| Christian Academy in Japan | |
| Motto: | Equipping students to serve Japan and the world for Christ |
| City: | Higashikurume |
| Country: | Japan |
| Type: | Private |
| Established: | 1950 |
| Mascot: | Knights |
| Accreditation: | Western Association of Schools and Colleges |
| Website: | https://caj.ac.jp/ |
| Lastupdate: | 2024-07-09 |
| Ceeb: | 680420 |
| Principal Label: | High School Principal |
| Principal: | Tyrone Fambro |
| Principal Label1: | Middle School Principal |
| Principal1: | Renee Van Druff |
| Principal Label2: | Elementary School Principal |
| Principal2: | Jean Hino |
| Head Of School: | David Mawhinney |
| Enrollment: | 464 (2008-09 SY) + 285 in Parallels |
| Address: | 1-2-14 Shinkawa-cho, Higashikurume-shi, Tokyo 〒203-0013 |
| Language: | English |
| Colors: | Blue & Gold |
| Free Label: | Parallels Director |
| Free: | Jacquie Willson |
(CAJ), established in 1950, is a private Christian school in the city of Higashikurume, Tokyo, Japan that provides a Christian American-style education in English. CAJ has over 460 students, from kindergarten through high school. About 35% of the students are dependents of Christian missionaries who work for about 40 different mission organizations. The students come from 20 countries, with 48% from Japan, 35% from the United States, and 28% from Korea; 33% of students have multiple nationalities.[1] Most students commute to school by public transportation, bicycle or walking. The four-acre (16,000 m²) campus in the western suburbs of Tokyo, accessible by the Seibu Ikebukuro Line, includes a classroom building, auditorium, library, artificial turf soccer field, gymnasium, computer lab, home economics and industrial arts facilities, and dining hall.
The stated mission of Christian Academy in Japan is to "equip students to serve Japan and the world for Christ".[2]
CAJ has a wide range of activities for its students. Chapel is included for all ages. Elementary school activities include several musical groups and various field trips. Middle and high school activities include the CAJ Student Council, chapel committee, various sports, drama, music, field trips, yearbook/school newspaper, and community service opportunities.[3]
CAJ has an award winning VEX VRC Robotics program. CAJ VEX Robotics teams have won numerous awards at regional competitions. VRC Team 99484A from CAJ was selected to represent Japan at the VEX Robotics World Championships in 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024.[4] Additionally, team 99484B was selected to participate in 2018.[5] At the Fall 2018 regional championship competing with schools from Northeast Asia and Hawaii, CAJ teams won the Judges Award and the Excellence Award (overall first place).
CAJ has been accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges since 1976.[6]
Started to provide a Christian education to the children of missionaries who arrived primarily after World War II much in part to answering the call of General Douglas McArthur, who oversaw the occupation of Japan from 1945-1951 and asked for 1000 missionaries to be sent to Japan. The school opened in 1950, but moved to its current location of Higashi Kurume in Saitama ken in 1951 when it purchased the land that was originally the farm that provided dairy to the imperial family. The existing dairy barns were renovated to use for the first classrooms and additional buildings were added between 1961 - 1972 and over ensuing years.
Christian Academy in Japan is owned and operated by the following six evangelical mission groups: