Primary international school fees in Tokyo (2026)

Tokyo hosts a deep international school market spread across the central wards and out towards Yokohama. For primary families the tuition bands are broad, but the feature that sets Tokyo apart is the facilities or construction fee, the kensetsu hi, a substantial one off payment many premium schools require on joining, sometimes refundable on departure and sometimes not.

Yen weakness has reshaped how the fees feel. For families paid in dollars, Tokyo's international school fees in dollar terms fell sharply over recent years as the yen weakened, making the city meaningfully cheaper than Singapore, Hong Kong or Beijing for premium English medium primary education. For families paid in yen, the picture is one of modest, steady increases.

Primary fee bands

The table below bands annual primary tuition by school tier, drawn from our Tokyo international school fees research. Primary year groups sit at the lower end of each school's published range, with fees rising through the middle and senior years. Figures are tuition only; one off and recurring extras are set out separately below.

School names and tier positions are drawn from our city fees research and are not exact quotes; confirm current figures with each school.

Registration, deposit and other costs

Tuition is only part of the bill. The line items below are indicative bands for international schools in this market and should be confirmed with each school, as policies vary and some waive individual charges entirely.

Bands above are indicative ranges sourced from our city fees research, not school specific quotes. Always confirm current figures in a school's fee schedule before budgeting.

What drives the cost

Curriculum and heritage set the headline. The long established American, British and IB primaries with overseas trained staff occupy the premium band, while bilingual schools and Japanese schools running English programmes sit far lower for a different kind of provision.

The facilities fee is the distinctive Tokyo driver. Most premium schools charge a large upfront contribution on enrolment, with the leading American school in the JPY 1.5 to 2.5 million range and others charging less, which effectively locks up capital for the duration of a child's time at the school. Over a multi year primary placement this turns a school's true cost well above the annual tuition.

Currency is the third factor and it cuts across the tiers. Tokyo's yen denominated fees rose only modestly in the latest cycle, but the weak yen means dollar and, to a lesser extent, euro and sterling paid families have seen the real cost fall, which has drawn more international families to the city.

Hidden costs primary parents miss

The facilities or construction fee is the cost primary families most often overlook. Because it is a large one off payment on top of annual tuition, the first year in Tokyo is dramatically more expensive than later years, and whether the fee is refundable on departure varies by school and by condition.

Transport is the next line. Tokyo's international schools are dispersed across the metropolis rather than clustered, so a school bus can add JPY 250,000 to 500,000 a year and a long daily journey for a young child. A separate enrolment fee, uniforms and devices for upper primary sit on top.

Together the recurring extras add roughly ten to fifteen per cent to the headline tuition, before the one off facilities fee is even counted, so families should model the full multi year commitment rather than a single year's tuition.

For the full breakdown by school and tier, read our guide to international school fees in Tokyo, or start from the Tokyo international schools hub to shortlist by curriculum and neighbourhood. Parents also weigh experience through our Tokyo international school reviews. To weigh one city against another, the international school fee calculator totals tuition plus living costs.

Frequently asked questions

Primary international school fees in Tokyo range from about JPY 0.8 million a year at bilingual schools to roughly JPY 3.6 million at the premium international primaries, with primary year groups sitting at the lower end of each school's range. Most premium schools also charge a large upfront facilities fee on top.

Most premium Tokyo schools charge a facilities or construction fee, the kensetsu hi, a one off payment on enrolment that ranges from roughly JPY 600,000 to 2,500,000. It is sometimes refundable on departure and sometimes not, and it effectively locks up capital for the duration of a child's placement.

For families paid in dollars, yes. As the yen weakened over recent years, Tokyo's international school fees fell sharply in dollar terms, making the city meaningfully cheaper than Singapore, Hong Kong or Beijing for premium English medium education. For families paid in yen there is no such effect.

Beyond the upfront facilities fee, expect a separate enrolment fee, school transport of JPY 250,000 to 500,000 a year given Tokyo distances, uniforms, devices for upper primary and trips. The recurring extras add roughly ten to fifteen per cent to the headline tuition.

Because the large one off facilities fee and a separate enrolment fee fall in the first year on top of annual tuition. A multi year placement should be modelled as a whole, since the facilities fee can run into the millions of yen and may or may not be refundable when the family leaves.