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Life in Yokohama

Pavel123

後輩
13 Sep 2007
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With our highly likely move to Japan n about two years, I have been doing a lot of research into schools and have seen 2 schools that I am very interested in, Yokohama International School and St Maurs International School. But they aren't in Tokyo but in Yokohama. I have quite a few questions to ask :
1) Is Yokohama far from Tokyo for commuting to work?
2) Is there a big expat community in Yokohama?
3) How are the two schools there ( my sister would be in middle school)
I really have no idea and would like some insight. Eventually of course, we would end up going for a looksee but it would be nice to already have some idea of where I would like to send my sister and where we would like to stay. Coming from Hong Kong, I like the idea that Yokohama is a coastal city.

Looking forward to all your replies.
 
my daughter would be in middle school...
Well, well, I thought you were 19 years old! 😊

To your questions:

(1) Yokohama is not very far from Tokyo, and there are many who commute to Tokyo. Whether you'll like the commute every day is another story. 😌

(2) There used to be a large expat community, but I think it is dramatically smaller today. That is the reason for the disappearance of other international schools in the city. Yokohama has historic Yokohama Country & Athletic Club, established in the Meiji Period (if I remember correctly) that was and remains the hangout for longtime foreign residents.

(3) YIS has an American-style curriculum (non-religious) and student body consisting of many nationalities. (Grades 1 through 12)
St. Maur is a Catholic school (but accepting students regardless of religion/denomination) and is the oldest international school in Japan. It is the "international" arm of the exclusive private girls school Futaba Gakuen. The student body is very small. (I think they still have grades 1 through 12.)
Edit: It used to be a girl's school now coed.

HTH! 🙂
 
Why are you the one who gets to decide what school to enroll your sister in?
 
>1) Is Yokohama far from Tokyo for commuting to work?
Depending on the exact locations, commuting between Yokohama and Tokyo can be shorter than commuting within Tokyo. The time on the train between Yokohama and Tokyo is just 30 minutes. But if you have to transfer, it takes much longer.
 
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