Hereworth students were engaging in Karate and creating Japanese calligraphy as part of International Languages Week this week.
The school's robust languages programme, co-ordinated by Paula Kasper, was introduced 18 months ago and is focused on mixing language and culture together.
The students spend six months learning Japanese as a foreign language and six months learning Te Reo as the local language.
Ms Kasper said the New Zealand curriculum was hoping to establish this language pathway, which meant languages start at primary school level instead of university and high school.
"This is where we have come in. We want to ensure the transitional pathway for our boys is smooth so they can get an understanding of the language at a younger age and then right the way through. This means it won't just be for tokenism but will benefit their lives and career advancement."