This article was written by the NIPPON VISA & LIFE editorial team based on information from public organizations such as the national government and local governments. Rules and fees may differ depending on the city, ward, town or village where you live.
In Japan, children of foreign nationality can also enter a public elementary or junior high school if they wish. Tuition and textbooks are free. You start by telling the office of the city, ward, town or village where you live (the board of education) that you want your child to go to school. This article explains the steps, what to bring and the costs.
The Short Answer: The Steps Before Your Child Starts School
- Submit a moving-in notification (tennyu todoke: the procedure to register your address) at the office of the city, ward, town or village where you live
- Tell the counter at the office and the board of education (kyoiku iinkai 教育委員会: the section in charge of the schools in the city, ward, town or village) that you want your child to go to a Japanese school
- Fill in the “Application Form for Enrollment of Non-Japanese Students” (外国人児童生徒入学申請書, gaikokujin jido seito nyugaku shinseisho) that you receive at the board of education and submit it
- Receive the “Enrollment Permit for Non-Japanese Students” (外国人児童生徒入学許可書, gaikokujin jido seito nyugaku kyokasho) from the board of education (you may get it on the same day, or it may be sent by mail). Check the name and location of the school your child will attend
- Take the enrollment permit and go with your child to the designated school. Talk with the teachers about your child’s school life from now on
The names of the documents and the way the procedures are done may differ depending on the city, ward, town or village.
(Sources: Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) “School Guidebook for Foreign Children” (English version with Japanese), Immigration Services Agency (ISA) “Guidebook on Living and Working” Chapter 5: Education)
Articles about childcare and education will be gathered in The Basics of Raising Children and Education in Japan.
How Elementary and Junior High Schools Work in Japan
The common form of schooling in Japan is 6 years of elementary school, 3 years of junior high school, 3 years of senior high school and 4 years of university. The 9 years of elementary and junior high school are compulsory education.
| School | Years | Age at entry |
|---|---|---|
| Elementary school | 6 years | From the first April after the child turns 6 |
| Junior high school | 3 years | After graduating from elementary school |
| Senior high school | Usually 3 years | After graduating from junior high school (in principle, there is an entrance examination) |
- The school year starts in April and ends in March
- Children born between April 2 and April 1 of the following year are in the same grade
- Classes are usually taught in Japanese
- At elementary, junior high and senior high schools, there is no skipping of grades (moving up by skipping a grade)
Besides elementary and junior high schools, there are also compulsory education schools, where children study for 9 years at one school, and schools for special needs education, which children with disabilities attend.
(Sources: Immigration Services Agency “Guidebook on Living and Working” Chapter 5: Education, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology “School Guidebook for Foreign Children”)
Can Foreign National Children Enter? What Are the Costs?
If You Wish, Your Child Is Accepted in the Same Way as Japanese Children
Parents and guardians of children with Japanese nationality have an obligation to send their children to elementary and junior high school. Children of foreign nationality who wish to enter a public elementary or junior high school are also accepted free of charge in the same way as Japanese children, and can receive the same education.
(Sources: Immigration Services Agency “Guidebook on Living and Working” Chapter 5: Education, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology “School Guide for Foreigners” (English version with Japanese))
What You Pay and What You Do Not Pay
| Item | Public elementary and junior high schools |
|---|---|
| Tuition | Free |
| Textbooks | Free (given to each child by the national government at the start of every new school year) |
| School lunch fees (money for lunch at school) | Basically paid by parents and guardians. Some cities, wards, towns and villages reduce the burden on their own (for elementary schools, see below) |
| School supplies, supplementary learning materials, etc. | Paid by parents and guardians |
School lunch fees at elementary schools: From April 2026, a program in which the national government supports cities, wards, towns, villages and others with the cost of ingredients for school lunches at public elementary schools (the drastic reduction of the burden of school lunch fees) has started. In principle, parents and guardians do not need to do any procedure. However, in cities, wards, towns and villages where the cost of ingredients exceeds the national standard amount, parents and guardians may pay part of the school lunch fees. For both elementary and junior high schools, check how much you pay for school lunches in the information from the school or your city, ward, town or village.
(Sources: Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology “School Guidebook for Foreign Children”, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology “Drastic Reduction of the Burden of School Lunch Fees”)
When You Do Not Have Enough Money: School Attendance Assistance
If the board of education of your city, ward, town or village recognizes that it is difficult for your child to attend school for financial reasons, you can receive assistance such as money for school supplies and school lunch fees (school attendance assistance, 就学援助, shugaku enjo). The conditions for receiving it and the content of the assistance differ depending on the city, ward, town or village. Ask the board of education of the city, ward, town or village where you live.
(Sources: Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology “About the School Attendance Assistance System (School Attendance Assistance Portal Site)”, Immigration Services Agency “Guidebook on Living and Working” Chapter 5: Education)
Enrollment Procedures and What to Bring
1. Submit a Moving-in Notification at the Office and Say You Want Your Child to Go to School
When you come to Japan and your place to live is decided, first submit a moving-in notification at the office of your city, ward, town or village. At that time, tell the counter and the board of education (教育委員会, kyoiku iinkai): “I want my child to go to school. Please help me with the procedure.” For the moving-in notification, please read Moving-in Notification and Resident Record: Go to Your City Office Within 14 Days After Your Address in Japan Is Decided (What to Bring, Steps, and When You Move).
For children who will reach the age to become first-year elementary school students (or first-year junior high school students) in April, a “School Enrollment Guide” (就学案内, shugaku annai: a notice about entering school) may be sent from the board of education. If you wish your child to enter school, submit the application form by the date written on it.
2. What to Bring to the School
- The “Enrollment Permit for Non-Japanese Students” (外国人児童生徒入学許可書, gaikokujin jido seito nyugaku kyokasho) you received from the board of education
- Documents from your child’s school in your home country (certificate of enrollment, academic transcript, etc.)
3. What You Talk About at the School
At the school, the teachers talk with parents and guardians about things like the following, so that the child’s school life goes well. It is reassuring to prepare your answers in advance.
- The child’s name (the name the child is called by), date of birth, date of arrival in Japan, nationality and address
- How long you plan to stay in Japan
- How many years the child went to school in your home country, and which grade the child was in
- Whether the child has studied Japanese
- Illnesses and allergies
- Favorite subjects, things the child is good at, and hopes for the future
- Family members and contact information (in an emergency, workplace, a person who can interpret, etc.)
- How the child will go to and come home from school
Which Grade Will Your Child Be In?
At Japanese schools, the grade is in principle decided by age. Because of this, it may not be the same as the grade at the school in your home country.
However, if it is decided that studying in the grade for the child’s age is not suitable, for reasons such as the child’s Japanese ability not yet being sufficient, the child may enter a lower grade for a while.
In addition, depending on the city, ward, town or village, the designated school may be changed to another school so that the child can receive enough Japanese language instruction. If the child has a disability, the child may be able to enter a school for special needs education or a special needs class at an elementary or junior high school. In all these cases, consult the board of education of your city, ward, town or village.
Things to Know About School Life
- School lunch: Many elementary and junior high schools serve lunch (kyushoku). The children serve the food and clean up themselves. If there are foods your child cannot eat for health or religious reasons, talk with the homeroom teacher
- Cleaning: The children share the work of cleaning their own classrooms, the schoolyard and other areas
- Indoor shoes: At many schools, children change into indoor shoes (uwabaki: shoes for use inside) inside the school building
- Clothing: Most elementary schools have no rules about clothing. Junior high schools often have clothing rules (such as uniforms) that differ from school to school
- Terms and holidays: Many schools divide the year into 2 or 3 terms, and there are summer, winter and spring holidays. The names and timing of events differ by area and school
- PTA: An association of parents and teachers. It carries out activities such as watching over children’s safety on the way to and from school
- Opportunities to talk with teachers: There are parents’ meetings and individual meetings (meetings to talk one-on-one with the homeroom teacher). At some schools, an interpreter may be arranged if parents and guardians ask
When You Move or Return to Your Home Country
When You Move Within Japan and Your Child Changes Schools
- Tell the current school that you are moving
- Receive a “Certificate of School Enrollment” (在学証明書, zaigaku shomeisho) and a “Certificate of Textbook Provision” (教科用図書給与証明書, kyokayo tosho kyuyo shomeisho: proof that the child received textbooks) from the current school
- Submit a moving-out notification at the office of your current city, ward, town or village
- Submit a moving-in notification at the office of your new city, ward, town or village (within 14 days after moving)
- Receive a “School Transfer Permit” (転入学許可書, tennyugaku kyokasho) (or an enrollment permit) from the board of education of your new city, ward, town or village
- Submit the certificate of school enrollment and the certificate of textbook provision to the new school
When your child changes schools, consult the current school or the board of education in advance. The overall procedures for moving are summarized in Checklist for Moving Within Japan: Moving-out and Moving-in Notifications, Residence Card, Electricity, Gas and Water, and Mail Forwarding.
When You Return to Your Home Country
When you leave Japan, for example to return to your home country, also consult the school or the board of education of your city, ward, town or village in advance.
When You Have a Problem and Common Questions
What About People Aged 15 or Older Who Have Not Graduated from Junior High School?
There are “night junior high schools” (夜間中学, yakan chugaku), which people who have not completed compulsory education in their home country or in Japan, or who could not study enough for various reasons, can attend. Because they are public junior high schools, there is no tuition. If you want to enter one, first consult the board of education of the city, ward, town or village where you live.
(Sources: Immigration Services Agency “Guidebook on Living and Working” Chapter 5: Education, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology “For Those Who Want to Study at Night Junior High Schools”)
What Other Schools Can We Choose Besides Japanese Schools?
There are also “foreign schools”, mainly for the education of foreign children. The language, what is taught, the path after graduation and other points differ from school to school. Choose a school that suits your child.
(Sources: Immigration Services Agency “Guidebook on Living and Working” Chapter 5: Education)
What Happens After Graduating from Junior High School?
Most people who graduate from junior high school go on to senior high school. To enter senior high school, there is in principle an entrance examination. For senior high school tuition, there is support called the “High School Tuition Support Fund” (高等学校等就学支援金, koto gakko to shugaku shienkin), and you need to apply to receive it (the school will give you information).
(Sources: Immigration Services Agency “Guidebook on Living and Working” Chapter 5: Education, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology “School Guide for Foreigners”)
Where Can I Consult About School in a Foreign Language?
- For entering school, bullying, a child not being able to go to school (futoko), and similar matters, the place to consult is the board of education of your city, ward, town or village (for public senior high schools and schools for special needs education, mainly the prefectural board of education)
- Some prefectural and municipal offices have consultation services for foreign residents where you can also consult about education. The languages differ by service. Search for “(name of your city, ward, town or village) 外国人 相談窓口” or ask at the office
- On MEXT’s website “CASTA-NET” (かすたねっと), you can search for multilingual materials useful for the learning of children with foreign roots
(Sources: Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology “School Guidebook for Foreign Children”, Immigration Services Agency “Guidebook on Living and Working” Chapter 5: Education, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology “CASTA-NET”)
Primary Sources Used for This Article
- Immigration Services Agency “Guidebook on Living and Working” (8th edition) (Chapter 5: Education)
- Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology “School Guidebook for Foreign Children” (English version with Japanese)
- Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology “School Guide for Foreigners” (English version with Japanese)
- Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology “School Guidebook for Foreign Children” (list of language versions)
- Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology “Drastic Reduction of the Burden of School Lunch Fees”
- Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology “About the School Attendance Assistance System (School Attendance Assistance Portal Site)”
- Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology “For Those Who Want to Study at Night Junior High Schools”
- Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology “CASTA-NET”
This article is a translation of the original Japanese version.
