Setagaya hoikuen points: how the ward ranks daycare applications

In Setagaya (世田谷区), when more families apply to a licensed daycare (認可保育園, ninka hoikuen) than there are places, the ward ranks every application by points: the 保育の利用指数 (hoiku no riyō shisū). The higher total gets the place. The ward will not tell you your score before the selection: 選考前に各ご家庭の指数がいくつになるかご案内することはできません

How the score is built

• Base points — 利用基準指数 (riyō kijun shisū): one score per parent, from the reason that parent cannot look after the child in the daytime, usually work. Each parent is capped at 50, and the two are added, so two parents working full time start at 100.
• Adjustment points — 調整基準指数 (chōsei kijun shisū): plus or minus points for the household's situation, added to the base.
• How many daycares you list, and in what order, does not change your chances: 希望する保育施設の数や順位によって有利、不利になることはありません。
• Everything is judged as of the application deadline. Tell the ward's daycare office (保育認定・調整課) if your situation changes after it.

Base points for work (per parent)

Work in an office, from home, self-employed or on a contract all count the same (外勤・在宅勤務・自営・業務委託).

Regular work pattern	Points
5+ days and 40+ hours a week	50
5+ days and 37+ hours a week	45
4+ days and 35+ hours a week	40
4+ days and 30+ hours a week	35
3+ days and 25+ hours a week	30
3+ days and 20+ hours a week	25
3+ days and 16+ hours a week	20
48+ hours a month	15

• Commuting time does not count; breaks do.
• Hours are counted as of the 1st of the admission month. A job that starts on the 2nd or later is scored on the lower "job offer" scale (就労内定), for example 30 instead of 45 for 5 days and 37 hours. Parents returning from childcare leave are not affected by this.
• Looking for work (求職) scores 10.
• Trap: if you tell the ward you would accept extending your childcare leave when no place is found, the points table does not apply to you (保育所等に入園できない場合に育児休業の延長も許容できる方は、本表による利用基準指数は適用しない).

Adjustment points (selection)

Situation	Points
Single-parent household, or a parent absent (ひとり親世帯または保護者不存在)	+20
Household on public assistance (生活保護世帯)	+10
A brother or sister is at, or applying at the same time to, a daycare in the selection	+5
Same, when the children applying are twins (or more)	+6
Returning from maternity or childcare leave for this child (産休明け、または育休明け予定)	+5
The child is in paid non-licensed care (認証保育所, 保育室, 保育ママ, babysitter, kindergarten extended care) 96+ hours a month	+6
Same, 48 to under 96 hours a month	+5
A parent works away from home alone (単身赴任) in the admission month	+3
Living outside Setagaya and working inside it	−10

• The paid-care points (+5/+6) count only if the parent is already back at work on the deadline, and need a certificate from the carer (受託証明書).
• Leave-return (+5) and paid-care points do not stack: the higher one is used.

When two families have the same total

The ward breaks ties in stages (同一指数世帯の優先順位), in this order:

1. Children graduating from an age-capped daycare in the ward who need a new place (adjustment item 18).
2. The household with the higher base points.
3. The reason for care, in this order: parent absent, illness or disability, work, caring for a relative, childbirth, job offer, job seeking, study.
4. Lower income bracket first (missing tax documents = treated as the highest bracket).
5. The child has been in paid non-licensed care for longer.
6. The household has been registered as living in Setagaya for longer.

April 2027 admission dates

Round	Online or post	In person
First round (一次選考)	by Thu 5 Nov 2026 (postmark)	by Tue 10 Nov 2026
Second round (二次選考)	by Wed 27 Jan 2027 (postmark)	by Mon 1 Feb 2027

If you are not placed in the first round you are considered again in the second round automatically; apply again only if something changed.

What to do with this

• Work out each parent's base points from the employment certificate (就労証明書) your employer fills in: the contracted days and hours are what count.
• Check the adjustment items that might apply to you and gather the documents before the deadline; points are added only when the documents are submitted.
• Rules change every year and this is a summary. Verify with Setagaya's daycare office (保育認定・調整課) or the official guide before you apply.