Why Holly Trees as the school emblem?

The hill on which the school stands was called “Holly Hills（hiiragigaoka）”and the Seventh Middle School under the old system adopted holly trees as a school symbol.

In April 1948, when the Handa High School under the new system founded, the new design of the school emblem was invited from students. The judging committee, led by our art teacher, Mr. Kobayashi Nakajiro, (who was to be involved and killed in Isewan Typhoon later), chose the one by Niimi Hitoshi, who was then the second year student and belonged to the art club. His design was almost a square, with the combination of two leaves of holly, and with Chinese character（高）put in the center, symbolizing “high school”. The design was immediately made into school emblems and in June, all the students wore it on their cap. The school paper “holly tree（Hiiragi）”published in the June 1st, 1948 put the design in the title, and more and more club activities came to adopt the design as club badges.

In 1949, when Handa High School adopted a general curriculum at the time of the second reorganization of public high schools in Japan, the student council meeting was held in May and decided to ask Mr. Kobayashi and other art teachers to reconsider the school emblem and flag. In the end, they made the former emblem trapezoid with a little smaller base and made the white veins thick, which has been the emblem of this school ever since.

At the end of June, boys wore it on their cap, and girls on the bosom as a symbol of pride and awareness of Handa High School. Subsequently, the school flag was designed by the art teachers and made for the athletic meeting scheduled in October. “The deep violet school flag with the white school emblem outlined by gold thread was first presented, followed by students at the entrance ceremony of the athletic meeting, which in fact was postponed until November 1st due to heavy rain”. (“Handa High School Journal”). In short, the emblem changed its form once!

Left: the Emblem in 1948 Right: the Emblem in 1949
Can you tell the difference?

Today, we think holly trees as indispensable as a symbol of our school. For example, the name of our school journal is “Holly Hill”, the name of alumni is “Hiiragikai（Holly Association） ”, and the most honorable prize that is given to the student who succeeded in every field of school life is “Hiiragishou（Holly Award）” That is the reason why we have so many holly trees around the school buildings. These evergreen trees are full of life and the sharpness of their leaves seems to tell students to have a strong will.

Newly born emblem on the school building entrance!

The 52th graduates (,who graduated in March, 2001,) gave a new emblem as a memento. The emblem was called “the school emblem shining in the 21st century”.

School Anthem