Part of our guide to international schools in Tokyo. Fees last verified: October 2026.
How much do international schools in Tokyo cost? For 2026–27, annual tuition at Tokyo’s best-known international schools ranges from about ¥2.4 million to ¥3.4 million, plus ¥150,000–¥400,000 a year in building or development fees. New students also pay one-time entry fees of roughly ¥0.8 million to ¥1.4 million, so the first year at most established schools costs ¥3.3 million to ¥4.7 million before buses, lunches and extras. A small number of community schools charge far less.
Below are the 2026–27 figures published by each school on its own website. We don’t copy fees from directories, which are often out of date. Where we couldn’t confirm a school’s current fees from an official source, we say so.
2026–27 fees from official school schedules
Japanese yen. Tuition ranges reflect different grade levels. One-time fees apply to new students only.
| School | Annual tuition | Other annual fees | One-time fees (new students) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo International School | ¥3,100,000 (K–Gr 2) to ¥3,400,000 (Gr 10–12) | Building fee ¥200,000 | ¥1,430,000 (application ¥30,000, registration ¥400,000, development ¥1,000,000) |
| Nishimachi International School | ¥3,129,000 | Education enhancement ¥200,000; School Growth Fund ¥200,000 | Registration ¥300,000; building maintenance ¥825,000 |
| St. Mary’s International School | ¥2,860,000 (elementary) to ¥3,050,000 (high school) | Building maintenance ¥200,000 | Application ¥50,000; registration ¥400,000; development fund ¥1,000,000 |
| The British School in Tokyo | ¥2,960,000 (Primary, incl. Nursery and Reception) to ¥3,070,000 (Years 10–13) | Capital development ¥100,000 | Application ¥40,000; enrolment and educational resources ¥1,180,000 |
| K. International School Tokyo | ¥2,850,000 (Gr 1–9) to ¥3,020,000 (K1–K3) | Building maintenance ¥200,000; community association ¥1,000 per family | Application ¥30,000; enrollment ¥300,000; capital ¥700,000 |
| International School of the Sacred Heart | ¥2,560,000 (K3–K4) to ¥2,880,000 (Gr 12) | Building/maintenance ¥220,000 | Application ¥30,000; registration ¥300,000; development ¥600,000 |
| Seisen International School | ¥2,500,000 (full-day K; half-day ¥1,500,000) to ¥2,700,000 (middle and high school) | Building maintenance ¥150,000 | Application ¥30,000; registration ¥300,000; land and building development ¥700,000 |
| New International School of Japan | ¥1,960,000 (pre-K) to ¥2,600,000 (Gr 9–12), first child | Resource and program development ¥200,000 | Entrance ¥330,000; building and facilities ¥450,000 (first child); no application fee |
| India International School in Japan (Tokyo) | ¥600,000 (kindergarten) to ¥1,200,000 (senior grades) | — | Registration ¥20,000; emergency and insurance ¥5,000 |
What the first year really costs: a Grade 1 example
Annual tuition doesn’t tell you the whole story, because one-time fees vary so much. Here’s what a new Grade 1 student would pay in the first year, calculated from the official figures above (tuition + recurring fees + one-time fees). Buses, lunches, uniforms, devices and trips are not included.
- Tokyo International School: ¥3,300,000 + ¥1,430,000 = ¥4,730,000
- Nishimachi: ¥3,529,000 + ¥1,125,000 = ¥4,654,000
- St. Mary’s: ¥3,060,000 + ¥1,450,000 = ¥4,510,000
- The British School in Tokyo (Primary): ¥3,060,000 + ¥1,220,000 = ¥4,280,000
- K. International School Tokyo: ¥3,051,000 + ¥1,030,000 = ¥4,081,000
- Sacred Heart: ¥2,990,000 + ¥930,000 = ¥3,920,000
- Seisen: ¥2,800,000 + ¥1,030,000 = ¥3,830,000
- New International School of Japan: ¥2,560,000 + ¥780,000 = ¥3,340,000
In the second and later years, the one-time fees fall away, but tuition usually rises each year.
Schools whose current fees we couldn’t verify
For these schools, we couldn’t confirm 2026–27 figures from an official source when we last checked, and third-party listings disagreed. Check each school’s own website or admissions office:
- The American School in Japan (ASIJ) — published fee summaries put tuition at roughly ¥3.1–3.8 million depending on grade, with substantial one-time fees.
- Aoba-Japan International School (fees differ by campus)
- Canadian International School Tokyo
- Christian Academy in Japan
- Tokyo YMCA International School
- Global Indian International School (fees differ by curriculum track)
- Lycée français international de Tokyo (publishes its tariff table as a download; tuition is set by the board each February)
How fees are structured
- Application fee: paid when you apply, non-refundable, typically ¥30,000–¥50,000.
- One-time entry fees: registration, enrollment, development, capital or building fees, paid once on joining. These are the main reason the first year is so expensive.
- Annual tuition: usually billed in two, three or four instalments.
- Recurring fees: building maintenance, capital or program development fees, charged every year.
- Extras: school bus, lunches, uniforms, devices, trips, exam fees (for example, Seisen lists ¥20,000 per IB exam subject) and graduation fees.
Ways families reduce the cost
- Employer support: many relocation packages pay tuition directly, and some schools accept corporate donations or corporate places instead of individual payment.
- Sibling discounts: some schools, such as NewIS, charge less for second and later children.
- Half-day kindergarten: where offered (Seisen’s half-day kindergarten is ¥1,500,000), it costs much less than full-day.
- Community and bilingual schools: some national and community schools charge far less than the large international schools — India International School in Japan, for example, lists ¥600,000–¥1,200,000 a year.
FAQ
What is the most expensive international school in Tokyo?
Among schools with verified 2026–27 fees, Tokyo International School and Nishimachi have the highest first-year cost for a new Grade 1 student, at around ¥4.7 million. ASIJ is also among the most expensive.
Do fees go up every year?
Usually, yes. Schools publish new fees each year, typically in spring or summer for the school year starting in August.
Are international school fees tax-deductible in Japan?
Generally not for individuals. Ask a tax adviser about your situation, especially if your employer pays the fees.
Sources and official fee schedules
- Tokyo International School — School fees 2026–27
- Nishimachi International School — Tuition and fees
- St. Mary’s International School — Tuition and fees
- The British School in Tokyo — Fees
- K. International School Tokyo — School fees
- International School of the Sacred Heart — Tuition and fees
- Seisen International School — Tuition and fees
- New International School of Japan — Tuition and fees
- India International School in Japan — Tuition and fees
- Tokyo Metropolitan Government — International Schools Portal
Fees change every year. Always confirm with the school before budgeting. TokyoParents has no commercial relationship with any school listed. See our editorial policy.
Featured image: Nishimachi International School by Syced, dedicated to the public domain (CC0), via Wikimedia Commons.
