Country & territory guide
Compare schools across Japan.
Japan's reviewed school choices extend beyond Tokyo into distinct city and regional collections. Compare a day-school campus, a senior boarding programme and a school phase separately before using a curriculum label. The child's language background, entry point and intended qualification matter more than assuming every international school provides the same years or daily setting.
36 included profiles · 24 destination collections · 6 dated tuition schedules
This is a selected directory, with different levels of evidence in each collection. Open the named campus profile to check its curriculum phases, review date and sources before contacting admissions.
Planning a school search in Japan
Distinguish Tokyo phase campuses from a country search
The British School in Tokyo allocates primary provision to Azabudai Hills and secondary provision to Showa in Setagaya. ASIJ publishes Chofu and Roppongi settings with different phase coverage. A national shortlist also includes separate Yokohama, Osaka, Kobe and other city collections; it should not imply that those schools are alternatives for the same daily commute. Confirm where each child would learn, the entrance and collection arrangements, and what changes when they move division. A school-group address or Tokyo marketing label cannot replace the actual campus in a housing or transport decision.
Sources: BST: Azabudai Hills primary provision · BST: Showa secondary provision · ASIJ: Chofu and Roppongi campus allocation
Compare senior boarding with a full-age day-school pathway
UWC ISAK Japan in Karuizawa describes a boarding high-school programme, with Grade 10 preparation and the IB Diploma in Grades 11–12. NUCB International College in Nisshin publishes a three-year course with a preparatory high-school year before the Diploma. These are senior entry choices, rather than primary-school continuums. Ask which entry year is available, how prior coursework is assessed and what preparation is needed for Diploma subjects. For a boarding enquiry, also establish the residence arrangement, breaks, supervision and complete charges. An IB filter should not collapse these into the same offer as a younger child's day school.
Sources: UWC ISAK: Karuizawa boarding and preparatory year · NUCB International College: three-year academic course · NUCB International College: Nisshin location
Read middle-years and graduation routes precisely
KIST's published sequence is PYP, its own lower-secondary programme in Grades 6–8, IGCSE in Grades 9–10 and Diploma in Grades 11–12. Its middle years should not be relabelled MYP. BST's current senior page identifies IB Diploma and a separate BST Diploma, with BTEC choices within the latter; the British name is not evidence that A levels remain the current senior route. Ask for the exact award and subject timetable, then request a JPY quotation for that campus and entry year. Include residence where relevant, travel, examinations and support instead of estimating a national average from unmatched phases.
Sources: KIST: grade-specific programme sequence · BST: current senior Diploma and BTEC options
Curriculum pathways recorded across the collection
Each row combines evidence from several profiles. Its phases may be offered at different schools; it does not mean every school provides every phase. Online delivery is listed separately. Open the school profile for its exact route and eligibility.
| Route and delivery | Recorded phases across profiles | Included profiles and source examples |
|---|---|---|
| IBOn campus | Early years, Primary, Secondary, Sixth form | 31 profiles |
| AmericanOn campus | Early years, Primary, Secondary, Sixth form | 5 profiles |
| BritishOn campus | Early years, Primary, Secondary | 3 profiles |
| JapaneseOn campus | Early years, Primary, Secondary, Sixth form | 2 profiles |
| CanadianOn campus | Early years, Primary | 1 profile |
| International Primary CurriculumOn campus | Primary | 1 profile |
| MontessoriOn campus | Early years | 1 profile |
Parent questions about Japan schools
Does a school with an IB Diploma also teach MYP in its preparatory years?
Not necessarily. KIST names its own lower-secondary programme before IGCSE and the Diploma, while UWC ISAK describes Grade 10 as preparation for senior IB. Match the specific programme to the child's entering grade. A Diploma authorisation cannot establish MYP, PYP or a primary place in a senior-only setting.
Sources: KIST: grade-specific programme sequence · UWC ISAK: Karuizawa boarding and preparatory year
How should I compare a Karuizawa boarding option with a Tokyo day school?
Separate the educational pathway from the daily and residential arrangement. Confirm the senior entry point, subjects, boarding expectations and school-break plan in Karuizawa; confirm the phase campus and commute in Tokyo. Compare complete quotations for those actual services, including residence and travel where needed, rather than tuition alone.
Sources: UWC ISAK: Karuizawa boarding and preparatory year · BST: Showa secondary provision
Start with a destination collection
The following collections have the most included profiles. Counts describe directory coverage, rather than local market size or school quality.
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