Marist Brothers International School

MBIS is located in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. The campus address is 1-2-1 Chimori-cho, Suma-ku, Kobe 654-0072. It sits in a quiet residential area between the mountains and the sea, close to Kobe's coast. The school is within easy reach by foot to Suma Station, with two train lines nearby.

MBIS offers education from Early Years through Grade 12. It is an IB World School offering the full continuum (PYP, MYP, and DP) and is accredited by WASC.

MBIS is a co-educational international day school.

About 35 nationalities are represented. The largest group is Japanese (around 23%), followed by North Americans (about 18%), with roughly 59% of students coming from the rest of the world; overall, international students comprise the majority of the student body.

MBIS provides counseling services to support students' academic, social, emotional, and mental well-being, with a school counselor and collaboration with specialists. It includes targeted support for developmental and other special needs.

MBIS does not have a formal country affiliation; it is located in Japan and serves a diverse international student body.

MBIS is founded by the Marist Brothers, a Catholic religious order, and operates within the Marist educational tradition.

Students typically follow a school day with morning homeroom/assembly, first period starting around 8:50 AM and dismissal around 3:10 PM; after-school activities and clubs can continue beyond that time.

MBIS runs its own bus service with routes such as Shioya and Ashiya. The Shioya route schedules pickups at about 7:55–8:20 AM and afternoon drops around 3:25–3:50 PM. The Ashiya route serves multiple stops with pickups around 7:15–7:55 AM and afternoon drops around 4:20 PM. Timetables are published for each route.

MBIS in Kobe, Japan offers the International Baccalaureate (IB) continuum for students from Early Years through Grade 12, with English as the language of instruction and alignment with Common Core standards. The Primary Years Programme (PYP) guides learners from Early Years 3 to Grade 5 through inquiry-based, transdisciplinary units that integrate language, mathematics, science, social studies, arts, physical education, and religion. The Middle Years Programme (MYP) runs from Grade 6 to Grade 10 across eight subject groups—English, Individuals and Societies, Sciences, Mathematics, Arts, an additional language (Japanese), Physical Education, and Design—and includes a Grade 10 Personal Project. The Diploma Programme (DP) for Grades 11–12 requires six subjects across Groups 1–6 (Studies in language and literature, Language acquisition, Individuals and Societies, Sciences, Mathematics, and The Arts) and the core Extended Essay, Theory of Knowledge, and CAS. MBIS has been IB-authorized since 2017 and is accredited by WASC, confirming its global standards of curriculum design and assessment.

1. Submit an Online Application: Begin by submitting the online application with the required details about the child and family. An online Applicant Page is created after submission to organize and track the process. An application fee is required and can be paid via bank transfer or credit card, incurring a 5% processing fee. 2. Provide Supporting Documents: Upload all necessary documents, including academic records from the past three years, proof of identity, and a recommendation from a current teacher or principal. A checklist of the required documents is provided in the online Applicant Page to guide families. 3. Interview & Assessment: After the application is reviewed, an admissions team member will schedule an interview with the Divisional Head. An English language proficiency test may be administered if deemed necessary for certain grades. 4. Finalize Enrollment: If accepted, complete the required enrollment forms and submit payment for the enrollment deposit. All applicants must reside in the Kansai region with at least one parent or guardian during study, and the school does not sponsor student visas; families should arrange the visa themselves and can request proof of admission if needed.

Marist Brothers International School offers scholarships and tuition assistance programs to support families. Eligibility criteria and application guidelines are outlined in the Scholarships and Tuition Assistance Policy. For the 2025–2026 academic year, a detailed Fee Schedule is available, and scholarship programs are designed to assist students based on merit and/or need. Parents should review the policy for specifics on how to apply and qualify.

If no space is available in the requested grade level, an applicant may be placed in a wait pool. The wait pool operates as a pool of candidates rather than a strict sequential list. When a space becomes available, the most suitable candidate is selected from the pool, and some grade levels may be nearing capacity, which influences waitpool usage.