Urawanishi High School

nihongo|Urawanishi High School|埼玉県立浦和西高等学校|Saitama Kenritsu Urawanishi Kōtō Gakkō, often shortened to nihongo|"Nishikō"|西高 is a public high school located in Saitama City, Saitama Prefecture, in Japan. It is one of the few public schools in the prefecture that does not have a school uniform.

Until the 1970s, the school enjoyed prestigious position after Urawa High School and Urawa Ichijo High School. During the 80s and 90s, it was known as one of the best public schools and sent its alumni and alumnae to best colleges in Japan including Tokyo University. Every year, no school uniform policy, along with the liberal atmosphere that encourages students' independence, attracts many applicants.

Location

The school is located in Urawa-ku, Saitama City and situated in a quiet residential area behind the idyllic scenery of Minuma. The closest train station, JR Yono Station, is within walking distance: 20 minutes (1.7 kilometers).

History

In 1934, Urawanishi High School was founded as a female school called nihongo|"Urawa Daini Kōtō Jogakkō"|浦和第二高等女学校. The school changed its name to nihongo|"Urawa Daini Joshi Kōtō Gakkō"|浦和第二女子高等学校 in 1948. In 1950, Educational Reform abolished the prior policy and re-started the school as a coed institution with the current school name, Urawanishi High School. During this period, the institution was located at the western part of Urawa-ku (former Urawa City). In 1956, the school moved to its current site. This resulted in the inconsistency that the school name, which literally means Urawa Western High School, does not signify the school location.

Extracurricular Activities

Urawanishi's 22 varsity athletic teams and 23 other clubs offer a wide range of opportunities for extracurricular activities. In the past, the school was known for its Soccer Team, which won the national title twice in 1956 and 1965. In recent years, Japanese Archery Team and Basketball Team have won many titles at the prefectural and regional levels.

Notable Alumni

* Asa Higuchi, a mangaka
* Akira Nishino, a soccer player
* Ryozo Suzuki, a soccer player
* Sakura Tsukuba, a mangaka
* Sumika Yamamoto, a mangaka
* Toshiaki Imai, a soccer player

References

*ja icon http://www.urawanishi-h.spec.ed.jp/ Official school website