Most popular international schools in Japan

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.

UWC ISAK Japan is a co-educational, full-boarding high school in Karuizawa, Nagano. It opened in 2014 as International School of Asia, Karuizawa (ISAK) and joined the UWC movement in 2017. As members of the United World Colleges movement, we are committed to making education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future. Our own vision sharpens that commitment into something personal and actionable: One Life. Realize Your Potential. Be a Catalyst for Positive Change. These are aspirational statements that form the basis for how we make decisions at all levels of the school, how we teach, and how we learn together. What makes UWC ISAK Japan distinctive is the community that lives this out. Over 80 nationalities. Seventy percent of students receiving some level of financial assistance. A fully residential campus on the slopes of Mount Asama in Karuizawa, Nagano. An IB Diploma Programme, alongside a Grade 10 programme built around leadership and entrepreneurship. Each element matters. Together, they produce something harder to define - a student and alumni body that takes initiative and makes an impact, here and beyond.

North London Collegiate School Kobe (NLCS Kobe) opened in September 2025 and is a co educational day school for students in Grades 1 to 7, located on Rokko Island, Kobe, with convenient access to both Kobe and Osaka. Guided by the philosophy of being an “International School with a Japanese Heart,” the school combines a globally minded education with a strong appreciation for Japanese language, culture, and values. All classes are taught in English and follow the International Baccalaureate (IB) framework, encouraging inquiry based learning, critical thinking, creativity, and international mindedness. The school also places strong emphasis on personalised pastoral care and small class sizes to support each student’s individual development. Facilities at the Rokko Island campus include dedicated spaces for science, ICT, art, music, and drama, providing students with a broad and enriching educational experience. A growing co curricular programme further supports confidence, collaboration, and leadership skills. The planned Senior School campus will open on Rokko Mountain in 2028 and will include boarding facilities, expanding the school’s provision for secondary students within a distinctive natural setting.

Fukuoka International School (FIS) is an IB World School in Fukuoka, Japan, serving students aged 3–18. It offers all three IB programmes: the Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP) and Diploma Programme (DP). The school is located in Momochi in western Fukuoka City. Its main campus overlooks the Muromi River, and an additional campus (“The Annex”) is a short walk away and houses the Art Center and Design Lab. Facilities listed by the school include a gym, playground, science labs, multiple learning spaces and a 12,000-volume library. Beyond classes, FIS runs an after-school activities programme refreshed each trimester, with examples such as martial arts, handball, yoga and a language lab, plus seasonal athletics clubs for older students. The school also hosts community events, including a Spring Festival described as a large-scale multicultural celebration.

Hiroshima Global Academy (HiGA) is a public boarding junior and senior high school in Osakikamijima, an island in the Seto Inland Sea, about 1.5 hours from Hiroshima. The school offers the International Baccalaureate: the Middle Years Programme (Grades 7–10) and the Diploma Programme (Grades 11–12). HiGA supports learning in both English and Japanese, and notes that some DP subjects can be studied in either language depending on a student’s ability; it also provides individualized Japanese language courses. Student life includes dormitory living across grades and nationalities. After-school, students can join A4LC clubs such as science, sports, instrumental ensemble (big band jazz), and an art-and-technology group; a student A4LC team has competed in FIRST LEGO League and qualified for a national competition.

The American School in Japan (ASIJ), founded in 1902, is a non-profit, co-educational school in Tokyo serving students from nursery through high school on two campuses. Younger children attend the Early Learning Center in Roppongi (nursery–kindergarten), while the main campus in Chofu serves kindergarten–grade 12 next to Nogawa Park. ASIJ follows an American-model curriculum and offers Advanced Placement (AP) courses, including AP Capstone. High school students also have structured support through a seminar program and grades 11–12 can complete a two-year Deep Learning Signature Program. Beyond classes, students can choose from 170+ co-curricular options, including VEX Robotics, iGEM, Model UN and extensive arts and athletics opportunities.

India International School in Japan (IISJ) was established in 2004 and provides education from Kindergarten through Grade 12. The school follows the Indian Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) curriculum, with students sitting for CBSE Board Examinations in Grades 10 and 12. IISJ also offers the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme for senior secondary students and publishes IB programme information on its website. The Tokyo campus relocated to a new building in spring 2023, which includes physics and chemistry laboratories, a library, a cafeteria, a gymnasium and a soccer field. Instruction is delivered in English, and additional languages taught as subjects include Japanese, Hindi, Tamil, French, and Nepali. IISJ provides a school bus service in Tokyo. After-school activities listed by the school include Model United Nations, STEM Club, Student Council and sports such as basketball and cricket.

Tohoku International School (TIS) in Sendai, Miyagi is the only international school in Japan’s Tohoku region offering an IB education from Kindergarten through Grade 12, with authorization for both the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) and the IB Diploma Programme (DP). English is the medium of instruction, and the school provides EAL support for students who need additional help with English. Secondary students (Grades 7–12) study subjects including English, History, Science, Mathematics, Japanese, Global Issues, Physical Education and Arts,.The school also integrates technology through its BYLT (“Bring Your Own Laptop”) program. A distinctive tradition is the school’s annual, all-English spring musical, produced every year with students performing on stage and backstage. After-school activities run throughout the year and include options such as programming, basketball, gardening, film-making and yoga, with bus transportation service available.

Yokohama International School (YIS) opened on 27 October 1924 and is located at 2-100-1 Kominato-cho, Naka-ku, Yokohama. Students learn through the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (PYP) in the Early Learning Center and Elementary School and the Middle Years Programme (MYP) in Grades 6–8. In the Early Learning Center (ages 3–5), learning is play-based, rooted in the PYP and inspired by Reggio Emilia. YIS also runs a Japanese Culture Program that spans the full student journey and connects experiences to IB learning, including the Diploma Programme. Beyond classes, the school highlights athletics and activities supported by facilities such as a 25-meter heated indoor swimming pool, an artificial turf field and a double gymnasium.

Okinawa International School (OIS) opened in April 2003 and provides education from preschool through high school across its programs. OIS is an IB Continuum School. It became authorized for IB PYP (2011), IB MYP (2016) and IB DP (2020), making it Okinawa’s first and only school offering the full IB pathway. In the elementary years, students learn through the IB PYP approach and complete a PYP Exhibition, presenting inquiry learning. OIS also highlights a local-language element in elementary school by offering “しまくとぅば” (Okinawan language) classes. At high school level, OIS offers an IB course and an additional International Liberal Arts (ILA) course option.

Senri International School of Kwansei Gakuin (SIS) is a Japanese middle and high school in Minoh City, Osaka (north Osaka), founded in 1991 and sharing one campus with its sister school, Osaka International School, through the “Two Schools Together” model. Students follow curricula leading to Japanese middle and high school diplomas, and SIS also offers a route for students to pursue the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (DP), studied in grades 11–12 (ages 16–18). SIS highlights a three-term semester system designed to support transfers and flexible study patterns, and it emphasizes English development across subjects. The campus guide notes English is commonly used across shared-campus activities. Boarding is available via the school’s Akebono Dormitory for students who cannot easily commute.

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.

Kunimoto Alberta International School is a six-year all-girls program in Tokyo offering Grades 7 through 12. The school delivers both the Alberta (Canada) curriculum and the Japanese national curriculum, allowing students to study within an international academic framework while remaining in Japan. The campus is located in Setagaya Ward, a residential area in western Tokyo and is within walking distance of Kitami Station on the Odakyu Line. This makes the school accessible from central parts of the city. Facilities include a library, computer room, science rooms, gymnasium, tea ceremony room, kitchen facilities and outdoor sports areas such as a lacrosse field and tennis court. A distinctive feature noted by the school is that it operates an Alberta-accredited program in Japan, with instruction aligned to Alberta Education standards. Students can also participate in a wide range of clubs, including arts, sports, language and service activities.

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.

Tokyo International School (TIS) is a non-profit IB World School in Minami Azabu, Minato-ku, with over 460 students representing 70+ nationalities. TIS delivers the IB Primary Years Programme (Kindergarten–Grade 5), serving about 230 students aged 5–11 and the IB Middle Years Programme (Grades 6–10), serving about 160 students aged 11–16. The school also offers the IB Diploma Programme, with Grade 11 introduced from the 2025–26 school year. Japanese is taught alongside English (the language of instruction). TIS highlights its central Tokyo location and uses nearby parks, museums and landmarks as part of school life, alongside trips such as residential visits to Hakuba, Nara and Kanazawa, plus a Grade 10 overseas trip to Thailand.

St. Mary’s International School is an all-boys school in Tokyo that educates students from kindergarten through Grade 12 and was founded in 1954. The campus is in Setagaya ward and the school describes itself as located in the heart of Tokyo. English is the language of instruction. In high school, students can pursue the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB DP), a programme designed for ages 16–19. The school profile also notes class sizes are capped at 24, with many classes under 20. Beyond academics, the school highlights activities such as the fall play and clubs like Brain Bowl, debate and speech. Transportation support is available through a school bus service.

Lycée Français International de Tokyo (LFI Tokyo) is a French international school located in the Takinogawa residential area of Kita Ward in northern Tokyo. The campus is easily accessible by public transport, within walking distance of Shin-Itabashi Station on the Toei Mita Line and Itabashi Station on the JR Saikyō Line. According to the school, LFI Tokyo follows the official programmes of the French Ministry of Education and is part of the AEFE (Agency for French Education Abroad) network, offering continuity with the French national education system from preschool (Petite Section) through the final year of secondary school (Terminale). The school provides education across early years, primary and secondary levels, and offers specific international and language-focused pathways such as PARLE and designated international sections, as reflected in its official fee structure. For younger pupils, LFI Tokyo operates a registered school bus service with supervised pick-up points.

Nagoya International School (NIS) is an international day school in Nagoya, Japan, established in 1964. It offers the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP) and Diploma Programme (DP). The campus includes specialist learning areas such as a design lab, science labs, and dedicated rooms for mathematics, music and art, alongside a sports field and playground. For transportation, students may use several school bus routes (subject to availability), including a shuttle that runs between NIS and JR Kozoji Station, which can support after-school participation and commuting by train. NIS is located in Moriyama-ku, Nagoya, and serves students from preschool through Grade 12.

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.

K. International School Tokyo (KIST) is a private, co-educational day school in Koto-ku, about three kilometers east of Tokyo Station and close to Kiyosumi-Shirakawa Station. It serves students from K1 (age 3) through Grade 12 and teaches in English. KIST offers the IB Primary Years Programme (K1–Grade 5), an original Lower Secondary Programme (Grades 6–8), Pearson Edexcel IGCSE courses (Grades 9–10) and the IB Diploma Programme (Grades 11–12). The school is also designated as a SAT test center, and all students sit a PSAT in Grades 9 and 10.