KIST has a strict dress code which all students are expected to follow at all times, including while traveling to and from school. The code, which covers uniforms, clothing and general appearance, has been established to encourage respect, responsibility and safety amongst our students.

In general, Japanese society judges the quality of a school by the way its students look and behave. In recognition of this characteristic of our host country, all students at KIST are required to wear the correct school uniform and maintain a conservative appearance with no extremes of fashion throughout their enrollment.

As a school, we believe that the school uniform, when worn correctly:

• is an important tool for promoting the image of the school in the community;
• acts as a means for developing school pride as well as a sense of belonging and cooperation between students;
• takes the focus away from fashion and allows students to concentrate on their academic responsibilities;
• assists school community members identify KIST students during off-campus activities.

There are formal uniforms for summer and winter that must be worn during the corresponding months. Some crossover of the uniforms is permissible in certain months where the seasons are less distinct. The uniform items that are available vary depending on the area to which students belong in the school (i.e. K1–K3, Grades 1–5, Grades 6–12). Most of the items have been designed especially for KIST and must be purchased through the school.

A separate uniform is required for PE and includes polo shirts that are available in four colors—blue, red, green and yellow—that correspond to the school’s four sporting houses. The color is allocated by the school at the time of initial enrollment to balance house numbers. Siblings are allocated to the same house. Separate uniforms may also be required for students selected for some of the school’s official sporting teams, depending on the sport.

In accordance with the school’s dress code that requires students to maintain a conservative appearance, there are specific guidelines students must follow in order to uphold the image of the school in the community. Some of these include:

• Dyed hair and extremes in hair style are not permitted.
• Make-up and decorated fingernails are not permitted.
• No jewelry or accessories of any kind (excluding a small watch) are permitted to be worn.
• Long hair must be tied back away from the face.
• Boys must be clean shaven unless they have received special permission from the school administration.
• Uniform items should be clean, neat and tidy. Skirts, shorts and trousers that are overly short or long must be adjusted.
• Black shoes and socks are required to be worn with the formal uniforms.

On various occasions during the year, students are encouraged to participate in free dress days. All students who choose to wear free dress on these days are required to pay a small fee which is put towards a specific fundraising activity or charity, project or area of the school. On free dress days, the personal clothing worn must reflect the school’s conservative nature, and the regular dress code for general appearance must also be adhered to.

Full details of the school uniform and related policies regarding appearance are provided to new families upon initial enrollment. We appreciate the ongoing cooperation of all families in ensuring that their child adheres to the school’s dress code at all times.