Toho Girls' returnee entry for April 2027: who counts as a returnee, and what the essays and interviews ask

Each private school decides for itself who counts as a returnee (帰国生, kikokusei). This is one school's April 2027 definition, from Toho Girls' Junior High (桐朋女子中学校, Chofu, Tokyo; girls only), and what its returnee exam asks the child to write and talk about.

Who may apply to the returnee special exam

All of these (帰国生対象特別入学試験):

1. A girl due to finish elementary school in March 2027. A child at a school abroad must be of the matching school age.
2. After entry, she lives with at least one parent and commutes from that home.
3. She lived abroad because of a parent's transfer, study or similar, and came back with at least one parent. Her time abroad was about one year or more, and her return date is on or after 1 April 2024.

Before applying, families send their details through the school's returnee eligibility check form (帰国生入試出願資格確認フォーム) on its website. The school gives out the application form after that check. If your case is unusual, the guidebook asks you to consult the school.

The school's Q&A adds that a girl whose last school was a full-time Japanese school abroad (全日制日本人学校) may still apply, although for those girls it recommends the February A exam below.

Two rounds

	Round 1	Round 2
Places	about 10	about 10
Apply (by post only, must arrive)	12–19 Nov 2026	5–12 Jan 2027
Exam	Sun 29 Nov 2026, 8:30–12:30	Fri 22 Jan 2027, 8:30–12:30
Results (school website)	29 Nov 2026, about 18:00	22 Jan 2027, about 18:00
Pay entry money by	Mon 30 Nov 2026, 15:00	Sat 23 Jan 2027, 15:00

The finishing time differs by child. The exam fee is ¥25,000 and is not refunded. The entry money is ¥370,000 (entry fee plus facilities fee). If you complete entry and then decline by handing in the school's withdrawal form by Wed 10 Feb 2027, 15:00, the school returns the ¥100,000 facilities fee.

What the exam asks

• An essay in a foreign language: 45 minutes, about one B4 ruled sheet, in English, French or German (the child chooses).
• Two interviews, child only, in Japanese, each about 20 minutes:
  1. about her study abroad (海外での学習について);
  2. about her life abroad (海外での生活について).

The school's Q&A says the two interviews check how keenly she took part in lessons at a local or international school and in daily life abroad, and that the essay and interviews are judged together.

The two Japanese essays you send in advance

With the application she writes two short essays in Japanese on the school's forms, for use in the interviews:

1. 「海外の学校の授業で 私が一番がんばったこと」

   What I worked hardest at in my lessons at school abroad.

2. 「海外での生活で 私が学んだこと」

   What I learned from my life abroad.

Other papers: the application and admission-ticket forms (two 4 × 3 cm photos), the school-abroad transcript for the past two years (or the whole stay if shorter, with a short note explaining any unclear subject names), the Japanese elementary school's report card up to grade 6 term 1 if she joined one after returning, a certificate of the period abroad for parent and child on the school's form (filled in by the employer), and proof of the fee payment.

The school posts the admission ticket on the last day of the application period, to an address in Japan that you write on the form.

A short stay abroad, or an early return

From the school's Q&A:

• A short time abroad is not held against her in this exam. The foreign-language essay is read in light of how long she lived abroad, and her overseas grades are read for how hard she worked, not only for high marks.
• In the school's A exam on 1 February, any girl who spent time abroad at some point in her six elementary years is treated as a returnee. The A exam is the same oral questions (口頭試問) and written 国語 and 算数 as for other applicants, but the questioning and marking take account of how long she was abroad, the type of school and when she came back.
• A girl who came back in grade 3 after years at local or international schools is pointed to the A exam, and to the English one-subject exam if she kept up her English.
• Every one of the school's junior-high entries can be combined (併願).

Sessions and visits

The guidebook lists 2026–27 events, all needing a booking on the school's website: a junior and senior high returnee session on 12 July, an open campus on 19 July, a club experience day on 22 August, an online session on 19 September, and school sessions (shared with domestic applicants) on Sun 25 October, Sat 19 December 2026 and Sat 9 January 2027. A family back in Japan for a short visit can ask the international education centre (国際教育センター, 03-3300-2232) for a tour.

After passing

Every new student must attend a uniform fitting on 11 February or 6 March 2027, and the preparation briefing on Sat 20 February 2027, 14:00–16:30, with a parent.

Meeting these conditions lets a girl apply; it does not decide a result. Check the year's guidebook with the school.