Residential Life
Dorm Life
Living at HIS is about more than just having a place to stay—it’s about learning how to live well. Our dormitories are vibrant communities where students learn to live alongside others, grow in independence, and develop life skills that will support them long after their time at HIS. This is a true home away from home.
In their new homes, students discover the importance of cooperation, responsibility, and independence, while also experiencing the joy of sharing daily life with friends and their residential families. Life in the dorms is about balance—between academics, friendships, personal responsibilities, interests, and well-being. It’s an adventure of a lifetime—and even better when shared.
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Students live in doubles or triples, each with their own en suite. Each dorm room is equipped with a bunk bed, desk, and dresser, as well as space for hanging clothes.
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Our roommate pairing process is a discussion between our admissions team and heads of dorm. We pair students based both on personality and living preferences.
In addition to this, we require students from different cultural and lingual backgrounds to live together in order to promote cultural fluency and english language learning.
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Dorm parents host weekly gatherings in the dorm commons room to update students on the weekly agenda and provide opportunities for students to discuss community living.
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Each weekend during the Fall and Spring terms, two weekend activities are provided by guides on duty. These activities include apple picking, tiramisu making, seeing the latest box-office hit, and visiting the local cat cafe, the list goes on.
During the Winter term, one weekend activity is offered in addition to supervised skiing, which is offered every Saturday and Sunday.
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At HIS, students play a leading role in shaping their community. Outside of academic hours, students can participate in a wide variety of activities, clubs, and outings—or simply use their free time to relax, study, and connect with friends.
Life at HIS is about growth, friendship, and the confidence to live well—skills and experiences that last a lifetime.
Our Dormitories
HIS operates two dormitories: Blanche, our Girls Dorm, and Miyama, our Boys Dorm. Together, they currently house almost 50 students and are supported by residential faculty who live alongside them.
Blanche, our original dorm, opened in August 2022 after an extensive renovation of a traditional Japanese inn. It features a commercial kitchen where our chef prepares wholesome meals for all of the student body and faculty for lunch, as well as study areas, communal shared lounge spaces and easy access to outdoor spaces—including a public field right next door.
Miyama offers a welcoming space designed for community and growth, with large shared common areas, study space, and proximity to HIS academic buildings. Both dorms are within walking distance of Mont Bien, our first classroom building, and the 9-acre site currently being developed into the long-term HIS campus.
Situated just hours away from Tokyo in the Northern Alps, Hakuba is an open-space classroom and playground for the adventurous and inquisitive.
Throughout the seasons, the valley rewards its visitors and local residents with exceptional terrain for pursuing a variety of sports and outdoor activities and adventures. The winter, with its high snowfall and stunning terrain, creates a playground for skiing, boarding, and snowshoeing, and for all abilities, from beginners to advanced. In the warmer months and access to the high peaks, the valley transforms with a stunning array of colours, providing the perfect backdrop and conditions for multi-day trekking, day hikes, nature walks, mountain bike riding, and water activities on the rivers and lakes.
Hakuba
HIS is ideally situated with a natural environment that provides endless opportunities to create relationships with nature and the natural world and to build the skills so as to be able to navigate its wild peaks and remote rivers.
The multinational community of Hakuba welcomes people of all backgrounds to enjoy and contribute to this lively, natural wonderland. Community members learn from each other’s life experiences and celebrate cultural diversity.
With so many of life’s pleasures waiting at the doorstep, students can maintain a healthy balance of study, sports, and leisure. Hakuba’s ability to immerse the body’s senses propels each individual to act upon their curiosity and wonder. By choosing to study in Hakuba, students will enrol to take part and share in life-long learning.
