their learning by staying for one term each at the Ichinoseki Campus in Iwate Prefecture and the Tokyo Campus in Chofu City, operated by NTT East Corporation, with whom the Kawaijuku Group has a partnership agreement.

For interview requests with Furuya regarding Dalton X Gakuen High School's initiatives, specific examples of exploration learning, regional collaboration, and insights into students' non-cognitive skills, please contact us at the following: