St. Michael’s International School

Kobe, Japan

Join Our Team

St Michael’s International School is a long-established British international primary school in the heart of Kobe, known as a small school with a big heart. For almost eighty years we have been helping young children build strong foundations for learning and life through excellent teaching, close pastoral care and a strong sense of belonging. To sustain and grow this legacy, we seek teachers who share our commitment to nurturing every child, who value community, and who are ready to contribute fully to a school where every adult makes a visible difference. Successful applicants will be caring, reflective professionals, committed to their own learning as well as their pupils’, and ready to work in partnership with colleagues, parents and alumni.

In return, St Michael’s offers the opportunity to teach in a close-knit, values-led community where relationships matter and where you will know your pupils and their families well. Our small scale means teachers can take on meaningful responsibility, lead innovations in learning and see the impact of their work across the whole school. You will join an experienced, collaborative team, benefit from ongoing professional development, and become part of a supportive network of current and former staff, parents and alumni who care deeply about the school. All of this is set within the attractive, liveable city of Kobe, with easy access to the mountains, the sea and the wider Kansai region.


Positions available at St. Michael's International School


St. Michael’s International School is committed to keeping children safe and happy. Please read our safeguarding information if you are considering an application.



St. Michael's International School

At a glance

St. Michael’s is a British international school in the Anglican tradition, providing a quality education within a positive culture of excellence and a caring family community.

Known as the small school with the big heart, St. Michael’s International School is the only IPC accredited international school in Japan, offering a specialised Early Years and Primary education, where young learners thrive in a unique and caring environment, nurtured by more than seventy five years of expertise.

Location: Kobe, Japan

Type: International School

Funding status: Independent, Fee-paying, Not-for-profit

Phase: Early Years (Nursery & Reception) and Primary (Year One - Year Six)

Age range: 3-11 years

Gender: Mixed

Curriculum: International Primary Curriculum (IPC) school, National Curriculum in England for Mathematics and English, IEYC member school

Accreditation: The only IPC accredited school in Japan. Jointly accredited by CIS and WASC since 2007, accredited member school with COBIS and EARCOS, founding member of Japan Council of International Schools (JCIS)



Welcome to St. Michael's International School

We believe our young learners deserve the very best education. This starts with providing the highest quality of teaching and learning possible delivered by amazing professionals who, like us, believe that our young people are capable of incredible things!



Faculty Overview

St. Michael's International School employs highly-qualified, experienced class teachers, assisted by specialist teachers and full-time class assistants. The teaching staff comes from a variety of places, but mainly the UK.

All of our class and specialist teachers hold a UK teaching qualification or an international equivalent with at least two year's experience in a British or British international school.

The school keeps abreast of curriculum development, new teaching methodologies and research, and shares and uses these in various training days throughout the year. Currently, SMIS staff are focusing on the pedagogy of the International Primary Curriculum (IPC.)



New Staff Testimonials

I am now in my second year at St Michael’s. I was warmly welcomed from the start and it didn’t take long to feel part of the SMIS community. The induction process was smooth and supportive and helped me to feel at home living and working in Japan in just a few weeks. I have loved teaching the International Primary Curriculum and have been well supported by colleagues whenever I have questions to ask. The atmosphere in school is positive and friendly, and there are many exciting events throughout the year. Kobe is a wonderful city to live in. I especially love the nearby mountains and the many options for eating out! Friendly locals, easy transport and beautiful nature have made travelling further afield in Japan a highly enjoyable experience.
Sal Bunker, Primary Teacher, 2022

Hello, I’m Glyn, the new School Counsellor and Health & Wellbeing Teacher. I started looking for opportunities in Japan, and as fate would have it, I found St Michael’s. The chance to join a close-knit school community, work once again with primary-aged children, and help establish the school’s first counselling programme all felt like the perfect fit. Although I’ve only been at SMIS for a few months, it already feels like home. Everyone has been so friendly and welcoming that I feel part of the community already. I also love living in Kobe — it’s a wonderful balance of mountains and ocean, big enough to explore but small enough to feel comfortable, especially with my one-year-old daughter. Outside of school, I enjoy hiking, swimming, yoga, photography, travelling and eating my way around new places.
Glyn Hupalo, School Counsellor, 2025

I joined SMIS as the Japanese teacher in August. Before coming here, I taught at public high schools in Kobe City for almost 30 years. After my three children grew up and started their own lives, I began to feel that the house was a little too quiet. That feeling encouraged me to take on a new challenge, and I am truly happy that it brought me here. SMIS is a much smaller school than the ones I worked at before, and I love its warm, home-like atmosphere. Every day, I am touched by the children’s bright smiles, curiosity, and sweetness. They fill my days with hope, laughter, and joy, and I feel grateful to learn from them as well. It is a pleasure to be part of this wonderful international community.I look forward to working together with all of you to help our students enjoy learning. I also hope to help them grow by embracing the school values and skills and to support them so that they can live strong, happy, and fulfilling lives in the future.
Akiyo Ueda, Japanese teacher, 2025

Hello, I’m the Early Years Teacher here at St Michael’s International School. Originally from Australia, it has been such a wonderful experience becoming part of the St Michael’s community. I’m so grateful for how welcoming and supportive everyone has been, as it’s made these first months truly special. Outside the classroom, I love spending time with my family and pets, being outdoors, exploring new places, enjoying the snow and kitesurfing. We’re excited to experience our first white Christmas here in Japan. So far, we’ve enjoyed exploring the Kobe Herb Gardens, wandering through Chinatown and discovering the many lovely cafés and parks that make Kobe such a beautiful city to live in.
Ashleigh Saltmarsh, Early Years Coordinator, 2025



Please note:

We receive a great many applications for a limited number of openings. While each applicant will receive a response confirming their application, we apologise in advance that we are not able to respond to each applicant individually after that and will only contact those candidates whose applications we wish to take further.

SMIS does not discriminate with regard to race, colour, gender, religion, sexual orientation, age, political opinion, or disability.


Downloads and Links