75th Anniversary Weekend
March 27 and 28, 2025
The Internationalist 2024-2025 Vol 72
Part 1 of 2
A Weekend Recap
Nishimachi has now stood for three-quarters of a century, starting from four students to now a community of thousands. Within that time, countless memories have been formed and bonds made that have lasted for a lifetime. To recognize how far we have come, we welcomed our community from near and far to join us to celebrate over the 75th Anniversary Weekend, a multi-day event that explored different parts of our legacy, from revisiting classrooms on campus, to returning to Kazuno. Our goal was to create a special event to celebrate how far we have come (looking back) and explore how Nishimachi continues to grow and thrive into the future (looking forward).
Thursday Night
Diamond Jubilee Reception
Nishimachi welcomed the weekend festivities with the Diamond Jubilee Reception. Held in a place dear to many throughout our community, the Ushiba Memorial Gymnasium was the site for two hundred alumni, parents of alumni, former faculty, staff, and their families to gather to share a toast and connect with others. As Nishimachi is proudly an international community, for some this was more than a standard commute, involving international travel from as far as the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and the United States. We are deeply grateful to have had so many eager
to visit and partake in the celebrations. The evening was filled with reunion and excitement, topped off with a sake barrel breaking by our Head of School, Karen O’Neill ’78, Board of Directors Chairperson, Chris Hathaway ’90 and Nishimachi
Trustee, Richard Dyck.
Friday
School Tours
During a beautiful Friday on the second day of the anniversary weekend, school tours were held for our visiting alumni, former faculty and their families. This was a school day, offering a wonderful opportunity to observe what a school day is like for our current students. While the classrooms were likely to be different to the experiences of some alumni, the energy of being a student clearly remained the same. Attendees were welcomed by Craig Cantlie, Deputy Head of School, and Katie Mayne, Director of Learning and Innovation, who introduced our school’s learning goals and Nishimachi Learner Expectations (NLEs). This gathering also offered an opportunity for attendees to reflect on their experiences at Nishimachi, speaking with current students and sharing similar experiences across generations.
Preserving the past was a major focus in efforts for the 75th Anniversary. In 1970, Nishimachi was the subject of a NHK Camera Report, titled We are Little Internationalists [僕らは小さな国際人], which featured an interview with Miss Tané Matsukata. Gradually over time, the only known surviving copy of this airing had significantly deteriorated. This year, the audio was painstakingly restored and screened throughout the 75th Anniversary Weekend, allowing attendees to once again hear the words of Miss Matsukata and her passion for education.
Friday Night
Decade Dinners
The Decade Dinner for alumni from the 1980s and 1990s turned out to be a joyful, heartwarming, and fun-filled evening. Close to 80 people participated, making it one of the most memorable gatherings in recent years. Simultaneously, gatherings were taking place for alumni from the 1970s, organized by Debbie Krisher-Steele ’78 and by Kat Whatley
’10 for classmates from the 2000s and 2010s. Each gathering brought warm feelings of reconnection and the Alumni Office appreciates the work of all the organizers in making these events possible. Here is a first hand account of the gathering for the 1980s and 1990s. Spearheaded by the ever-organized Anne Sharp Sands ’81, who led the charge for the ’80s group, the gathering was held at a cozy and welcoming BBQ restaurant managed by one of our own 1980s
alumnus, Tomas Gristen ’84, making the evening feel even more personal and meaningful. Those of us in the 1990s group appreciated joining with alumni from the 1980s for a wonderful evening. Anne made personalized name tags for everyone, featuring their old Ayumi yearbook photos, which sparked instant conversation and laughter. People came from near and far—some traveling from overseas, others from just around the corner—to reconnect and reminisce. The gathering included several beloved former teachers and a counselor, who were warmly welcomed back into the fold. Seeing our former teachers was a special highlight of the evening and we thank all of them for making the extra effort to attend. Seeing your former teacher was a wonderful experience! As the night drew to a close, no one wanted to leave. It was one of those rare and meaningful evenings where time seemed to rewind and the bonds of the past were celebrated in the most memorable way.
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