Returning to Japan with Children: International School or Japanese School?
For a Japanese family moving home to Tokyo after years abroad, an international school can look like the natural continuation of the education a child has had so far. For a child of Japanese nationality, though, choosing between an international school and a Japanese one has legal consequences that expatriate families never face, and they are far easier to plan around before enrolling than after.
Why the question is different for a Japanese child
Japan’s School Education Act recognizes a defined set of regular schools, often called Article 1 schools after the provision that lists them. Most international schools are not among them: they are registered as miscellaneous schools, or not registered at all. For a child of foreign nationality that distinction rarely matters. For a child of Japanese nationality it does, because parents of a Japanese child are legally obliged to send that child to school for nine years, and Japan’s Ministry of Education states that enrolling a Japanese child in an international school that is not an Article 1 school does not fulfill that obligation.
None of this means a Japanese child cannot attend an international school. Many do, and thrive. It means the family is choosing a route with its own entry and exit points, and those points are worth knowing in advance.
What it means at each stage
Elementary to middle school. The Ministry of Education’s guidance is that a child who completes elementary school at an international school that is not an Article 1 school is not admitted to a Japanese public middle school on that basis. Local authorities say the same, and Tokyo’s Shinjuku ward, for example, advises families to consult the board of education before enrolling a child in an international school.
Middle school to high school. Completing the middle-school years at an international school in Japan does not in itself give eligibility to enter a Japanese high school. The usual route is the junior high school equivalency examination. High schools can also assess some applicants individually, although the Ministry ties that route mainly to children whose parents do not hold Japanese nationality. By contrast, a child who has completed nine years of schooling abroad is eligible, which is one reason the timing of a move home matters.
High school to university. Here the routes are wider. A student is eligible to apply to Japanese universities after completing the full twelve-year program at an international school accredited by one of the recognized bodies (WASC, CIS, ACSI, NEASC, Cognia or COBIS), after graduating from a school the Ministry has designated as equivalent to a foreign high school, by holding the IB Diploma, the Abitur, the French baccalauréat, A-levels or the European Baccalaureate, or by passing the high school equivalency examination. The IB Diploma has been recognized for university entrance since 1979.
If your child holds two nationalities
Some wards will consider deferring or exempting a dual-national child from compulsory schooling where the child is likely to choose the other nationality and has another education secured. Practice varies, so this is a conversation to have with your ward’s board of education directly, and ideally before the move.
The returnee route into Japanese schools
Japanese schools have long made room for returnee students, known as kikokushijo. Tokyo’s metropolitan high schools, for example, set aside places for returnees, including a September intake, for students of Japanese nationality who have lived abroad with their parents for at least two years and completed nine years of schooling overseas; selection is by essay, in Japanese or English, and interview. Many private schools and universities run their own returnee admissions as well, each with its own conditions.
For a child whose Japanese is strong, a returnee place can offer continuity with the Japanese system while recognizing what the child gained abroad.
A middle path: the IB inside the Japanese system
The International Baccalaureate has grown quickly in Japan, which now has more than 270 IB programs authorized or in candidacy. Among them is a Dual Language Diploma Programme, offered at around 37 regular Japanese schools, in which most subjects can be taken in Japanese while two of the six are taken in English or another language. For a returnee family that wants an international qualification without leaving the Japanese system, it is worth a close look.
What international schools ask of returnee families
International schools set their own admissions conditions, and some affect Japanese families directly. Several established Tokyo schools require at least one parent to be fluent in English, and at least one requires a parent to hold a non-Japanese passport. Others welcome local Japanese families, and some schools with “international” in the name mainly serve Japanese students. Knowing which is which before you apply saves a great deal of time.
Where to start
Begin with the longer-range plan. A family expecting to move abroad again within a few years, a family planning for university outside Japan, and a family settling in Japan for good will reach different answers, and often the longer-range plan decides the choice in the immediate term. Then speak with your local board of education before enrolling, because practice varies by ward, and apply early, since places at the established international schools can be limited.
This is general information rather than legal advice, and the rules and how they are applied can change, so confirm the current position for your child with the relevant authority. Our Tokyo Q&A with Yun Sun covers the wider picture for families arriving in the city.
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Bennett International Education Consultancy works directly with hundreds of families each year across the globe. We support families by helping them make informed decisions about the best-fit schools for their children; with our guidance, they secure placement in preschools, private day schools, public/state schools, boarding schools, colleges and universities, including schools with particular programs, such as special needs support.
