Choosing an international school in Japan

Start with the curriculum, age range, language of instruction and support your child needs, then look for a place in the intended grade and start date. Places are allocated grade by grade, so a citywide school count or waiting-time range is only background.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s international-school portal lets families search by location, school level, curriculum and accreditation. Use it to identify schools and then confirm details directly. Inclusion in a directory is not a guarantee that a school will suit your child.

A school’s legal classification, the authority responsible for its approval and the scope of any external review are each worth knowing. Terms such as kakushu gakko, a school’s operating entity and international accreditation describe different things. Avoid treating any one of them as a complete description of oversight or quality.

MEXT’s university-entry guidance lists several eligibility routes. These include specified foreign-school courses, recognised qualifications such as the IB Diploma and A levels, and completion of a twelve-year course at institutions accredited by listed international bodies.

For that accreditation route, MEXT lists WASC, CIS, ACSI, NEASC, Cognia and COBIS. Eligibility still depends on the particular school, completed course and qualification, not on the accreditor’s name alone.

Then check the intended university and programme’s own requirements, including subjects, language, examinations and application dates. Eligibility to apply is different from receiving an offer.

For a school review, ask which grades and programmes its accreditation covers, when it was last reviewed and what improvements followed. Consider this alongside teaching, support, safeguarding and the child’s experience.

School names and national affiliations do not tell you which curriculum a child will study. ASIJ offers an American programme with Advanced Placement courses in high school. An IB school may offer one or several IB programmes; check authorisation for the specific programme and campus.

For a teenager, compare available subjects, entry requirements and how previous coursework or credits will transfer. Ask whether the proposed start date leaves enough time to complete examinations and graduation requirements. Our curriculum guide explains the differences.

Ask how Japanese is taught, how learners are grouped and whether children can develop literacy as well as conversational language. Separately, establish what English-language or learning support is available in the intended grade, who provides it and whether it costs extra.

ASIJ’s published 2026–27 schedule provides a useful example of why tuition alone is insufficient. Annual tuition is ¥3,143,000 for Nursery–Pre-K, ¥3,498,000 for Kindergarten–Grade 5, ¥3,699,000 for Grades 6–8 and ¥3,826,000 for Grades 9–12.

A new pupil also pays ¥50,000 application, ¥300,000 registration and ¥1,525,000 building maintenance. The annual capital assessment is ¥250,000 and the optional annual bus charge is ¥390,000. For a new Grade 1 pupil taking the bus, these charges total ¥6,013,000. Meals, required devices and separately billed trips are additional. See the official fee schedule and our ASIJ profile.

Obtain equivalent quotations from each shortlisted school. Record the academic year, grade, one-time charges, annual charges, support, transport and refund conditions. Keep refundable deposits separate from spending, while including them in the cash needed before the child starts.

Employer contributions differ in their annual limit and in whether they cover joining charges, support and transport. Settle who pays the school and what happens if employment ends during the school year. ASIJ’s Corporate Contribution Program requires an employer arrangement, and not every employer or school participates.

The Japan Council of International Schools directory offers regional starting points. In Kansai, investigate Canadian Academy, Marist Brothers and St. Michael’s in Kobe; Osaka International School; and Kyoto International School. Age ranges and curricula differ from school to school across the region.

Osaka International School and Senri International School are distinct schools that share a campus, each with its own programmes and admissions.

Other starting points include Fukuoka International School, Nagoya International School, Hiroshima International School, Tohoku International School in Sendai and Hokkaido International School in Sapporo. Advertised tuition is only part of the total cost, and provision for your child matters as much as price.

If considering boarding, ask about entry ages, weekend and holiday arrangements, residential supervision and any local guardian requirement. Canadian Academy is one option to investigate; it is not Japan’s only boarding school. For day pupils, test the actual journey from prospective housing and confirm the bus route before signing a lease.

Ask admissions which grades have places for your intended start date, when applications are reviewed and whether a waiting list carries over to the following year. School calendars differ, with August, September and April starts all in use.

Share recent reports and relevant language or learning-support information early. Ask what assessment is required and whether it can be completed from overseas. A classroom place and the support a child needs are separate questions.

Before accepting, obtain written confirmation of the offered grade, campus, start date, support arrangements and payment deadlines. Read the withdrawal notice and refund terms, especially if a visa, employer transfer or housing decision is still uncertain.

Reviewed on 8 October 2026. The links above include MEXT’s university-entry guidance, Tokyo’s official school portal, the JCIS directory and ASIJ’s published fee schedule. The ASIJ calculation is an example for 2026–27, not a price estimate for every school in Japan.

Availability, fees and policies change each year. Read our editorial standards for how evidence is assessed, or send a correction if you find an error.