41.08 Education & Family Life#

This note captures the paperwork and touchpoints that keep family life on track once you land in Japan. Pair it with 41.02 Arrival and First Months for the full relocation timeline.

School options#

• MEXT: Education for Foreign Children summarises compulsory schooling, curriculum translations, and parent guidance (English and Japanese).
• The Tokyo Metropolitan Board of Education handbook explains public elementary and junior high admissions, health checks, and language support.
• MEXT maintains an accredited international schools list covering IB, American, British, and other programmes.
• After-school clubs (放課後児童クラブ) follow Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare guidance—see the official overview (Japanese) and confirm local deadlines with your ward office.

Enrolment steps for public schools#

1. Register your address at city hall (see first-week-in-japan).
2. Submit the Notification of Schooling (就学通知) that arrives from the board of education after registration.
3. Bring vaccination records, residence cards, and passports to the orientation. Translate key medical notes using language-assistance—translation if needed.
4. Attend uniform fittings and supply briefings—public schools usually host these between January and March for the April start.

Private & international schools

Application windows can open six to twelve months ahead. Check each school’s admissions page and confirm tuition payment methods using domestic-payments-and-transfers.

Dependent status maintenance#

• File the Notification of the Organization/Employer for the Resident Card Holder (在留カード記載事項変更届) within 14 days when a dependent changes address, school ward, or sponsoring employer. Immigration provides the latest forms on its procedures page (Japanese).
• If dependents arrive later than the primary worker, submit the Notification of the Accepting Organization during the same city-hall visit where you register the address—family-paperwork-checkpoints lists the timing.
• Bring vaccination records, translated medical histories, and school transfer certificates to municipal newcomer orientations. These sessions often double as document checks for childcare subsidies and health insurance.
• Track visa expiry dates, My Number pickup notices, and Nenkin registration together. my-number-card-management outlines how to keep digital services in sync once everyone has a card.

Childcare & parental leave#

• Nursery school application guide (厚生労働省) details priority criteria and required forms (Japanese).
• 認定こども園 overview explains combined kindergarten/daycare models (Japanese PDF).
• Work and Childcare Support portal covers maternity leave, childcare leave benefits, and employer obligations.
• Tokyo’s 子育て応援とうきょうパスポート (Japanese) offers family discounts and hotline details—other prefectures run similar schemes.

Health, vaccines & insurance#

• Municipal health centres issue the 母子健康手帳 (Maternal and Child Health Handbook) during pregnancy confirmation—bring it to every check-up.
• The Japan Pediatric Society vaccination schedule (Japanese) outlines recommended timing.
• Child medical subsidy guidance explains how municipalities reimburse medical fees. Submit claims alongside the procedures in health-records—reimbursements.

Language support & community links#

• 54.03 CLAIR Multilingual Living Guide lists municipal Japanese classes, interpretation hotlines, and cultural events.
• Community centres (公民館) and international associations (国際交流協会) host parenting seminars and volunteer interpreters. Search your city name + “国際交流” to find the local office.
• The Japan Foundation portal aggregates free and low-cost Japanese courses tailored to daily-life situations.
• Join school PTAs or parents’ LINE groups for quick updates; align messaging etiquette with the mobile guidance in digital-communication-tools.

Related notes#

• moving-out for apartment safety checks and move-out timelines.
• 41.03 Healthcare and Insurance for paediatric clinics, health check-ups, and emergency care steps.
• 41.02 Arrival and First Months for My Number issuance timelines and family paperwork checkpoints.