Our School
Hakuba International School is a new international boarding school (opened in 2022), located in the beautiful Hakuba Valley in the Japanese Alps. Our school is dedicated to answering the driving question: What kind of education enables people and the planet to flourish? Our focus is on personal and environmental well-being, combined with deeper learning methods to develop leaders who can solve the world’s most complex problems. 

We are an intentionally small school, serving approximately 55 students in grades 7-11 during the 2025-26 school year, and adding one grade per year until 12th grade, reaching an eventual full size of 150 students. For more about our school’s background and methods, please visit www.hakuba-is.jp. 

About Internships at HIS
As a young school that is quickly growing and evolving, we see internships as a chance to welcome colleagues who are themselves quickly growing and evolving, and likely at an earlier stage in their careers. Internships are one-year, full-time roles, giving the intern a chance for extended training through practice and application. Depending on your interest and the school's needs, there may be opportunities for further involvement with the school at the conclusion of the year.

All HIS interns live in one of the school's dormitories, and approximately half of the internship focuses on supporting the school’s residential program and activities. The other half is specialised in an area where the intern would like to develop their skills, and where the school has a need. The focal area for the 2026-27 school year is: Marketing, Social Media, Publications & Yearbook.

Internship Roles

• Requirements: All interns are expected to have a completed college or university degree and be fluent in English. Japanese language skills are not required, but are a plus.
  
  
• Key Responsibilities: 
• Residential Support: Interns live in one of the two HIS dormitories, and for approximately half of their working hours are considered members of the residential team. Work may involve designing and leading activities for students, providing supervision during breakfast or evening hours as part of the team schedule rotation, helping students with homework, maintaining House rules, and generally taking part in maintaining a safe, clean, and pleasant boarding facility.
  
  
• Focus Area: The focal area for the 2026-27 school year is: Marketing, Social Media, Publications & Yearbook. Prior experience is required, and please discuss in your application materials your interest and experience in this area.
• Outdoor Adventures: As a school with a major focus on outdoor education and environmental sustainability, we are looking for interns who enjoy the outdoors and we expect everyone to take part in several weeklong outdoor camping trips over the course of the school year.
  
• Ability to drive in Japan: All interns must have a valid driver’s license. Due to driving regulations in Japan, applications can only be accepted if you have a driver’s license from countries that signed the Geneva Convention. Having a passport from a country or state with an exemption from the Japanese driving test is not required, but it is a plus. The following nations and states are exempt from the Japanese driving test: Ireland, US (Ohio, Oregon, Colorado, Virginia, Hawaii, Maryland), UK, Italy, Australia, Austria, Holland, Canada, Korea, Greece, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, New Zealand, Norway, Hungary, Finland, France, Belgium, Poland, Portugal, Monaco, Luxembourg, and Taiwan.
  
  
• Personal Qualities: We’re looking for someone who enjoys working with teenagers, is excited about building a new school, is ready for the startup experience, and is passionate about a more holistic, humane approach to education. We believe learning is naturally fun and playful, and we try to live that way too. We’re building a team of people who are kind-hearted, open-minded, resilient, and creative. Those who see themselves as serving students best by being authentic, vulnerable, and keen listeners are especially appreciated!
  
  

? Structure

• Compensation: Monthly stipend of JPY 175,000.
  
  
• Benefits: Interns receive full housing benefits, including utilities, in a school dormitory. All meals are provided on days when students are on campus. Interns also receive a relocation stipend for travel expenses, a laptop, and many professional development opportunities (e.g., Compassionate Systems Framework, Social-Emotional Learning, and others). Interns are also enrolled in the Japanese healthcare system, the national pension system, and unemployment and workers’ compensation insurance.
  
  
• Visas: We sponsor visas for candidates applying from outside of Japan, and our faculty come from many countries around the world. Learn more about our team here!
  
  

Timing: Applications will be accepted from February 1st to February 15th, and the position may be filled before the end of the application period if the right candidate is found. This internship will take place for one school year, beginning in mid-August 2026 and concluding at the end of June 2027.

About Hakuba International School

Hakuba International School is a new international boarding school (opened in 2022), located in the beautiful Hakuba Valley in the Japanese Alps. Our school is dedicated to answering the driving question: What kind of education enables people and the planet to flourish? Our focus is on personal and environmental well-being, combined with deeper learning methods to develop leaders who can solve the world’s most complex problems. We are an intentionally small school, serving approximately 70 students in grades 7-12 during the 2026-27 school year, gradually growing toward our eventual full size of 150 students. We call our faculty members guides, in the spirit of serving by a student’s side to create highly engaging learning adventures. For more about our school’s background and methods, please visit www.hakuba-is.jp.

Connections working at Hakuba International School