Professional Luncheon:
Akiko Domoto, Governor of Chiba Prefecture;
Paul Rogers, Founding Head of Makuhari International School

The speech and Q & A will be in English.

Chiba Governor Backs New Type Of International School

A proposal for a new international school is not usually headline news, but forward-thinking Chiba Gov. Akiko Domoto's support for the new Makuhari International School (MIS), which will open in April 2009, indicates this is no ordinary school. The custom-designed facility is aimed at children with good English ability -- specifically those with at least one foreign parent and Japanese kids returning from overseas. It will be anything but elitist as MIS intends to offer tuition fees significantly lower than other Kanto-area international schools. Lower fees will be enabled by strong support from Chiba Prefecture and the local business community.

MIS will also break new ground as Japan's first international school fully accredited as an "Article 1 school" under Ministry of Education rules. The school will open with approximately 250 students (half Japanese and half foreign nationals) in small classes (20-24 children) from Kindergarten through Grade 4.

Governor Domoto will explain why Chiba's Prefectural Government has supported MIS from its inception as an instrument of social development and as essential infrastructure in attracting Foreign Direct Investment.

The school's head, Paul Rogers, will outline the educational plans for MIS.

Sandwich: Roast beef, chicken and swiss cheese.
Hot Lunch: Seared salmon fillet on vegetable rice with roast peppers, herb and olive oil.
Dining Room Special: Sirloin minute steak with mushroom sauce, sauteed spinach, baby potatoes & fried onions.

Akiko Domoto & Paul Rogers