How a Singapore international school became an immigration flashpoint in Sapporo

A plan to open an international school in Sapporo, Japan, has ignited a nationalistic backlash, highlighting tensions surrounding foreign investment and immigration. Global Indian Education (GIE), part of Singapore-headquartered Global Schools Group (GSG), won a bid for the site of the former Tokiwa Elementary School, which has been closed since 2021 due to Japan's declining birthrate. GIE proposed opening a prestigious international school by August 2027, projecting 650 students by 2033.

Instead of being welcomed as a revitalization effort for the aging Tokiwa district, the project became a focal point for xenophobic sentiment. Protesters disrupted public briefings, and 90 petitions flooded the Sapporo City Assembly, falsely branding the school a "front for mass immigration" and linking it to potential crime. These claims contradicted public records from GSG's other Japanese campuses, where Japanese students form a significant majority.

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When we gathered feedback from actual residents living in the community, while not everyone was in favour, a vast majority supported the plan.

The school plans to offer an International Baccalaureate curriculum, serve as an emergency evacuation center, and open its gymnasium to residents outside school hours. Despite the complaints, which temporarily suspended the project, municipal lawmakers unanimously rejected the petitions on May 21. They cited the petitions' basis in untruths and affirmed the project's green light.

Liberal Democratic Party assembly member Ichiro Yamada stated that while not all residents supported the plan, a vast majority did. He noted that many petitions did not originate from actual Tokiwa residents, suggesting a broader, organized opposition. The decision to proceed underscores the challenges local governments face in attracting foreign talent amid nationalistic pushback.

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But given the cur