Principal’s Greeting

Thank you for visiting the Handa High School website.

This year marks the 108th anniversary of our founding, since the opening of Aichi Prefectural Seventh Junior High School, one of our predecessors, in April 1919 (Taisho 8). During this time, while inheriting the legacy of the former Aichi Prefectural Handa Girls’ High School, Aichi Prefectural Handa Junior High School, and Handa Municipal Girls’ High School, our school has played a central role in the intellectual and cultural life of the Chita Peninsula. The foundation of our school’s education lies in the words “Self-study, Self-governance, Self-training,” advocated by the first principal of Aichi Prefectural Seventh Junior High School, Shusaku Suzuki. This spirit of learning, governing, and training oneself has been passed down to subsequent principals as our “educational policy” or “educational principles,” and continues to strongly influence Handa High School’s “independence and self-reliance” culture today. To date, our school has produced over 35,000 graduates who have gone on to achieve great success in various fields both within the prefecture and internationally. While earning unwavering trust from the local community, our school has also contributed to the development of a wide range of fields in Japan, including culture, academia, and economics. Inheriting this tradition, our school aims to cultivate students who are: “creative and possess new perspectives, who take initiative; who have high aspirations, are not afraid to take on challenges, and can make tireless efforts towards their goals; who have a strong will to face new challenges without being defeated by failure and can contribute to society; and who possess the resilience of mind and body necessary to thrive in the future.” We strive to nurture students who proactively engage in learning. Furthermore, since 2013, our school has been designated a Super Science High School (SSH) by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. To cultivate future science and technology talent capable of international success, we are implementing advanced science and mathematics education while simultaneously fostering international awareness. By maximizing the advantages of 65-minute classes and one periodic examination per semester, we are enriching inquiry-based learning centered on “research projects,” fostering “a spirit of creating new value through collaboration with others (entrepreneurship),” and working to cultivate “science leaders (top scientists) with scientific literacy and the ability to design future societies” and “individuals who can lead and play an active role in the international community (global leaders).” In April 2025, Aichi Prefectural Handa High School Affiliated Junior High School opened as a combined junior and senior high school. While inheriting the traditions of Handa High School, the Affiliated Junior High School aims to cultivate “change-makers” who, in an era where modern society is changing at an accelerating pace and future predictions are extremely difficult, can collaborate with various people, fearlessly challenge problems without answers, and bring about social change. To this end, we have adopted a team-based homeroom system, where multiple teachers work together to support students in developing their initiative and the “independence and self-reliance” that is a tradition at Handa High School. This year, we have welcomed new second-year students and formed six inter-grade classes, with second-year students supporting first-year students in various situations, such as during lunchtime. Furthermore, to help students become autonomous learners, we are working on student-centered lessons that incorporate multi-track instruction, free-paced learning, and collaborative learning. Through “My Project,” students broaden their range of interests, formulate their own “questions,” and explore solutions to problems while engaging in learning. Regular and active exchanges with “Hiiragi Special Needs School,” located on the same campus, are also a distinctive feature of our school. Through various opportunities such as reading exchanges, picture book reading exchanges, wheelchair assistance practice, simultaneous holding of the Hiiragi Festival and the Special Needs School Art Exhibition, mutual exchanges at the Special Needs School Sports Day and Hiiragi Festival, and homeroom exchanges, we are working towards the formation of a harmonious society by practicing “inclusive education” where students learn together in the same place and deepen their mutual understanding. Our school’s alumni association, “Hiiragi-kai,” has always provided deep understanding and support for our school’s educational activities. As part of the school’s 100th anniversary project, which was mainly carried out in 2018, they renovated the old martial arts hall, built in 1924, into the “Nanachu Memorial Hall,” a futuristic classroom that can be used at all times. Furthermore, the official registration of this building as a “Registered Tangible Cultural Property” by the government on June 29, 2022, is a great source of pride for current students. Through the use of this Nanachu Memorial Hall, we will continue to cultivate Handa High School students who possess the creativity and challenging spirit to lead the future. Furthermore, with the support of the Hiiragi-kai Human Resource Development Fund, we are able to enhance our international exchange programs. Finally, our school has taken a new step forward as “Aichi Prefectural Handa High School and Affiliated Junior High School.” While inheriting our traditions, we will strive to maximize the potential of our students and cultivate individuals who will pave the way for the future of Aichi Prefecture, Japan, and the international community. Please look forward to the continued development of our school. This website will showcase the fulfilling high school lives of our students and various educational activities. We hope you will take the time to browse.

April 2026

Shintaro Watanabe, Principal, Aichi Prefectural Handa High School and Affiliated Junior High School