Marist Brothers International School

Marist Brothers International School (MBIS), formerly known as the Marist Brothers School, was founded by Brother Charles Fojoucyk and Brother Stephan Weber, in 1951.  The school has a rich and interesting history; one which can be traced back well before its doors first opened.

The earliest recorded notion of a Marist Brothers school in Kobe comes from 1937.  Father Unterwald, of Kobe’s Sacred Heart Church, visited Marist Brothers working in Shanghai and discussed the possibility of opening a school in Kobe.  The idea was closely considered by the Marist Provincial, but, at that time, there simply weren’t enough Brothers available to seriously consider such a bold new venture.  The same year saw the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War between China and Japan, which would have ended any further planning. Nevertheless, in a strange twist of fate, it was this world changing political and social conflict, along with the coming Pacific War, that would eventually lead the Brothers to Japan.  Little over a decade later, Brother Charles and Brother Stephan would find themselves in Kobe, looking for a new beginning.