Jesuit high schools in Japan and PH 'share the same vision of St Ignatius'

On 7 & 8 November 2024, a total of 158 Year 9 students, four faculty and two administrators from Sophia Fukuoka Junior High School – a Jesuit school in Japan - visited the Ateneo de Manila Junior High School (AJHS) and Ateneo de Manila Senior High School (ASHS) campuses. The objective of the visit was to provide students from each school the opportunity to interact and explore similarities and differences in their respective school practices and cultures.

The two days of visits followed similar schedules, both beginning with an Opening Program at 10 am, during which the Japanese were welcomed by administrators, faculty, and students from AJHS and ASHS. After the welcome, ASHS and AJHS student leaders  then delivered brief presentations about the Ateneo de Manila and the Philippines, which would in turn be followed by the Japanese reporting about their school and country. The groups would then adjourn for lunch. Scheduled from 1:00 to 4:00 pm were class observations, campus tours of the AJHS and ASHS, and then finally a Closing Program. 

During the November 7 visit, the opening program was held in the ASHS Black Box theater. In her welcome remarks, AJHS Principal Gen Sanvictores warmly welcomed the visitors and expressed her hope that the students would “make new friends, learn from one another, and appreciate their common Ignatian tradition.” 

On November 8, the visitors gathered in the assembly area on the 2nd floor of the ASHS Formation and Learning Center (FLC). There, they were welcomed by Vice President for Basic Education Fr Jonjee Sumpaico SJ, who said that the visit was a “great opportunity” for the students and formators of both Ateneo de Manila and Sophia Fukuoka “to be together and share stories” which would hopefully lead to even more educational partnerships among other Jesuit schools in the world. He then wished the Japanese visitors a joyous and happy visit, reassuring them, “You are with friends.”

Members of the AJHS Sanggunian then gave a brief history of the Ateneo de Manila and shared the school’s Vision-Mission and its core values (e.g. the 5 C’s). This was succeeded by a short talk given by ASHS Alunsina about the Philippines, in which the speakers discussed a few basic Filipino phrases, Filipino traits and traditions, and the country’s top tourist spots. 

Following this, the Japanese students took the stage, with several boys and girls presenting a traditional Japanese tea ceremony which saw five female students preparing tea for 12 Ateneans who volunteered to taste it (they all said it was good). A pair of Sophia Fukuoka students then delivered a presentation about their school. One especially memorable slide they shared stated that their school’s guiding principles are Magis, For Others With Others, and Excellence. The slide made the Ateneans realize how much they had in common with the Japanese visitors since these principles guide the Ateneo de Manila as well. A later slide stated that Sophia Fukuoka Junior High School gave importance to sportsfests and cultural celebrations, which the Ateneans also related to. The presentations of both schools underscored that students in Jesuit schools from different countries truly share the same core values.  

After this, three groups of Japanese students performed three dances. The first two groups danced to what sounded like contemporary, anime-inspired pop music, while the third group performed a traditional dance that was almost fiercely patriotic. 

Lunch then followed from 11:30 am to 12:40 pm in the ASHS FLC’s cafeteria. 

From 12:50 to 1:40 pm, the visitors observed classes in the AJHS. In pairs, the 79 students from Sophia Fukuoka attended their assigned Grade 10 classes in Science, Art, Music, Math, Computer, and PE in various venues.   

They were then toured around the AJHS campus from 1:40 pm to 2:10 pm, and then around the ASHS campus from 2:30 pm to 3:00 pm by AJHS and ASHS student volunteers, respectively. This writer was charmed by the friendliness displayed by many AJHS students who smiled and waved at the Japanese visitors, who happily smiled and waved back. Some even greeted the Japanese “konnichiwa.” 

More endearing moments were observed during the tour of the ASHS. In the Dance Studio in the FLC, four Japanese students – two boys and two girls- performed an impromptu dance that was applauded by the Ateneans. And as the tour wound down and the visitors appeared to be visibly tired, five Japanese boys were suddenly re-energized and began playing basketball after being handed a ball in the FLC’s 3rd floor gym. Apparently, the Japanese youth love basketball and dancing as much as Filipinos do! 

At 3:00 pm, the visitors and their hosts gathered once more on the 2nd floor of the FLC for the Closing Program. In her brief message to the visitors, ASHS Assistant Principal for Formation Jen Concepcion – who accompanied a group of ASHS students to Sophia Fukuoka Junior and Senior High School in June 2024 as part of the ASHS’ Global Experience (Gxp) Program – expressed her hopes that the visit of Sophia Fukuoka’s students to the Ateneo de Manila and our students’ recent visit to their school would signal “a good start to a beautiful friendship.” 

For her part, AJHS Principal Gen Sanvictores echoed Mrs Concepcion’s hopes, adding that the Ateneo was looking forward to a “lasting relationship” with Sophia Fukuoka and “more interactions in the future.”

In her parting message, ASHS Principal Sansan Borja began by asking the visitors what their favorite part of the day was. She wasn't surprised when two Japanese students said that the libraries were their favorite stops on the tour. Mrs Borja concluded by saying, “I hope you bring with you good memories of your brief time here.”

The Ateneans and Sophia Fukuoka students were then given 10 minutes to say goodbye to one another and exchange souvenirs. The Ateneo administrators and faculty observed that the Japanese appeared to be enjoying the Filipino snacks (such as dried mangoes) which the Ateneans gifted them with, and that the students from both countries were still engaged in animated conversation even though the time had come for the Japanese to board their bus and for the Ateneans to go home. After an extension of more than 15 minutes, the Filipinos and Japanese reluctantly parted ways.  

After the visitors returned to Japan on Monday, November 11, AJHS Principal Gen Sanvictores and ASHS Principal Sansan Borja received an email from Iwao Funabashi, principal of Sophia Fukuoka Junior and Senior High School. Mr. Funabashi began the letter by saying, “I am sure the visit to Ateneo is one of the highlights for our students.”  

He then concluded by writing, “Thank you very much for welcoming us so warmly to your wonderful school on November 7 and 8. We appreciate your hospitality and all the preparations you have done to make this interaction happen. Our students were so happy to be able to talk and make friends with your students. Through the presentations as well as your kind attitude towards us, I could tell that we share the same vision of St. Ignatius. Thank you again and I hope we can strengthen our relationship in the future.”