Missionaries: At present there are no PCUSA Misionaries resident at this school, but until recently there were several, including Irene Reiser who taught here over 30 years, Tom and Carol Hastings, Theresa Thompson and Marie Clapsaddle ministering here. Virginia Deter, a retired PCUSA missionary (In the Picture on right) who taught here for 38 years, and worked for three more years with graduates, even now returns regularly to work among her former students. Both Ms. Reiser and Ms. Deter were decorated by the Emperor of Japan upon their retirement.

Hokuriku Gakuin on the Japan Sea, in Kanazawa, is a complex of Kindergartens, a Grade School, Junior High School, High School, and a Junior College. This was the first female instituion of higher education established in this area of Japan. It was the first school to offer formal education above the 6th grade level for girls.

Hokuriku Gakuin was founded by Northern Presbyterian Missionaries in 1885. While this school has always maintained strong ties to the international community of higher education with sister relationships to US Schools, beginning with a sister relationships with Western College for Women, the alma mater of Mary K Hesser, the founder of Hokuriku Gakuin, (now merged with Miami of Ohio). This relationship ended in 1989 and a sister relationship with Whitworth College has developed. There have been strong exchange programs with English speaking countries for many years. The administration is today in the process of developing an even more international curriculum. The new International facility is already open, and active relationships are being developed with other Presbyterian Schools in the US as well in other countries .

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