Edited by Aziza Francienne · B2C Marketing Manager
Japan has a growing selection of international schools, concentrated in Tokyo but with strong options in Kobe, Nagoya, Osaka, and Kyoto. The IB is the dominant framework, though American and British pathways are well represented. Fees are lower than Hong Kong or Singapore on average, and Japan's record-breaking expat workforce of 2.3 million means the international school market is expanding. Families find a safe, well-organised society with excellent public transport, though the language barrier can be challenging outside school hours.
Compare 18 international schools in Japan. Filter by curriculum, fees (average JPY 2,532,611), location, and more to find the right international school now.
Rugby School Japan (RSJ) is a premier British international day and boarding school situated in the Kashiwanoha Smart City of Chiba Prefecture, located 30 minutes from central Tokyo via the Tsukuba Express Line. Serving a co-educational student body aged 11–18 (Years 7–13), RSJ delivers a rigorous British curriculum. This academic pathway leads to IGCSEs for Years 10–11 and A Levels for Years 12–13. Pupils are further challenged and supported through the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), which facilitates independent, deep-dive research into specialised subjects of interest. The school is defined by its commitment to the development of "The Whole Person." Guided by the belief that social, recreational, and cultural engagement is essential to individual growth, RSJ provides a vast array of co-curricular enrichment. This includes professional-level programmes in music, drama, dance, coding, and debating, alongside elite sports clubs, outdoor education, and diverse academic and cultural societies. As it enters its third academic year with a thriving community of 300+ pupils, RSJ offers flexible residency options including Day, Weekly, and Full Boarding, fostering a global community within a state-of-the-art Japanese setting.
YUAI International Islamic School is an Islamic environment school in Tokyo that opened in July 2016. The school provides education at Kindergarten, Primary and Secondary levels, with English used as the main language of instruction. Its academic programme follows the Cambridge pathway, including IGCSE and Cambridge International AS and A Level courses at the upper secondary stage. In Primary School, students study a broad range of subjects, including English, Mathematics, Science, Islamic Studies, Japanese Language, Arabic, Art and Craft, Computer Studies and Health and Physical Education. The school also offers a morning Tahfiz class as part of its programme. YUAI highlights several annual activities and events on its website, such as a Science and Math Festival aimed at encouraging student interest in these subjects, as well as an annual Sports Day. These activities reflect the school’s focus on both academic learning and co-curricular experiences within an Islamic educational setting.
Malvern College Tokyo opened in August 2023 and is located in Kodaira, a residential and academic area in western Tokyo, approximately 40 minutes from the city centre by train. The school offers the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (PYP) and Middle Years Programme (MYP), with English as the main language of instruction. All pupils study Japanese daily, with classes organised by language proficiency. The campus includes specialist facilities such as science laboratories, a library and a STEAM and Design Makerspace equipped with tools including 3D printers and laser cutters. Sports facilities include a two-storey gymnasium, a full-size all-weather sports pitch and a running track. The school also features a Sakura Garden, which is used for outdoor learning and community events, including the annual Sakura Culture Festival. Malvern College Tokyo currently operates as a day school and provides school bus services on selected routes.
The British School in Tokyo’s Showa Campus is located at Showa Women’s University in Taishido and opened in 2007. It serves Year 7 to Year 13 students. BST teaches a curriculum founded on the National Curriculum for England and in Key Stage 4 students follow an IGCSE programme taught by subject specialists. For senior students, BST states the IB Diploma Programme (IBDP) is now embedded as the pathway for Years 12–13, alongside the school’s IGCSE foundations. Students can also access broader programmes such as BST Outdoors, with trips that include outdoor activities in Okutama, Tokyo prefecture. BST also states it runs 130 extracurricular clubs across the school.
Harrow International School Appi Japan is a full-boarding school in Appi Kogen, enrolling students aged 11–18 (Years 7–13). The school follows a bespoke Harrow International Curriculum that leads to IGCSE and A-Level examinations. All lessons and examinations are conducted in English (except Modern Foreign Languages). In Prep, students study core subjects including English, Mathematics, Science and a language choice of Japanese or Mandarin. Beyond timetabled lessons, the school offers “Super Curriculum” activities such as clubs and societies, guest speakers and debate/public speaking competitions. The campus is reachable via routes including Tokyo Station to Morioka Station and onward to Appi Kogen.
UIA International School of Tokyo is an English-medium Cambridge International School serving students from Early Years through Grade 12 (ages 3–18) in the Kiba district of Tokyo, Japan. The school follows the Cambridge Pathway, offering Cambridge Primary, Lower Secondary, IGCSE and AS & A-Level qualifications. Located in a residential area about 10 minutes from downtown Tokyo and within walking distance of Kiba Station, it provides accessible urban schooling. UIA’s campus supports a range of extracurricular activities from Japanese Culture and STEM clubs to Model United Nations and sports through ISTAA. Students engage in weekly activity sessions and can take languages such as Japanese, French and Hindi. The school also offers a bus service for student transport.
The Jinnan Campus serves students from Grade 2 to Grade 8. The school is an authorised IB World School offering the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (PYP), and the school states that learning in the upper grades incorporates a project-based learning approach. English is the main language of instruction, with Japanese taught as part of the programme. Class sizes are capped, with students limits ranging from approximately 18 students in lower grades to 20 in middle school. After-school activities for Jinnan Campus students include sports such as soccer and volleyball, creative arts activities, Pilates and coding programmes.
Camelot International School is a small international school located in Itabashi-ku, Tokyo, close to Kotake-Mukaihara Station and within easy reach of central areas such as Ikebukuro. Founded in 2014, the school educates students from Grade 1 through Grade 12 and does not offer kindergarten or early years programmes. Teaching is conducted in English across all subjects. The school follows the Cambridge international pathway, offering Cambridge Primary and Lower Secondary programmes, followed by Cambridge IGCSE and GCE A Levels in the upper secondary years. In primary school, mathematics is taught using Singapore Mathematics. Class sizes are deliberately small, with the school reporting an average of around 12 students per grade and even smaller groups in the upper secondary years. Camelot operates a main campus for primary and lower secondary students and a separate annex building for upper secondary students, located a short walk away. Students also take part in subjects such as physical education, music, drama and home economics, alongside the academic programme.
St. Michael’s International School in Kobe was established on 10 March 1946 and serves children aged 3–11. It is located on the edge of Kitano, close to Sannomiya, in an area described as family-friendly and multicultural. In Early Years, SMIS draws on the British EYFS alongside the International Early Years Curriculum (IEYC). In Primary, it uses the National Curriculum for England and Wales for English and Mathematics and embeds learning through the International Primary Curriculum (IPC). The school describes itself as the first in Japan accredited with the IPC and the only fully accredited British international school in Kansai offering specialist Early Years and Primary education. Students can join after-school clubs that run 5–8 weeks each term, and Year 5–6 have residential experiences planned at a YMCA facility.
Ascot International School Japan is a Cambridge International School in Kita-ku, Kobe City (Hyogo), serving students from Early Years through Upper Secondary. The school opened its Early Years section in January 2018 and joined the Cambridge International network in May 2022. Students follow Cambridge pathways leading to IGCSE and A-levels, with the curriculum noted as aligned to the English National Curriculum, and Japanese learning offered alongside the English-language program. The campus includes a gymnasium and a full artificial turf soccer pitch, and the school highlights woodland areas used for nature-based learning. After school, students can join activities such as AFA Soccer, basketball, badminton, gaming and homework club.
Clarence International School is a British international pre-prep school in Minami-Aoyama, described as being in the heart of Tokyo. It serves children from 18 months to 6 years old and follows the English Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and the National Curriculum of England. Learning includes a strong arts component: the school highlights weekly music lessons with specialist teachers and visual art experiences such as sculpture, printmaking and ceramics. Outdoor learning is built in through frequent time in nearby parks and “Muddy Parks.” In the Rainbow class, children also begin structured technology learning, including typing, LEGO coding, Scratch and robotics. Beyond the school day, children can join termly clubs and the school states it operates its own bus service for routes and excursions.
The British School in Tokyo’s Azabudai Hills Campus is a central Tokyo primary campus for children from Nursery (age 3) through Year 6 (age 11). The campus opened to students on 28 August 2023 and is located within the Azabudai Hills development, close to Tokyo Tower and within walking distance of Roppongi-Itchome and Kamiyacho stations. According to the school, the campus is surrounded by extensive green space and is designed to support learning in an urban setting. Facilities highlighted by the school include a 25-metre swimming pool, a full gymnasium, outdoor sports areas and age-specific libraries. Specialist learning spaces include a Digital Technology Studio where pupils engage in activities such as robotics and coding, as well as dedicated art and design areas and an auditorium used for assemblies and performances. The curriculum at the Azabudai Hills Campus is based on the English National Curriculum, adapted for an international school environment.
Tokyo International Public School (TIPS) is an English-medium school in Edogawa-ku, Tokyo, with campuses in Nishi-Kasai and Naka-Kasai. It offers a Montessori kindergarten program for children in K1 (ages 3–4) and K2/K3 (ages 4–6), with learning goals that include early literacy, numeracy foundations, social development and hands-on skill-building. For primary years, TIPS provides a Cambridge Primary program for Grade 1 to Grade 5. The school says it aims to connect Japanese and international communities through its English-medium approach. The school also notes that the Nishi-Kasai campus is an approved facility for government-related subsidies for eligible kindergarten-aged children, with subsidy amounts depending on the local ward.
Yoyogi International School – Yoyogi Campus is located in Yoyogi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, next to Yoyogi Park and within easy reach of central Tokyo by public transport. The school is an authorized IB World School offering the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (PYP). Its curriculum is also described as being cultivated from the US Common Core and the UK National Curriculum, providing a structured international framework for learning. The Yoyogi Campus serves younger students, with small class sizes of up to 16 students, allowing teachers to give close attention to each child. English is the main language of instruction, with Japanese taught as part of the programme. After-school activities include options such as soccer, volleyball, taekwondo, Pilates, arts and coding, which includes junior coding programmes. Founded in 1999, with the Yoyogi Campus opening in 2015, the school offers an international education setting in a green, urban neighbourhood familiar to many families living in Tokyo.
Tokyo Bay International School (TBIS) operates in the Koto-ku district of Tokyo, offering a curriculum that combines Montessori methods for early learners with the Cambridge International framework for older students. The school provides education for students aged 3 to 18, culminating in IGCSE and A-Level qualifications. Facilities include a dedicated fine arts academy, a science laboratory and a computer lab where students engage with technology. A distinctive feature of TBIS is its specialized focus on emerging technologies through its "Future Leaders" initiative. The school maintains exclusive laboratories where students from an early age receive practical lessons in Robotics, Drones and Coding, which are also supported by Virtual Reality (VR) tools. This program is designed to integrate logic and creativity within the daily timetable. Located near Kameido Station, the campus utilizes surrounding local parks to supplement its physical education program, ensuring a variety of outdoor environments for its 100+ students.
Phoenix House International School in Tokyo is a British international prep school for children aged 5 to 11, offering the National Curriculum of England in a language-rich environment. The school is located in central Tokyo’s Chiyoda Ward, close to the British Embassy and Imperial Palace. It opened in 2021 and provides core subjects including English, mathematics, science, humanities and modern languages, with additional programmes in arts, computing and sports. The campus supports a full physical education curriculum with indoor PE facilities alongside arts spaces for music, drama and dance. Enrichment beyond regular classes includes clubs in arts, academics, languages and wellbeing. Language learning in Japanese, French and Chinese forms part of the curriculum. The school’s House system and extracurricular activities aim to foster collaboration and engagement across age groups. Phoenix House also operates a North Peak enrichment campus for outdoor experiences and extended learning opportunities.
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