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The chart below shows theJapanese education system according to

age, grade, and available educational facilities.

Children who have their 6th birthday on or before April 1 enter

the first grade of elementary school of that year.

School year starts in April and ends in March.

For Japanese nationals, six years at elementary school and three

years at junior high school (total nine years) are compulsory.

Although foreign nationals are not subject to Japanese

compulsory education, they may enter local elementary/junior high

schools if they wish.

Some public elementary, junior high or high schools have

developed an environment to accept foreign nationals and/or

Japanese children returning from abroad. Contact the municipal

office in the ward (or city, town or village) where you reside for more

information.

After graduating from junior high school, children may choose to

continue their education to high school and then to university or tofind employment.

Elementary schools, junior high schools, high schools, technology

colleges, junior colleges, universities and graduate schools in Japan

are national, public or private institutes.

Special schools are available for physically/mentally-challenged

children who may have difficulty in studying at general schools.

For more information, contact the Board of Education of the Tokyo

Metropolitan Government and/or the municipal office and board of

education in the ward (or city, town or village) where you reside.

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Since education at elementary school and junior high school is

compulsory for Japanese nationals, households with a child who starts

school in the coming April receive a notice regarding school enrollment

from the municipal office (city hall) of their area of residence by the end ofJanuary. After receiving the notice, they should begin necessary

preparation for enrollment according to the notice. Non-Japanese

nationals living in Japan may not always receive this notice, however,

since they are not subject to Japanese compulsory education. If you are a

foreign resident and wish to have your child educated at a Japanese public

school, you need to apply for permission to enroll your child. If you make

an application for permission in advance, you should receive the above

notice so that you can take it along with the child's alien registration

certificate to the municipal office as part of the necessary paperwork.

Public compulsory schools require no tuition fees in principle. Additionalexpenses such as lunch money may, however, be necessary.

Most public elementary/junior high schools require no admission

exam.

Several public junior high schools offer evening classes for aged

16 or older living or working in Tokyo, who could not graduate from

elementary schools and junior high schools at home. The foreign

nationals can enter the schools regardless of previous schooling,

without the need to worry so much about tuition fees and other

expenses.For more information, contact or the municipal office in the ward (or city,

town or village) where you reside and its board of education.

Tokyo Metropolitan Board of Education: List of local boards of

education (Japanese only)

Association of Private Elementary Schools in Tokyo: Information of

private elementary schools in Tokyo

(Japanese only)

Association of Private Secondary Schools in Tokyo: Information of

private junior high schools & high schools in Tokyo(Japanese only)

Tokyo Metropolitan Board of Education: Public junior high night schools

Junior high school graduates may continue their education to high school

or Technological colleges (kosen), which, however, is not compulsory

and therefore requires the passing of an admission exam to enter. High

schools generally offer a three-year program, which Evening high schools

and correspondence courses offer programs for more them three years.

There are several types of high schools. General academic high school

http://www.kyoiku.metro.tokyo.jp/buka/soumu/kusichoson.htmhttp://www.kyoiku.metro.tokyo.jp/buka/soumu/kusichoson.htmhttp://www.tokyoshigaku.com/shotou/sentaku.htmlhttp://www.tokyoshigaku.com/shotou/sentaku.htmlhttp://www.tokyoshigaku.com/http://www.tokyoshigaku.com/http://www.kyoiku.metro.tokyo.jp/pickup/p_gakko/yakan/index.htmlhttp://www.tokyoshigaku.com/shotou/sentaku.htmlhttp://www.tokyoshigaku.com/shotou/sentaku.htmlhttp://www.tokyoshigaku.com/http://www.tokyoshigaku.com/http://www.kyoiku.metro.tokyo.jp/pickup/p_gakko/yakan/index.htmlhttp://www.kyoiku.metro.tokyo.jp/buka/soumu/kusichoson.htmhttp://www.kyoiku.metro.tokyo.jp/buka/soumu/kusichoson.htm

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Specialized high school that targets future employment in a

specific job area (such as agricultural high school, industrial high

school, commercial high school, etc.)

Technological colleges (kosen)

Combined with college-level education, technological colleges inJapan offer a five-year program to students who wish to gain greater

technology-related skills. The specialized areas of technological

colleges include industry, merchant marine-related studies,

electronic/information engineering and aviation (At present, there

are no technological colleges in Tokyo for merchant marine-related

studies or electronic/information engineering). Graduates of

technological colleges go directly into employment or continue their

education at university.

Evening classes/correspondence courses

Some high schools offer evening classes or home correspondencecourses for those who work during the daytime and vice versa, and

wish to receive a high school diploma. The classes and courses allow

once-truant students and dropouts to learn at his/her own pace.

High school graduates are entitled to take admission exams to

junior colleges and universities.

Those who do not hold a high school diploma need to take and

pass a qualification test (commonly known as daiken) to be eligible

for universities' admission exams.

Junior colleges offer a two-year program, while universities offer afour-year program. Junior college/technology college graduates may

transfer to a four-year university course as a junior student.

University graduates who wish to further study in their specialized

area may choose to continue their education to graduate school.

Master's programs offered at graduate schools are usually a two-year

course.

Tokyo Metropolitan Board of Education: Public high school

serch (Japanese only)

Association of Private Secondary Schools in Tokyo: Information of

private junior high schools & high schools in Tokyo(Japanese only)

Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology: Links to

national, public, and private colleges of technology

Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology: Links to

national universities

Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology: Links to

public universities

Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology: Links to

national, public, and private junior colleges

Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology: Links toprivate universities

http://www.kyoiku.metro.tokyo.jp/school/index.htmlhttp://www.kyoiku.metro.tokyo.jp/school/index.htmlhttp://www.tokyoshigaku.com/http://www.tokyoshigaku.com/http://www.mext.go.jp/english/relatedsites/1303260.htmhttp://www.mext.go.jp/english/relatedsites/1303260.htmhttp://www.mext.go.jp/english/relatedsites/1303116.htmhttp://www.mext.go.jp/english/relatedsites/1303116.htmhttp://www.mext.go.jp/english/relatedsites/1303119.htmhttp://www.mext.go.jp/english/relatedsites/1303119.htmhttp://www.mext.go.jp/english/relatedsites/1303267.htmhttp://www.mext.go.jp/english/relatedsites/1303267.htmhttp://www.mext.go.jp/english/relatedsites/1303136.htmhttp://www.mext.go.jp/english/relatedsites/1303136.htmhttp://www.kyoiku.metro.tokyo.jp/school/index.htmlhttp://www.kyoiku.metro.tokyo.jp/school/index.htmlhttp://www.tokyoshigaku.com/http://www.tokyoshigaku.com/http://www.mext.go.jp/english/relatedsites/1303260.htmhttp://www.mext.go.jp/english/relatedsites/1303260.htmhttp://www.mext.go.jp/english/relatedsites/1303116.htmhttp://www.mext.go.jp/english/relatedsites/1303116.htmhttp://www.mext.go.jp/english/relatedsites/1303119.htmhttp://www.mext.go.jp/english/relatedsites/1303119.htmhttp://www.mext.go.jp/english/relatedsites/1303267.htmhttp://www.mext.go.jp/english/relatedsites/1303267.htmhttp://www.mext.go.jp/english/relatedsites/1303136.htmhttp://www.mext.go.jp/english/relatedsites/1303136.htm

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The Open University of Japan

Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology:

Information about Certificate for Students Achieving the Proficiency Level

of Upper Secondary School Graduates (Japanese only)

http://www.ouj.ac.jp/eng/index.htmlhttp://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/koutou/shiken/index.htmhttp://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/koutou/shiken/index.htmhttp://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/koutou/shiken/index.htmhttp://www.ouj.ac.jp/eng/index.htmlhttp://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/koutou/shiken/index.htmhttp://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/koutou/shiken/index.htmhttp://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/koutou/shiken/index.htm