Who We Are
*In 1949 a group of Christian missionary families living in the greater Tokyo area met to consider the educational needs of its children. As a result of these missionaries’ vision and courage, the Christian Academy in Japan first opened its doors in 1950 with thirteen students and one teacher. One year later the school moved to its present location in Higashi Kurume on a dairy farm, which in earlier times had supplied dairy products to the Imperial family. In 1961 the operation of the school was given to a board of directors, elected from the six evangelical mission organizations, who have maintained the school since that time.
- Over the years the programs and the campus have grown to what we have today. CAJ provides a high quality Christian education to over 430 students from over 20 different countries in kindergarten through grade 12. We serve the educational needs of over 40 missions and Christian organizations, as well as a growing number of Christian parents from the corporate, diplomatic, and local Japanese communities. In addition, through its School Support Services (SSS) CAJ reaches out into the broader Christian community to assist parents with home schooling and to provide consultation for affiliated and satellite schools.
- Satellite schools and affiliated schools are designed to meet the needs of clusters of elementary students from missionary families who live too far from our main campus for their children to attend. CAJ has operated several satellite schools in recent years and served as a consultant to a number of affiliated schools.
- CAJ is a board-controlled rather than a church- or parent- controlled Christian school. The board is ultimately responsible for decisions regarding educational philosophy, policy, curriculum, staffing, student affairs, and guidelines for school life. While within the CAJ community there is a broad range of views regarding Christian education, the school expects that parents enrolling their children in CAJ agree to have their children educated according to the school’s statement and interpretation of its ends, philosophy, and student objectives.
- CAJ received initial accreditation with the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) in 1976 and has maintained its accredited status since that time. CAJ is associated with the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI), Christian Schools International (CSI), the Japan Council of International Schools (JCIS), the East Asia Regional Council of Schools (EARCOS).
