The American school landscape in Tokyo
Tokyo's American curriculum offer is led by the American School in Japan, known as ASIJ, in Chofu. ASIJ was founded in 1902 and is one of the oldest and largest American schools outside the United States. It enrols around 1,500 students from Pre-K through Grade 12 and runs the AP curriculum at high school alongside an American high school diploma. ASIJ is the default option for most American families on multi-year assignments in Tokyo.
Beyond ASIJ, the American-style cohort is small. Christian Academy in Japan in Higashi-Kurume runs a Pre-K to Grade 12 programme on Christian principles with an American high school diploma and a limited AP slate. Nishimachi International School in central Minato runs Kindergarten through Grade 9 on an American-influenced model with a strong Japanese language element, with most graduates moving on to ASIJ or an IB school for high school. Yokohama International School and Saint Maur International School in Yokohama serve American-passport families based south of Tokyo and offer AP and IB pathways at senior level.
Fees and tuition bands
American curriculum tuition in Tokyo sits between roughly JPY 2.8 million and JPY 3.6 million per year. ASIJ is at the top of the band, with high school tuition near JPY 3.4 million plus a substantial capital levy and a one-off enrolment fee. Christian Academy in Japan and Nishimachi sit in the mid range. Add the standard add-ons of bus contracts, lunch programmes, AP exam fees, athletics and trips, and the all-in cost can comfortably exceed JPY 4.0 million per year at high school.
A significant share of American families in Tokyo have school fees covered partly or fully by their employer through an expatriate education allowance. If your move is not company sponsored, model the full cost carefully against the Tokyo fees guide before committing.
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Illustrative example schools
The five schools below are illustrative, not a ranking. Each has a long American-style record and a clear identity in Tokyo or Yokohama.
The American School in Japan in Chofu is the flagship. AP suite is broad, athletics is competitive, university outcomes into US institutions are strong. The Roppongi early learning centre serves families with Pre-K and Kindergarten children based in central Tokyo.
Christian Academy in Japan in Higashi-Kurume offers a smaller, more values-led American programme with strong language support for new arrivals. AP slate is narrower than ASIJ but university advising is well resourced.
Nishimachi International School in Minato runs an American-style curriculum with a strong Japanese language element from Kindergarten through Grade 9. Many graduates feed into ASIJ or into Tokyo's IB schools at high school.
Saint Maur International School in Yokohama is the oldest international school in Japan, founded in 1872. It runs both AP and IB at senior level and serves both American and broader international families along the Kanagawa coast.
Where American families live in Tokyo
American families in Tokyo cluster heavily in Minato, particularly Hiroo, Azabu and Akasaka, near the US embassy and the Roppongi early learning centre. Shibuya and Setagaya, including Sangenjaya and Den-en-chofu, are popular for families with children at ASIJ, because the school bus service runs along those routes. For ASIJ's Chofu campus, some families choose to live in Setagaya west or Chofu itself to cut the bus journey, particularly with younger children. American families at Saint Maur or Yokohama International base themselves in Yamate or Motomachi in Yokohama.
Admissions calendar
American schools in Tokyo align to a North American academic year, with the school year beginning in mid-August. Applications for August 2026 entry typically open between September and December 2025. ASIJ operates a structured admissions cycle with priority deadlines in January for the most competitive entry points, including Kindergarten, Grade 6 and Grade 9. Christian Academy in Japan and Nishimachi run a more flexible rolling admissions model and can often offer places within four to six months for families relocating mid-year.
Plan to apply 9 to 12 months ahead for ASIJ. For the smaller American-style schools, 4 to 6 months is usually sufficient outside the Kindergarten entry year.
AP counts and university outcomes
ASIJ offers more than 20 AP courses, which is broad by Asian international school standards and unusual outside the largest American schools in Hong Kong, Singapore and Shanghai. The AP slate covers the usual sciences and humanities, plus less common offerings like AP Japanese Language and Culture, AP Music Theory and AP Computer Science Principles. Most strong ASIJ students sit between four and seven AP exams across Grades 11 and 12. Christian Academy in Japan offers a narrower AP slate, typically eight to ten courses, focused on the core sciences, English and US history.
University outcomes from ASIJ run heavily into US universities, with a meaningful UK and Canadian tail. Recent classes have placed students at the standard Ivy League schools, the larger state flagships and the specialist arts and engineering institutions. Christian Academy in Japan also feeds US universities, with a particular concentration into Christian colleges and the larger state systems. Nishimachi graduates do not sit AP because the school ends at Grade 9; almost all transfer onward to ASIJ or to a Tokyo IB school for high school.
If your family is undecided between US and non-US universities, consider how each school treats the parallel pathway. ASIJ runs a strong college counselling team with university advisers who handle both US and non-US applications. Smaller schools may have a single counsellor and a heavier US bias. Our compare tool lets you line up two or three American-style schools across these dimensions.
Frequently asked questions
How many American schools are in Tokyo?
Tokyo has roughly half a dozen schools following an American or American-influenced model. ASIJ is by far the largest, followed by Christian Academy in Japan and Nishimachi International School. Saint Maur and Yokohama International serve families south of the city.
How much do American schools in Tokyo cost?
American school tuition in Tokyo ranges from JPY 2.8 million to JPY 3.6 million per year, with ASIJ at the top of the range. Adding capital levies, bus contracts and AP exam fees pushes the all-in cost 15 to 20 percent higher.
Does ASIJ offer the IB Diploma?
No. ASIJ runs the American high school diploma alongside an extensive AP suite. Families specifically wanting the IB Diploma should look at K. International, Aoba-Japan or Yokohama International instead.
Can American schools in Tokyo take students mid-year?
Yes, subject to space. ASIJ runs a rolling admissions process for mid-year arrivals and Christian Academy and Nishimachi are usually more flexible than the IB schools on mid-year transfers.
