A hillside neighborhood in Otaru, Hokkaido, above a small harbor city, modest concrete school buildings set on the slope among old wooden houses, high school students in dark uniforms walking uphill, one carrying a baseball bat bag

Six Schools on One Hillside: Otaru and the American High School

Neighbors on Mogami In Mogami 1-chome, on the slope above central Otaru, two high schools sit a short walk apart. Otaru Meiho is a small private school that takes in students who stopped attending school or dropped out somewhere else. Otaru Mirai Sozo is a public vocational school that trains electricians, builders, and accountants. In …