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{{Infobox school
| name = Musashi International School Tokyo<br>(former: Little Angels International School and Academy)
| native_name = Former: リトルエンジェルス・インターナショナルスクール
| motto = Nothing is impossible.
| location = 9-7-14, Shimorenjaku, Mitaka-shi, Tokyo 181-0013, Japan
| schooltype = Private co-educational school
| established = 2002
| head_of_school = Edward Gilbreath
| grades = PreK-12
| accreditation = Cambridge Assessment International Education
| website = https://mist.school
}}
'''Musashi International School Tokyo''' ('''MIST'''{{#tag:ref|The school name in Japanese uses Latin characters<ref>{{cite web|url=https://mist.school/jp/about/#overview|title=Overview|publisher=Musashi International School Tokyo|accessdate=2022-11-13}}</ref>|group=note}}), formerly '''Little Angels International School and Academy''' ('''LAIS''' リトルエンジェルス・インターナショナルスクール; formerly リトルエンジェルス学園 ''Ritoru Enjerusu Gakuen''), is an international school, kindergarten, English school, and adult business school with two campuses located in [[Mitaka, Tokyo|Mitaka]], [[Tokyo]], [[Japan]].

It was designed to cater to Japanese children, whereas other Indian international schools in Japan were established mainly for Indian children.<ref name=Fackler>Fackler, Martin. "[https://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/02/business/worldbusiness/02japan.html Losing an Edge, Japanese Envy India’s Schools]." ''[[The New York Times]]''. January 2, 2008. Retrieved on March 9, 2015. {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20150309142533/http://www.angelsenglish.com/about/MediaC/Nytimes.pdf Alternate link]}} ({{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20150309142533/http://www.angelsenglish.com/about/MediaC/Nytimes.pdf Archive]}}) "Unlike other Indian schools, Ms. Angelina said, Little Angels was intended primarily for Japanese children, to meet the need she had found when she sent her sons to Japanese kindergarten."</ref>

==Composition==
The school included Little Angels International School ('''LAIS'''; リトル・エンジェルス・インターナショナル・スクール) for full-time students and Little Angels English Academy (リトル・エンジェルス・イングリッシュ・アカデミー) for after-school classes. The Little Angels International School had four divisions: Little Angels International Kindergarten (リトル・エンジェルス幼稚園), the Little Angels International Elementary School (リトル・エンジェルス小学校), Little Angels International Middle School (リトル・エンジェルス中学校)　and Little Angels High School　(リトル・エンジェルス高等学校). The curriculum followed both [[Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology]] (MEXT) guidelines and international English guidelines for education. The Little Angels Middle School and High School have received accreditation from the [[Cambridge International Examinations]].

The school also offered special classes for adults,<ref name=Joe>Joe, Melinda. "[http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2010/04/15/lifestyle/why-do-english-teachers-have-to-be-native-speakers/ Why do English teachers have to be native speakers?]" ([https://web.archive.org/web/20150304172218/http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2010/04/15/lifestyle/why-do-english-teachers-have-to-be-native-speakers Archive]). ''[[The Japan Times]]''. April 15, 2010. Retrieved on March 9, 2015.</ref> under the name Little Angels Business School (リトル・エンジェルス・ビジネス・スクール).<ref>"{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20150331212829/http://www.angelsenglish.com/index_1.html Welcome to Little Angels Business School]}}." Little Angels International School. Retrieved on March 9, 2015.</ref>

The Mitaka Main Campus (三鷹本校) had all levels of education,<ref>"{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20150309051747/http://www.angelsenglish.com/M1.html Mitaka Main Campus]}}." Little Angels International School. Retrieved on March 9, 2015. "Address: 9-7-14, Shimorenjaku, Mitaka-shi, Tokyo 181-0013 〒181-0013 東京三鷹市下連雀9-7-14"</ref> including the school, kindergarten, English academy, and business school.<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20150309051325/http://www.angelsenglish.com/AdSquarePage.html Home]}}. Little Angels International School. Retrieved on March 9, 2015.</ref> The [[Mitaka Station]] Campus (三鷹駅校) housed the Little Angels English Academy & International Kindergarten.<ref>"{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20150309051804/http://www.angelsenglish.com/M2.html Mitaka Station Campus]}}." Little Angels International School. Retrieved on March 9, 2015. "1-3-2, Kamirenjaku, Mitaka-shi, Tokyo 181-0012 〒181-0012 東京都三鷹市上連雀 1-3-2"</ref>

The school's original kindergarten campus in Mitaka was previously a single family residence.<ref name=Saito>Saito, Mayumi. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20070815123802/http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200709220042.html Weekend Beat: Japanese parents praise Tokyo's Indian schools]" (). ''[[The Asahi Shimbun]]''/''[[International Herald Tribune]]''. September 22, 2007, Tokyo edition. Retrieved on March 10, 2015. {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20150310005612/http://www.angelsenglish.com/about/MediaC/Asahi-IHT-2007-Sep-22.pdf See alternate location]}} ({{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20150310005612/http://www.angelsenglish.com/about/MediaC/Asahi-IHT-2007-Sep-22.pdf Archive]}}). "A native of India, Sanku opened the kindergarten in Mitaka, western Tokyo, in 2004."</ref> The school previously had a campus in [[Kichijōji]], [[Musashino, Tokyo|Musashino]].<ref>"{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20150309053150/http://www.angelsenglish.com/about/Archived-files/2011/SpingSchool_App2011.pdf Spring School Program 2011 Application Form]}}" ({{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20150309053150/http://www.angelsenglish.com/about/Archived-files/2011/SpingSchool_App2011.pdf Archive]}}). Little Angels International School. Retrieved on March 9, 2015. "Little Angels International School 4-9-15, Honcho, Kichijoji, Musashino-shi, Tokyo 180-0004 (〒180-0004 東京都武蔵野市吉祥寺本町4-9-15)"</ref>

==History==
Jeevarani Angelina, a native of [[Chennai]], moved to Japan in 1990 and became a [[Non-resident Indian and person of Indian origin|non-resident Indian]]. Angelina, who is known as "Rani Sanku"{{#tag:ref|"Sanku" is the surname of Angelina's husband, Sarath Chandar Rao Sanku|group=note}} due to the ease in pronouncing it in Japanese,<ref name=Fackler/> established an English-training school, Little Angels English Academy, in 2002.<ref>"{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20150309051805/http://www.angelsenglish.com/about/history.html History]}}." Little Angels International School. Retrieved on March 9, 2015.</ref> The kindergarten was started in 2004.<ref name=Saito/> In the beginning, the school had an enrollment of only 5 students; This, however, increased to 15 students in 2005 and 30 students in 2006. By February 2008, enrollment had reached 85 students.<ref name=Terada>Terada, Shinichi "[http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2008/12/28/national/more-parents-send-kids-to-indian-chinese-schools/#.VP_HpY7kfX8 More parents send kids to Indian, Chinese schools]" ([https://web.archive.org/web/20090101015446/http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20081228f1.html Archive]). ''[[The Japan Times]]''. Sunday December 28, 2008. Retrieved on March 11, 2015. {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20150402123005/http://www.angelsenglish.com/about/MediaC/JapanTimes2008.pdf Alternate link]}}</ref> Japanese student enrollment increased along with the general student enrollment.<ref name=TakizawaFukuda>Takizawa, Kosuke and Mai Fukuda. "{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20150309053449/http://www.angelsenglish.com/about/MediaC/News-2-12-2010.pdf Indian-style education gets an A]}} " ([https://archive.today/20100218122609/http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T100211006043.htm Archive]). ''[[The Daily Yomiuri]]''. February 12, 2010. Retrieved on March 9, 2015.</ref> The school was scheduled to add the sixth grade in 2011. Melinda Joe of ''[[The Japan Times]]'' wrote that Little Angels "even helped pave the way for other Indian international schools in Tokyo, such as the [[Global Indian International School (Tokyo)|Global Indian International School]] in [[Edogawa, Tokyo|Edogawa]]."<ref name=Joe/>

==Curriculum==
Circa 2010 the school had incorporated aspects of Montessori education,<ref name=Joe/> with additional group work and a decreased emphasis on memorization.<ref name=Fackler/> Students begin speaking English in public at ages 2<ref name=Oguma>Oguma, Naoto. "{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20150309132827/http://www.angelsenglish.com/about/MediaC/Funlife-summer2012.pdf Little Angels Gakuen Encouraging Independence and Self-reliance]}}" ({{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20150309132827/http://www.angelsenglish.com/about/MediaC/Funlife-summer2012.pdf Archive]}}). ''[[Fun Life!]]''. No. 1, Summer 2012. Retrieved on March 9, 2015.</ref> or 3,<ref name=Terada/> and at age 4 they were to only speak in English at school.<ref name=Oguma/> Mathematics instruction began at age 2 and computer instruction began at age 3; these ages are younger than the respective ages at traditional Japanese schools. Other classes include arts and crafts, dance,<ref name=Terada/> and science.<ref name=Asiansfresh>"{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20150310000147/http://www.angelsenglish.com/about/MediaC/Nikkei_E.pdf Asians offer fresh perspectives]}}" (). ''[[The Nikkei Weekly]]''. August 27, 2007. Retrieved on March 10, 2015.</ref> The school used Indian textbooks,<ref name=Terada/> but the school did not have Indian history classes.<ref name=Fackler/> Conversation, games, and songs are part of the curriculum.<ref name=Asiansfresh/>

{{As of|2010}}, most students at this school and other Indian international schools who intended to study in the system until high school were aiming to enroll in universities outside Japan; the Tokyo Metropolitan Government considered this school and the other two Indian international schools in Tokyo to be "unauthorized schools" or schools which do not count as providing compulsory education under the School Education Law of Japan. A student who only attends "unauthorized schools" is ineligible to attend a university in Japan,<ref name=TakizawaFukuda/> unless they complete an accepted international curriculum such as the International Baccalaureate,<ref>Iwasaki, Kumiko. "[http://www.nippon.com/en/currents/d00096/ Will the International Baccalaureate Take Off in Japan?]" Nippon.com, [[Nippon Communications Foundation]]. December 4, 2013. Retrieved on August 13, 2015.</ref><ref>Abrioux, Marc and Jill Rutherford. ''Introducing the IB Diploma Programme'' (Cambridge resources for the IB diploma). [[Cambridge University Press]], February 14, 2013. {{ISBN|1107606284}}, 9781107606289. p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=D1UGVo8AI2AC&pg=PT47 1].</ref> or [[Cambridge International Examinations]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Little Angels - About Us|url=http://angelsenglish.com/our-history/|website=LAIS Homepage|access-date=2016-12-05|archive-date=2016-12-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161212174304/http://angelsenglish.com/our-history/|url-status=usurped}}</ref>

The school is currently{{when|date=November 2022}} undergoing evaluation by the Council of International Schools to provide opportunities for the graduates to enter Japanese and foreign universities.

==Student body==
In 2008, it had 45 students, one of whom was Indian.<ref name=Fackler/> Japanese people made up 80% of the students {{as of|2010|lc=y}}. Children of mixed marriages and children from other countries make up the remainder.<ref name=Joe/> {{As of|2012}}, the percentage of Japanese students rose to almost 90%.<ref name=Oguma/> {{As of|2015}}, the number of students rose to almost 90 students spanning from pre-school to middle school.{{citation needed|date=August 2015}}

==Teaching staff==
In 2008, there were four full-time teachers, three of whom were non-Japanese.<ref name=Fackler/> {{As of|2008}}, the majority of the teachers started [[English language|English]] early in their lives.<ref name=Terada/> These instructors originated from [[South Asia]] and [[Southeast Asia]]; including India, Indonesia, and Nepal.<ref name=Joe/> As of 2015, the school has teachers from Australia, England, Greece, India, Jamaica, Nepal, Philippines, the United States and have a diverse faculty.{{citation needed|date=August 2015}}

==See also==
{{Portalbar|Tokyo|India|Schools}}
* [[List of high schools in Tokyo]]
* [[Indians in Japan]]

Japanese schools in India:
* [[Japanese School of Mumbai]]
* [[Japanese School New Delhi]]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==Further reading==
Video files:
* "{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20150310021406/http://www.angelsenglish.com/about/MediaC/LA-CNN.mp4 LA-CNN.mp4]}}" ({{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20150310021406/http://www.angelsenglish.com/about/MediaC/LA-CNN.mp4 Archive]}}). ''[[CNN]]''. January 17, 2008.

Audio files:
* "{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20150310021445/http://www.angelsenglish.com/about/MediaC/ABC-Radio.mp3 ABC-Radio.mp3]}}" ({{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20150310021445/http://www.angelsenglish.com/about/MediaC/ABC-Radio.mp3 Archive]}}). ''[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC Radio]]''. - Interview of Angelina
* "{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20150310021545/http://www.angelsenglish.com/about/MediaC/NikkeiNewsWeekly.mp3 NikkeiNewsWeekly.mp3]}}" ({{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20150310021545/http://www.angelsenglish.com/about/MediaC/NikkeiNewsWeekly.mp3 Archive]}}). ''[[Nikkei News Weekly]]'' podcast. Circa 2007. - Interview regarding "Asians Offer Fresh Perspectives" from ''[[The Nikkei Weekly]]''.
{{in lang|ja}}
* "{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20150309124108/http://www.angelsenglish.com/about/MediaC/Yomiuri29-12-2010.pdf 留学経験の親「英語身につけて」]}}" ({{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20150309124108/http://www.angelsenglish.com/about/MediaC/Yomiuri29-12-2010.pdf Archive]}}). ''[[Yomiuri Shimbun]]''. December 12, 2010 ([[Heisei]] 22).
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20150309231711/http://www.angelsenglish.com/about/MediaC/GlitterMag2010.pdf Article in]}} ({{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20150309231711/http://www.angelsenglish.com/about/MediaC/GlitterMag2010.pdf Archive]}}). ''[[Glitter (magazine)|Glitter]]'' (グリッター)/''Mama & Kids'' (ママ＆キッズ). Volume 1, No. 100. November 2010.
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20150309232739/http://www.angelsenglish.com/about/MediaC/President_Baby_Nov-13-2010.pdf Article in]}} ({{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20150309232739/http://www.angelsenglish.com/about/MediaC/President_Baby_Nov-13-2010.pdf Archive]}}). ''[[President Baby]]'' (プレジデントベービー). November 13, 2010.
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20150310001845/http://www.angelsenglish.com/about/MediaC/sukusuku.pdf Article in]}} ({{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20150310001845/http://www.angelsenglish.com/about/MediaC/sukusuku.pdf Archive]}}) ''{{ill|SukuSuku Paradise|ja|すくすくパラダイス}}'' (すくすくパラダイス), January 2008.
* "{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20150310002205/http://www.angelsenglish.com/about/MediaC/kodomonojikan2007.pdf Why India now?]}}" ({{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20150310002205/http://www.angelsenglish.com/about/MediaC/kodomonojikan2007.pdf Archive]}}). ''[[Kodomojikan]]'' (こどもじかん). November 2007. - {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20150310002147/http://www.angelsenglish.com/about/MediaC/Kodomonijikan-english.pdf English translation]}} ({{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20150310002147/http://www.angelsenglish.com/about/MediaC/Kodomonijikan-english.pdf Archive]}}).

==External links==
* {{Official|https://mist.school}}
{{Mitaka, Tokyo}}
{{International schools in Tokyo}}
{{Indian international schools}}
{{coord|35.6879|139.5600|type:edu_globe:earth_region:JP|display=title}}

[[Category:International schools in Tokyo]]
[[Category:Cambridge schools in Japan]]
[[Category:Education in Mitaka, Tokyo]]
[[Category:Organizations based in Mitaka, Tokyo]]
[[Category:Universities and colleges in Musashino, Tokyo]]
[[Category:Indian international schools in Japan]]
[[Category:Educational institutions established in 2002]]
[[Category:Elementary schools in Japan]]
[[Category:2002 establishments in Japan]]

Musashi International School Tokyo - Revision history

Birjesh Kumar: Starting New Entry