How to Enroll Your Child in a Japanese Public School

What Is Japanese Public Elementary School?

Japanese public elementary school (小学校 — shougakkou) covers six years, from Grade 1 to Grade 6. Children typically start at age 6 and finish at 12. The school year runs from April to March, with three terms separated by summer, winter, and spring breaks.

Public elementary school is free of charge and open to all children registered as residents in Japan, regardless of nationality. For most international families, it's the most practical option — and many children thrive in the environment, picking up Japanese quickly through daily immersion.

Who Can Enroll

Any child registered in the Japanese resident registry (住民基本台帳 — juumin kihon daichou) is entitled to attend the local public elementary school. This includes children of international residents on long-term visas. Nationality makes no difference.

Your child's assigned school is determined by your home address. Each neighbourhood falls within a specific school catchment area (学区 — gakku). If you want to know which school your address belongs to, contact your local city or ward office.

The Enrollment Timeline

The Enrollment Process

The process is largely handled for you — city hall identifies eligible children from the resident registry and sends notices automatically. Here's what you'll need to do:

1. Receive the enrollment notice (就学通知書) — this arrives by post in October or November. It confirms your child's assigned school. Keep it safe — you'll need it at the school health checkup.
2. Attend the school health checkup (就学時健康診断) — held at the school in November. Bring the enrollment notice and your child's Boshi Techou (母子健康手帳). The checkup covers vision, hearing, teeth, and general health.
3. Attend the school orientation (説明会) — usually in January or February. The school will explain daily routines, the supplies list, school lunch, and rules. This is a good opportunity to ask about Japanese language support if your child needs it.
4. Submit enrollment documents — typically at the orientation or shortly after. You'll need the enrollment notice and proof of address (住民票 or マイナンバーカード).
5. Prepare supplies — buy the randoseru and items on the school's list before April.
6. Attend the enrollment ceremony (入学式) — held in early April. Dress smartly — it's a formal event, and parents are expected to attend.

Transferring Mid-Year

If you're moving to Japan during the school year — not at the start of April — the process is a little different. You'll need to contact your local board of education (教育委員会 — kyouiku iinkai) directly rather than waiting for a notice.

What to bring to the board of education:

• 住民票 (juuminhyou) — residence certificate, obtained from city hall after registering your address
• 在学証明書 (zaigaku shoumeisho) — certificate of enrollment from your child's previous school
• 成績証明書 (seiseki shoumeisho) — academic record (if available)

Language Support

Most Japanese public schools are taught entirely in Japanese. If your child doesn't speak Japanese yet, this is understandably a concern — but children often pick up the language faster than parents expect through daily immersion.

The level of support available depends heavily on where you live. Cities with large international populations — such as Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, and Hamamatsu — tend to have much more structured support in place. In rural areas, there may be little or no dedicated language support at all.

That said, schools and municipalities vary significantly in the support they offer:

• Japanese language instruction (日本語指導) — some schools have teachers trained to support non-native Japanese speakers. Your child may be withdrawn for small-group Japanese lessons.
• Interpreter support — larger cities sometimes provide interpreters for parent meetings and important communications. Ask your board of education what's available.
• Buddy system — some schools pair new international students with a classmate to help them settle in.

Costs

Public elementary school tuition is free. But there are still costs involved:

From April 2026, the national government introduced a subsidy of ¥5,200 per child per month for school lunch at public elementary schools — making it effectively free for most families, with no application required. In some areas where lunch costs exceed this amount, a small difference may still apply.

The biggest one-time cost is the randoseru. Many families buy it in late summer or autumn of the year before school starts — popular colours and styles can sell out. There's no rule that it has to be the traditional black or red; most schools accept any colour.

What Your Child Will Need

The school will give you a full supplies list at orientation. Almost everything except the randoseru is school-specified, so don't buy items in advance. Here's what most children will need:

• Randoseru (ランドセル) — the traditional hard-frame school backpack. Required at almost all public elementary schools.
• Indoor shoes (上履き — uwabaki) — plain white canvas shoes worn inside the school building. Outdoor shoes are left at the entrance.
• Gym clothes (体操服 — taisoufuku) — the school will specify the style. Usually a white T-shirt and navy or dark shorts.
• Stationery — pencils (HB or B), eraser, ruler, scissors, glue. A pencil case is fine.
• Lunch apron and bag (給食エプロン・給食袋) — children take turns serving lunch to classmates. A white apron and hat are needed.
• Cleaning cloths (雑巾 — zoukin) — children clean their own classroom every day. Two cloths are usually needed.
• Name labels — everything needs your child's name on it. Japanese name stickers (お名前シール) are widely available and make this much easier.

📖 Japanese Vocabulary

Useful terms for the elementary school enrollment process.