The Tokyo fee landscape
Tokyo hosts a deep international school market. ASIJ (American School in Japan), British School in Tokyo, Tokyo International School, Saint Mary's International, K International School, plus several IB-pathway schools. Premium tier sits at JPY 3.0-3.6 million per year. Mid-tier at JPY 2.0-3.0 million. Most premium schools also charge upfront "facilities fees" or "construction fees" (kensetsu hi) of JPY 800,000-2,500,000, sometimes refundable, sometimes not.
2026 fee tiers (Tokyo)
| Tier | Annual fee range (JPY) | Annual fee range (USD) | Typical schools |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premium | JPY 3.0M - 3.6M | USD 19,500 - 23,500 | ASIJ, British School in Tokyo, Saint Mary's International, Seisen International, K International, Sacred Heart |
| Upper-mid | JPY 2.4M - 3.0M | USD 15,500 - 19,500 | Tokyo International School, Aoba-Japan International, Yokohama International (commutable) |
| Mid | JPY 1.5M - 2.4M | USD 9,800 - 15,500 | Smaller bilingual internationals, regional sub-campuses |
| Bilingual | JPY 0.8M - 1.5M | USD 5,200 - 9,800 | Bilingual privados, Japanese privados with English programmes |
The facilities fee system
Most premium Tokyo international schools charge an upfront "facilities" or "construction" fee on enrolment. ASIJ charges JPY 1.5M-2.5M (refundable on departure under specific conditions). British School in Tokyo and Saint Mary's charge JPY 800,000-1.5M. K International JPY 600,000-1.0M. These are quasi-debentures. your capital is locked up for the duration of the placement. Plan accordingly: a 5-year placement with a JPY 2M facilities fee plus annual fees of JPY 3.3M is a total commitment of JPY 18.5M (USD 120,000) for one child over five years.
Hidden extras
Total cost-of-place adds 10-15% to headline fees. Largest line items: enrolment fee (separate from facilities fee. typically JPY 250,000-400,000 one-time), school bus (JPY 250,000-500,000 per year. Tokyo distances make this material), uniform (JPY 80,000-150,000), trips (JPY 100,000-300,000), exam entries (JPY 100,000-180,000 in IGCSE/IB years), books and materials (JPY 30,000-80,000). Lunch typically packed or modest cafeteria contributions.
Year-on-year fee inflation
Tokyo school fees rose 3.0% on average in 2025-26, modest by global standards. Japanese CPI ran 2.8%. Premium schools tracked 3.2-3.5%; mid-tier 2.5-3.0%. The bigger fee story is yen weakness.
The yen weakness effect
The Japanese yen has weakened substantially against USD over 2022-2025 (peak around JPY 160 to USD before stabilising). For USD-paid families, Tokyo international school fees in USD terms fell roughly 25-30% over that period. A premium ASIJ place that cost USD 30,000+ in 2021 now costs USD 19,500-22,000. Tokyo is now meaningfully cheaper than Singapore, Hong Kong or Beijing for premium English-medium education on USD basis. For yen-paid families, no change. For GBP/EUR families, partial dollar effect.
Tokyo vs. Singapore: a working comparison
A premium IB Diploma place at K International or ASIJ runs about JPY 3.4M (USD 22,000) per year. The equivalent at UWCSEA Singapore costs SGD 55,000-62,000 (USD 41,500-46,500). Tokyo is now roughly half the price of Singapore for comparable academic output. The trade-off is non-fee cost-of-living (Tokyo housing is expensive; transport and food less so).
Sibling discounts
Most Tokyo international schools offer 5-10% sibling discounts. ASIJ and several premium schools offer no formal sibling discount. See our sibling discount table.
Currency exposure
Tokyo schools quote in JPY. USD-paid families benefit from yen weakness on running fees. Facilities fees represent locked-up yen. currency moves on the lock-up period directly affect refund value at departure. GBP and EUR-paid families benefit partially from the dollar effect.