is located in Chūō-ku,

Fukuoka is the sixth-largest city in Japan, the second-largest port city after Yokohama, and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center of international commerce since ancie ...

. Founded by the

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

diocese as a seminary school in 1932 and undergoing several name changes, it has been managed by the

Jesuits , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders = ...

since 1983. It took its present name in 2010 when it became affiliated with

Sophia University Sophia University (Japanese: 上智大学, ''Jōchi Daigaku''; Latin: ''Universitas Sedis Sapientiae'') is a private research university in Japan. Sophia is one of the three ''Sōkeijōchi'' (早慶上智) private universities, a group of the to ...

History

The school traces its origin to 1932 when a bishop from the

Paris Foreign Missions Society The Society of Foreign Missions of Paris (french: Société des Missions Etrangères de Paris, short M.E.P.) is a Roman Catholic missionary organization. It is not a religious institute, but an organization of secular priests and lay persons d ...

opened Fukuoka Christian Theological Seminary for the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Fukuoka The Roman Catholic Diocese of Fukuoka ( la, Fukuokaën(sis), ja, カトリック福岡教区) is a diocese located in Fukuoka in the Ecclesiastical province of Nagasaki 長崎 in Japan. History * July 16, 1927: Established as Diocese of Fukuok ...

. In 1934 upon recognition by the prefect governor of Fukuoka it was named Hirao Academy. In 1936 it was renamed Taisei Junior High School. In 1946 the Catholic Marian Association took charge of the school. In 1948 the high school opened and in 1951 the Taizon Academy School Corporation was formed. In 1959 the junior high school closed. In 1969 the Fukuoka Diocese again took control of the school, and moved it to its present location in 1974. In 1983 the Society of Jesus assumed management of the school and began an expansion program, reopening the middle school the following year. An exchange program with

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about It ...

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island country ...

, began in 1989. By 1991 the middle and high school systems were integrated. In 2010 an educational alliance was signed with

and the next year the school was renamed Sophia Fukuoka Junior and Senior High School. In 2012 the school began to admit girls, from the first year level.

School life

The educational philosophy follows that of the Jesuits: always seek the

greater good Greater good may refer to: Film and TV * The Greater Good (film), ''The Greater Good'' (film), a 2011 film regarding adverse reactions to vaccines * Spooks: The Greater Good, a film based on the Spooks TV series * Greater Good (CSI: NY), "Greater ...

and be men and women for and with others. The eagle, the symbol of Sophia University, is on the shield along with the words ''Lux Veritatis'' ("light of truth") and the English name "SOPHIA FUKUOKA." The school colors are dark blue, deep red, and golden yellow. The school song since 2011 has been "Wagame Sophia's Eagle" with music and lyrics by Mitsuru Arai. Until the school name was changed in 2011 the song was "Taizon Academy School Song." Sponsored sports include, for boys only, handball, soccer, softball, and basketball; for girls, volleyball; for boys and girls,

Kendo is a modern Japanese martial art, descended from kenjutsu (one of the old Japanese martial arts, swordsmanship), that uses bamboo swords (shinai) as well as protective armor (bōgu). Today, it is widely practiced within Japan and has spread t ...

, field, tennis, table tennis, badminton, and judo. Within a network of Jesuit schools, Sophia shares initiatives based on the educational philosophy of educating "men and women for and with others." Seven participants from five Jesuit Schools in Fukuoka,

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountains ...

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta ...

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, and

Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populated ...

have participated in a shared life for one week. Sophia also participates in the AFS student exchange programs, recently with Iceland, the Netherlands, and Austria. Also Sophia has been supporting Colégio de Santo Inácio de Loiola in East Timor. A sister school relationship was established with St. Joseph's High School, East Timor, in 1997, but it seems the school

Sister schools (Jesuit affiliation)

(Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo) * Sophia University Junior College Department (Hadano City, Kanagawa Prefecture) *

Elisabeth University of Music is a Jesuit university in Hiroshima, Japan. The predecessor of the school was founded in 1948. It was chartered as a university in 1963. History Belgian Jesuit Father Ernest Goossens began a music classroom for youths right after the devastati ...

(Hiroshima- shi, Hiroshima Prefecture) * Eiko Gakuen, Kamakura City (Kanagawa Prefecture) * Rokko Junior and Senior High School (Hyogo kobe city) * Hiroshima Academy Junior and Senior High School (Hiroshima-shi Hiroshima) The above schools have Jesuits as their sponsors. In 2016 the Sophia College Corporation was formed with the University and other Jesuit schools to maximize the impact of the Jesuit and Ignatian charism amid a declining number of Jesuits. One way of reaching out is through teacher workshops, while school administrations and management remain intact.

Staged at the school

The TV drama "What is family?" by Fukuoka Broadcasting (FBS), shooting in July 2001 with nationwide broadcasting on 24 hour TV in Japan ( Nippon TV series). Cast: Shunsuke Osaka, Ken Tanaka, Hitomi Takahashi, Hiroshi Fuse,

Mami Nomura (born October 19, 1964) is a Japanese actress from Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. She is a member of the Tōhō Geinō agency. A versatile actress, she appears in contemporary and historic roles. Since 1990, she has portrayed Yōko in the ...

, Hanayobu Yamamoto, Yutaro Imai, and Yoko Komon. Students from the school appeared as extras.

Transport and environs

Transport: Nearest train station 15 minutes on foot from Fukuoka City Subway Nanakami Line "Sakurazaka Station." Nearest bus stop a one-minute walk from the Nishitetsu bus stop "Sophia Fukuoka Nakakoe." Only high school students may come to school by bicycle. Environs: Fukuoka Municipal Zoo and Botanical Garden; Fukuoka Tsubo Elementary School with kindergarten through high school.

Prominence

Alumni

*Masahiro Noda (SF writer, translator, Japan telework adviser) *Toshinori Fukabori (Catholic bishop of Takamatsu) *Tachibana Yoichi (jazz pianist) *Kutaro Kurita (regional Talent, personality, 41st Century) *Ruka Fukuoka (Fukuoka Broadcasting announcer) *Shiro Tamura (Representative Director and President of Azusa-cho) *Kenichi Hamano (Open Source Education, School Director of Linux Academy) *Kaoru Tsu (baritone singer) *Takeuchi Masato (Shikihiko Theater Company)

Teachers and staff

*Yotaro Oyanagi (writer, professor at former Kyushu Bunka Kaikyo Junior College) *Robert M. Flynn (writer, Progress-in English) *Akio Akimoto (Jesuit Association of Japan District Manager, Rokko Academy Principal / President)

References

{{coord, 33, 34, 19, N, 130, 23, 10, E, region:JP_type:edu_source:kolossus-jawiki, display=title Schools in Fukuoka Prefecture Sophia University Jesuit secondary schools in Japan Educational institutions established in 1932 1932 establishments in Japan Buildings and structures in Fukuoka