Saint Mary’s International School is a Tokyo-based school, one with immense history, being established in 1957. However, as the culture of the school progresses, a question is repeatedly brought up, how was St. Mary’s in previous decades, or more specifically, how were inter-school events in the past and how has it evolved? Through extensive research and multiple interviews, the question has finally been answered.
1970’s
Throughout the decades, the most connected clubs have almost always been St. Mary’s sports programs. In no decade is this more apparent than the 1970’s. The school had a dominant rule over basketball during that decade. Specifically, winning all but one junior varsity basketball match in 1975, a feat of absolute power and determination. St. Mary’s was also a force to be reckoned with when it came to swimming, attaining a gold medal in the A.A.U. Far East Championship in the mid-70’s, one of the most prestigious tournaments in Japan during that time. However, the St. Mary’s music program also began to be established during that decade, accumulating in the first inter-school choir in 1977.
1980’s
As the world enter the 1980’s, the St. Mary’s Carnival reached a peak of popularity it had never seen before. It was featured on the 1984 yearbook for the first time since St. Mary’s was created. However, the school’s sports and fine arts programs were not given as much attention throughout the decade, as more focus was put on improving the school’s infrastructure. However, during this decade, team rivalries were much more passionate and fierce, as St. Mary’s alumni and wrestling coach, Mr. Yabui reminisced, “I do feel there was much more school spirit and competitive spirit back in the 80s, 90s, 00s. When other teams like ASIJ or Kinnick came over, it was a very intense feel. It was a huge rivalry.” Indeed, many people report the same observations when discussing how this school’s spirit and sense of community has changed.
1990’s
In the 90’s, the Leo Club, committed to human rights activism reached it’s peak, engaging with
activities sponsored by UNICEF (United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund.) The Fall and Spring Plays were also established as annual demonstrations of inter-school unity between International School of Sacred Heart and Seisen International School. The Fine Arts included some of the most recognised clubs in the 1990’s for St. Mary’s. However, during this decade, the school also began to achieve it’s prestigious wrestling reputation. In 1997, St. Mary’s was named “the best wrestling team in the Far East Tournament.” As Mr. Yabui put it, “Back in the 80s, 90s and 2000s, being a Far East champion was the ultimate goal and everyone aspired to be a champion. It was a huge deal for the schools and the students to have won the Far East,” going to show the amazing significance of the achievement as a whole.
2000’s
“In the 2004-2005 season, DoDDS [Department of Defense Dependents Schools] chose to ban international
schools from competing in the Far East Championship for wrestling, cross country, and tennis. We were banned for 6 seasons,” Mr. Yabui recounted. With some of St. Mary’s strongest sports teams being unable to compete in the most prestigious tournament in the country, St. Mary’s music program took the limelight when it came to the most significant inter-school clubs. The school’s jazz ensemble and choir unexpected prominence reflected both rising student interest and a higher level of musical achievement, with reported strong audience engagement from that decade.
Conclusion
If there were any significant inter-school events from the past few decades that were not placed in the yearbook, it was essentially lost to time, never to see the light of day. This emphasizes the need of the school’s yearbook team, as they will most likely be the only ties to show how life was like in 2025 to students in the future. With limited space in the yearbook, it is clear that many important activities and initiatives were and have been forgotten. This raises the question for the possibility of any alternative that allows more in-depth analysis of St. Mary’s for future students and staff.
