Applying to nurseries in Japan can be a daunting experience. You are not only taking a leap of faith trusting the care of your child to someone else other than your family and friends but also you’re making these child care decisions in a foreign country with limited resources and language skills.
Before discussing how to choose a Japanese nursery school, it’s essential to understand the differences between the childcare facilities in Japan. The Japanese public and private schooling system is quite complicated and often parents/carers wonder what is the best option for their children. For more information, read our comprehensive guide on the available childcare options in Japan.
If you’re ready to take the next step, let’s discuss the factors that will help you find the nursery that meets the type of childcare you need.
Location: Research online the nursery schools that are near you
Browsing online what kind of schools are near your home or workplace is a good starting point. Drop off and pick up will be added to your daily routine and they’ll be time-consuming tasks. How are you planning to commute to and from school? Are you planning to walk, drive or ride a bicycle?
Here are a few things to consider when planning drop off and pick up:
Distance from home or station
Is there an available car parking lot near the school?
Is there a train station near the school?
Is there an available bicycle parking lot at or nearby the school?
Is there a stroller storage area or not?
Is it easy to reach the school in all weather conditions?
Is it easy to reach in case of an emergency?
TIP: While narrowing down your search to the nearest available schools is important, try not to limit yourself. Consider opening up the search to schools easily accessible from your local station or the ones that are a 15/20 mins bike ride from your location. This will give more options and a better chance for your application.
What is your budget?
Childcare fees in Japan can vary based on the childcare facility and your preference to choose a public or private facility. For instance, public and private authorised child care facilities have a fixed fee for children under 3 years old. But it also depends on the household income. Non authorised facilities and international facilities determine their own fees based on their own criteria.
Narrow down the search based on their minimum age acceptance
The age of your child will also help you narrow down your search. From what age does each school accept students? Is there a 0 year class? If not, do they accept babies under one year old?
Narrow down the search based on the regular opening hours, extended hours and weekend availability.
Due to work and other circumstances many parents/carers will customise their research based on the childcare hours. Look for schools that offer extended hours or even weekend availability.
Consider the schools’ pedagogical approach for play & learning
Nursery schools in Japan for children between the ages of 0-5 focus on fostering children on behalf of their parents and not on learning. This means that there’s no official early years educational curriculum for nurseries set by the government. However, each nursery school has its own pedagogical and philosophical approach to childcare. On their websites they often disclose information about their childcare methods and approaches. During the school visits, don’t forget to ask more about their philosophy. What other teaching methods and approaches do they apply to their everyday activities? What learning resources do they have? Do they offer outdoor play at their local park? Do they promote hands-on and messy play? What kind of events are there? What is the ratio of teachers-students?
However, preschools (yochien) and Hybrid nursery schools (kodomo-en) for children above the age of 3 focus mainly on learning and preparing children for the future, laying the essential early years literacy foundations.
Choose based on each school’s rules & requirements
Diapers: Bear in mind that many Japanese childcare facilities ask parents to take and dispose of their used diapers.
Response to diseases & injuries: What happens if your child has a fever or an injury. Are you required to pick them up? Is there a nurse available on campus? What is the procedure in case of emergencies?
Dietary milestones & rules
After acceptance, it’s common to receive a school document that states the dietary milestones that your child must achieve before admissions. This can cause confusion to international families. The cultural and religious background of each family is closely related to their dietary habits and the way they introduce or omit certain food ingredients including meat and dairy products, fried food, sugar and salt. Most hoikuen lunch menus are set and prepared in bunches and any food requests besides allergies or due to medical problems (specified by a certified doctor) are not normally catered. However, there are exceptions where the parents/caregivers can prepare lunch boxes at home or the schools can cater for religious reasons mainly.
TIP: During your school visits, ask the staff about the school’s dietary milestones, rules about allergies, their approach to religion and dietary habits and other issues you might think are worth mentioning.
Nap, schedule and duration
Breast milk and weaning policy
Allergens policy: Most schools in Japan take allergies very seriously. Therefore, they have strict rules to avoid exposure. That being said, many international families have reported incidents of isolation during snack and lunch time. It’s often the case that children with allergies dine alone and separately from their peer group.
Book a nursery tour
The most effective way to determine and narrow down your choices is to book an appointment to visit the facilities. To book an appointment, contact each facility directly. Here’s a checklist with valuable questions you need to ask on your school visits.
Read inspection report
Lastly, read the schools’ inspection reports in Japanese or check out our English-translated report for the schools in your wards here.
The reports include information about the strengths and weaknesses and in what areas they need to improve. Also, you can find the survey results of parents' satisfaction for each school.
If you have more questions about childcare in Japan or you need help with your application, book an online consultation with our expert Educational Consultant. For more information see our Services. We provide a wide range of consultancy services, including personalized advice on how to prepare, what schools to choose and how to submit the applications.