Tokyo is a vast, orderly and remarkably safe capital with one of Asia's deepest benches of international schools, spread across the western suburbs and the central wards. For a relocating family the real work is less about finding a good school, of which there are many, and more about matching curriculum, commute and ward to a city where distances are large and places in popular year groups are limited.
The school landscape in Tokyo
International provision in Tokyo is broad and long established, so most families weigh several strong options rather than settling for whatever is nearest. American School in Japan teaches a United States programme in English on its Chofu campus and has served the international community for more than a century. British School in Tokyo follows the English National Curriculum and has campuses in the Minato and Showa areas of the city. Seisen International School offers the International Baccalaureate on a long established campus in Setagaya. Alongside these sit further American, British and IB schools across the metropolitan area, as well as national schools that teach in Japanese with support for new arrivals. The practical constraint is rarely quality but capacity and location, since the best known campuses draw applications from across the city and beyond.
How to move to Tokyo with children, step by step
Relocating with school aged children rewards early planning. These five steps mirror how the GlobalSchoolGuide relocation desk sequences a family move, so nothing critical slips through the gaps between the offer, the housing search and the first day of term.
- Set your relocation timeline. Fix your move date against the start of the school year in Tokyo and work backwards, allowing several months for shortlisting and applications.
- Shortlist and apply to schools. Match two or three schools in Tokyo to your child's age, curriculum and budget, then apply early because the leading schools have limited capacity.
- Confirm fees and admissions. Request the current fee schedule and admissions requirements directly from each school, since published figures are reset every academic year.
- Choose a neighbourhood near school. Pick housing within a reasonable commute of your shortlisted school, since Tokyo is large and school location shapes daily life.
- Settle the practical set up. Arrange visas, banking, health cover and the physical move, and time everything to the school calendar so your child starts with the year group.
Fees and budgeting
Fee paying international schooling in Tokyo sits towards the upper range for Asia, reflecting the cost of central land, small class sizes and specialist English medium teaching. Charges vary widely by school, year group and campus, and several schools add capital levies or registration fees on top of tuition, so a single published figure rarely tells the whole story. Because schools reset their schedules each academic year, request the current fee list directly from each school and read the fine print on deposits and one off charges before you commit. Local Japanese schools carry no tuition and are an option for families staying several years.
Free Tokyo family relocation checklist
Download our step by step checklist covering the admissions timeline, documents, housing and the first month settling in. Browse the full library on our guides hub, or start with the Tokyo city guide for school listings.
Neighbourhoods and housing
Many international families concentrate in the central wards of Minato, including Azabu, Hiroo and Moto Azabu, where the English speaking community, embassies and bilingual services cluster. Setagaya and the western suburbs suit families whose school sits out towards Chofu or Musashino, trading a central address for a shorter school run. Yokohama, to the south, is a calmer and more affordable base for some families who commute in. Because Tokyo is large and its rail network is precise but busy, choosing a home within a sensible commute of your chosen school matters more here than in most cities.
Language and settling in
Japanese is the national language, and while Tokyo is welcoming, everyday life outside the international bubble runs largely in Japanese. Children in international schools learn in English and often study Japanese as an additional language, which helps them settle into the city. Families joining local schools receive structured Japanese language support, and younger children in particular tend to absorb the language quickly. For daily errands, translation apps and a little effort go a long way, and the city rewards families who learn even basic Japanese.
Curriculum continuity
Curriculum continuity is usually the decision that matters most in Tokyo, given how many systems are available. A child part way through an American, British or IB pathway will find the smoothest transition by staying in the same system, which points towards one of the established international schools. Families committing to a longer stay, especially with younger children, sometimes choose a Japanese or bilingual route and gain strong local schooling. The closer a child is to a leaving examination, the more weight you should give to keeping the same curriculum. Our IB curriculum hub is a useful reference if you are weighing an International Baccalaureate route.
Fees by stage
To ground your budgeting, compare typical fee bands by school stage rather than relying on a single headline number. Our stage guides set out what families pay at each level and how charges build up across the years. See the Tokyo primary school fees guide and the Tokyo secondary school fees guide, and always confirm the current figures with each school directly.
Visas, healthcare and admin
Practically, confirm your visa and residency status early, since your category shapes your access to services and your children's school registration. Arrange health cover for the settling in period before your status and registration are complete, and set up local banking soon after arrival, since school fees, deposits and daily life all run more smoothly once a domestic account is open. Sequencing status, housing and the school offer carefully makes the first month in Tokyo far less stressful than handling everything at once.
The admissions timeline
The leading schools in Tokyo accept applications ahead of the school year, and because capacity is limited, individual year groups can fill well before any published deadline. Applying early is the single most effective way to protect your first choice. Where a year group is already full, ask to join the waiting list and keep a realistic second option open in parallel. Keeping copies of school reports, immunisation records and identity documents ready will speed up every application.
Is Tokyo a good place to raise children?
Tokyo rewards families who plan the school place and housing before they arrive. Like any major relocation, it brings an adjustment period, but families who sequence the essentials early tend to settle quickly and find plenty for children to enjoy. The most useful habit is to treat the school decision as the anchor for everything else, from where you live to how you budget, and to build the rest of the move around it.
Your first weeks: what to prioritise
In your first weeks, confirm the school place and start date in writing, then settle the essentials that everything else depends on: residency status, a local bank account, health cover and a domestic mobile and internet plan. With those handled, the wider routines of family life fall into place quickly. Many families also register early for after school activities and any language support on offer, both of which help children build friendships and settle into the rhythm of the school year. Keeping a simple shared checklist of registrations, deadlines and documents is the most useful habit in a first term.
Frequently asked questions
Does Tokyo have English speaking schools?
Yes. Tokyo has a large number of English medium international schools, including the American School in Japan, the British School in Tokyo and Seisen International School, among many others across the metropolitan area. Confirm current places and requirements directly with each school.
Are international schools in Tokyo expensive?
Fee paying international schooling in Tokyo sits towards the upper range for Asia, and local Japanese schools carry no tuition. Fees vary by school, campus and year group and are reset annually, so request the current schedule from each school rather than relying on estimates.
Where do international families tend to live?
Central wards such as Minato, including Azabu and Hiroo, are popular for their English speaking community and services, while families with schools in the west often choose Setagaya or the suburbs near Chofu and Musashino.
Can expat children attend Japanese state schools?
Yes. Local schools are free, teach in Japanese and provide language support for new arrivals. Families staying several years sometimes choose this route for younger children, while those on shorter postings usually keep an English medium curriculum for continuity.
When should we apply?
Apply well ahead of the school year and earlier for competitive year groups, because the most sought after international schools have limited capacity and popular years fill first.
Plan your move
Use these free tools and guides to turn this overview into a shortlist and a working plan for your family's move to Tokyo.