Born to : your child's school path in Japan, year by year〜生まれの学年と進路
Every child born from to is in the same school year (学年, gakunen) in Japan. They start elementary school in , junior high in and high school in , and finish high school in .
Born from to ? Your child is in the year above: born to .
Born from to ? Your child is in the year below: born to .
Year by year
Each school year for children born to : class or grade, stage, and the dates due that year.
School year
Class or grade
Stage
Dates due that year
2021 school year to
Born this school year
Hoikuen and daycare保育園
Past school year
2022 school year to
0-year-old class (0歳児クラス)
Hoikuen and daycare保育園
Past school year
2023 school year to
1-year-old class (1歳児クラス)
Hoikuen and daycare保育園
Past school year
2024 school year to
2-year-old class (2歳児クラス)
Hoikuen and daycare保育園
Past school year
2025 school year to
3-year-old class (3歳児クラス), first kindergarten year (年少, nenshō)
Kindergarten and the o-juken decision幼稚園・お受験
Past school year
2026 school year to
4-year-old class (4歳児クラス), second kindergarten year (年中, nenchū)
Kindergarten and the o-juken decision幼稚園・お受験
Hoikuen first-round application (一次申込, ichiji) for April entry認可保育園 4月入園 一次申込Approximate
to
For the 5-year-old class (5歳児クラス), the year before school (年長, nenchō), from
For: children not yet in licensed daycare
What to do
Most licensed daycare (認可保育園, ninka hoikuen) places for April are filled in this round. Each ward sets its own window: from early October to late November in Tokyo, earlier in Kawasaki and Yokohama.
Get your ward's application guide (入園のしおり, nyūen no shiori) — online or at the ward office.
Ask each parent's employer for the employment certificate (就労証明書, shūrō shōmeisho); it often takes two weeks.
List several daycares in order of preference; more choices lower the risk of no place.
First-round results arrive from mid-January to mid-February.
For the 5-year-old class (5歳児クラス), the year before school (年長, nenchō), from
For: children not yet in licensed daycare
What to do
Places left after the first round are offered again. If the first round said no (不承諾, fushōdaku), apply here and line up a bridge: unlicensed daycare (認可外, ninkagai) or a company daycare.
Check the ward's list of remaining places (空き状況, aki jōkyō) before you choose.
Line up a bridge option now: unlicensed (認可外) daycare, a company daycare or an international preschool.
5-year-old class (5歳児クラス), the year before school (年長, nenchō)
Elementary school entry就学
Pre-school-entry health check (就学時健康診断, shūgakuji kenkō shindan)就学時健康診断Approximate
to
What to do
Every child starting elementary school next April gets a free health check at a local school. The ward mails the date in mid-October; by law it is held by the end of November.
Watch for the ward's notice in mid-October; it names the school, date and time.
Fill in the health questionnaire (問診票, monshinhyō) before the day.
Can't go on that date? Call the ward's school-affairs section (学務課, gakumuka) to switch to another school's date.
Source: 学校保健安全法施行令 第1条 · Usual dates each year (Tokyo pattern) · Your ward sets the exact dates.
After-school club application (学童クラブ, gakudō) for April学童クラブ 4月入会申請Approximate
to
What to do
Working parents apply each autumn for the ward's after-school club for grades 1–3 (some wards go further). The window is set by the ward, roughly mid-October to mid-December.
Get an employment certificate (就労証明書) from each parent's employer.
Apply online or at the ward office before the deadline; many wards re-check eligibility every year.
The ward must tell you your child's public elementary school and entry date by January 31. Children without Japanese nationality may get a school guide (就学案内) instead and need to apply for a place.
No notice by January 31? Call the ward's school-affairs section (学務課, gakumuka).
No Japanese nationality: if you received a school guide (就学案内), return the entry application (入学申請書) to get a place.
Going to a private, national or international school instead? Tell the ward so the public place is released.
Source: 学校教育法施行令 第5条 · Usual dates each year (Tokyo pattern)
2028 school year to
Elementary school, grade 1 (小学1年)
Elementary school, grades 1–3小学校低学年
After-school club application (学童クラブ, gakudō) for April学童クラブ 4月入会申請Approximate
to
What to do
Working parents apply each autumn for the ward's after-school club for grades 1–3 (some wards go further). The window is set by the ward, roughly mid-October to mid-December.
Get an employment certificate (就労証明書) from each parent's employer.
Apply online or at the ward office before the deadline; many wards re-check eligibility every year.
After-school club application (学童クラブ, gakudō) for April学童クラブ 4月入会申請Approximate
to
What to do
Working parents apply each autumn for the ward's after-school club for grades 1–3 (some wards go further). The window is set by the ward, roughly mid-October to mid-December.
Get an employment certificate (就労証明書) from each parent's employer.
Apply online or at the ward office before the deadline; many wards re-check eligibility every year.
Juku intake for grade 4 (新4年生, shin-yonensei)新4年生 入塾Approximate
to
What to do
Junior-high entrance prep (中学受験, chūgaku juken) usually starts with the juku year in early February of grade 3. Entrance and trial tests run from late October to January. This is the moment to decide yes or no.
Decide yes or no by the end of January — the cost runs to about ¥2.2M over three years, with grade 6 alone around ¥1.3M.
Book a free entrance or trial test (入室テスト, nyūshitsu tesuto) at two juku; dates run from November to January.
Check which route fits your child: four-subject, returnee (帰国生), international (国際生), or a public combined school (公立中高一貫).
School open days and info sessions (学校説明会, setsumeikai)私立中学 学校説明会シーズンApproximate
to
For: families going for 中学受験 (junior-high entrance exams)
What to do
Private junior highs hold info sessions and open days from June to November, and Tokyo's private school fair brings all 415 private schools to one hall in late August. Most sessions are in Japanese and need booking.
Shortlist three to five schools by route, commute and English support.
Book sessions online; popular ones fill within days of opening.
Ask each school how it treats children of non-Japanese parents and returnees (帰国生).
School open days and info sessions (学校説明会, setsumeikai)私立中学 学校説明会シーズンApproximate
to
For: families going for 中学受験 (junior-high entrance exams)
What to do
Private junior highs hold info sessions and open days from June to November, and Tokyo's private school fair brings all 415 private schools to one hall in late August. Most sessions are in Japanese and need booking.
Shortlist three to five schools by route, commute and English support.
Book sessions online; popular ones fill within days of opening.
Ask each school how it treats children of non-Japanese parents and returnees (帰国生).
Tokyo private junior highs may hold returnee exams from November 20, earlier than the main February exams. Most fall in December and January; each school sets its own eligibility (years abroad, time since return).
Check each school's returnee rules: minimum years abroad and how long since you came back.
Request the overseas school's attendance certificate (在籍証明書) early; it can take weeks.
Note each school's application deadline — returnee rounds close weeks before the exam.
Tokyo public combined junior-senior high schools (都立中高一貫校, aptitude test)都立中高一貫校 適性検査Approximate
to
Exam or test day:
For: Tokyo only
What to do
Tokyo's metropolitan combined schools admit by an aptitude test (適性検査, tekisei kensa), not the private four-subject exam. Tuition-free, very competitive.
Enter the application online and hand in the documents by the deadline (online entry closes at 17:00).
Aptitude test day: .
Work through past aptitude tests (過去問, kakomon) — they test writing and reasoning in Japanese.
For: families going for 中学受験 (junior-high entrance exams)
What to do
Tokyo private junior highs accept applications from January 10; most use online application, and many open web registration and fee payment in mid-to-late December.
Fix your exam plan (併願, heigan): which school on which day, with a safe choice.
Register on each school's application site (often in December) and pay the exam fees.
Prepare the application photo and any parent essay (願書, gansho) in Japanese.
Report-card marks start to matter (内申, naishin)内申（調査書）Approximate
to
For: children at a public junior high
What to do
High-school admission reads the school report (調査書, chōsasho). Tokyo metropolitan schools count grade-9 marks, with the four non-exam subjects doubled; Kanagawa public schools count grades 8 and 9, grade 9 doubled. Attendance for all three years is on it.
Ask at the first parent meeting how marks (評定, hyōtei) are given: tests, homework, class attitude.
Note which subjects lean on Japanese reading; plan support early.
Source: 公立高校入学者選抜制度の概要 · Usual dates each year (Tokyo pattern)
2035 school year to
Junior high, year 2 (中学2年)
High-school entrance exams高校受験
Nothing to apply for this year on our timeline.
2036 school year to
Junior high, year 3 (中学3年)
High-school entrance exams高校受験
Career-path meeting (進路面談, shinro mendan) for high school進路面談（三者面談）Approximate
to
For: children at a public junior high
What to do
In the autumn of grade 9 the homeroom teacher meets you and your child to settle which high schools to apply to. Private high schools start pre-admission consultations (入試相談) with junior highs on December 15, so the list must be ready before that.
Bring a list of public and private schools you are considering, with a safe choice.
Ask about recommendation (推薦, suisen) and private 'preferred combined application' (併願優遇, heigan yūgū) thresholds.
Arrived in Japan within the last three years? Ask about the quota for foreign students (在京外国人生徒).
Tokyo metropolitan high school general exam (都立一般, ippan)都立高校 一般入試（第一次・分割前期）Approximate
to
Exam or test day:
For: children at a public junior high · Tokyo only
What to do
The main round for Tokyo's public high schools: an academic test in five subjects plus the grade-9 school report. Applications close in early February; the test is in late February.
Enter the application online and hand in documents by the deadline (online entry closes at 17:00).
Exam day: . Results on March 1.
Keep the private-school backup (併願) enrolment deadline in view; some fall before the public results.
Tokyo metropolitan high school recommendation round (都立推薦, suisen)都立高校 推薦入試Approximate
to
Exam or test day:
For: children at a public junior high · Tokyo only
What to do
The recommendation round uses the school report, an interview and an essay or practical test, with no academic exam. Applications close in mid-January; tests are in late January.
Enter the application online by the deadline (17:00) and hand in documents through the junior high.
Kanagawa public high school exam (共通選抜, kyōtsū senbatsu)神奈川県公立高校 共通選抜Approximate
to
Exam or test day:
For: children at a public junior high · Kanagawa only
What to do
Kanagawa's single main round for public high schools: applications in late January, the common test in mid-February, and the grade-8 and grade-9 school reports.
Submit the online application (志願情報申請) in the window; the junior high principal approves it by February 1.
Verified dates and fees for every school, a reminder before each deadline, unlimited questions.
Where these dates come from
Every window on this page comes from the rules behind the Shinro Map timeline: the dates published for a school year where we have checked them, otherwise the usual yearly dates in Tokyo, marked approximate. Hoikuen, after-school club and school health-check dates are set by each ward. Dates change: check the source before you apply.