Our Story
Explore the history of CASA ATLAS Montessori School, from its founding in 1993 to the present. For more than 30 years, Montessori principles and relationships with generations of children and families have shaped our educational work in Minato, Tokyo.
A Montessori School That Began with Five Children in 1993
The history of CASA ATLAS Montessori School began in 1993 with the opening of Rainbow International Montessori School in Minato, Tokyo.
The school opened with five students. At the time, opportunities in Tokyo for young children to experience Montessori education in an English-speaking environment were still limited. The founder’s experience of raising children and her vision for early childhood education led her to establish a school grounded in Montessori principles, with English as the language of everyday learning and classroom life.
From the outset, respect for each child’s individuality and stage of development has guided the school’s approach. Children are given opportunities to think, choose, and act for themselves, with guidance appropriate to their needs. This philosophy continues to shape our work more than 30 years later, after welcoming over 2,800 children throughout our history.
From Moto-Azabu to Minami-Azabu: Growing Together with the Minato Community
Rainbow International Montessori School continued its journey in Minato, moving from Moto-Azabu to Minami-Azabu while supporting generations of children and families.
Later, in the Furukawabashi area of Minami-Azabu, the school began a new chapter as Château Des Bambini Montessori School. Although its name and location changed, the school continued to place Montessori education at the center of learning while providing an environment where children from diverse cultural backgrounds could learn and grow together.
Throughout these changes, respect for each child’s individuality has remained central to our approach. Age provides a broad guide to development, while teachers’ observations of each child’s interests, abilities, and readiness inform individual guidance. This helps children deepen their understanding at their own pace. Observation and respect for individual development have guided our work since the school’s earliest days.
A New Chapter at Tokyo Tower
After its years in Minami-Azabu, the school moved to Tokyo Tower and entered a new chapter as Red Bambini Montessori International School.
The Tokyo Tower location brought opportunities to meet families from Japan and around the world and to introduce Montessori education to a wider community through the school’s activities there.
During this period, the school also collaborated with entertainment facilities at Tokyo Tower. These initiatives formed part of its experience at this location, alongside the Montessori education provided in everyday classroom life.
As this chapter came to a close, the school sought a new setting with children’s daily routines, concentration, and developmental needs at the center of planning for its next stage.
A New Beginning as CASA ATLAS Montessori School
In 2026, the school relocated from Tokyo Tower to a new location within Minato and adopted the name CASA ATLAS Montessori School.
Our current school is near Azabu-juban Station, slightly away from the busy main streets in a quiet neighborhood. The location offers convenient access for families, while the school environment has been planned with children’s daily comfort, safety, and security in mind. These considerations support a calm setting for learning and exploration.
The move also provided an opportunity to review our classroom environment and class structure. Drawing on more than 30 years of experience, we reconsidered how the setting could support Montessori practice and respond to different developmental stages. The resulting arrangements reflect the needs of the children who attend our school today.
Different Names and Places, One Enduring Educational Philosophy
From Rainbow International Montessori School to Château Des Bambini Montessori School, Red Bambini Montessori International School, and now CASA ATLAS Montessori School, our journey has continued for more than three decades.
During that time, not only the school’s name and location but also the society and educational environment surrounding children have changed significantly.
The principles at the heart of our education, however, remain the same.
Montessori education recognizes children’s natural curiosity and capacity to learn through their own activity. Teachers observe each child closely, prepare an appropriate environment, and introduce materials and activities in response to individual readiness. Their guidance gives children opportunities to explore, repeat, and deepen their understanding, supporting the development of increasingly independent approaches to learning.
Practical Life, Sensorial, Language, Mathematics, Cultural Studies, and other experiences bring academic learning together with everyday skills. Children have opportunities to make choices, concentrate on purposeful work, persist with challenges, and practise consideration for others. These habits and abilities remain central to our educational aims and to the way we organize daily classroom life.
Continuing Montessori Education in Minato, Tokyo
What began in 1993 as a small Montessori school with five children has grown, with the support of generations of families and teachers, into a community with more than 2,800 graduates. Our graduates represent more than 40 nationalities, and the diversity fostered within our school community remains an important part of the legacy we have built over more than three decades.
Our experience with children from different generations, cultures, and backgrounds continues to inform our educational practice. It shapes how we observe individual development, prepare classrooms, and work with families in response to the children attending our school today.
As we continue our work in Minato, Tokyo, Montessori principles remain our foundation. We are committed to an environment where children can explore with curiosity, concentrate on purposeful activity, and become more independent, with professional guidance and respect for their individual development.
Visit Our Montessori School
We welcome families to visit our school and see Montessori education in practice. School tours offer an opportunity to observe daily classroom activities, meet our teachers, and learn how our learning environment and guidance support children’s development.
Tours are available by appointment on weekdays, and you are welcome to attend with your child. For further information or to request a visit, please follow the link below to our School Tour page.
