Daycare in Japan: 保育園 and 幼稚園, how to get a place and what to expect

I took my three children through the Japanese childcare system over twelve years. The eldest started when I had not been in the country long and understood roughly half of the paperwork. The middle one went through when I had a better grasp of things. The youngest finishes this year. Over that time I learned how the system works from the inside: the applications, the points, the waiting lists, the daily communication notebooks, the autumn festivals.

This guide is for those just starting to figure out how it all works. If you are visiting Japan with children rather than raising them here, our guide to travelling with kids covers the practical side of a family trip instead.

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The three main types

There is not one single type of childcare in Japan. There are three main categories, and the differences matter.

保育園 (hoikuen): a public or subsidised daycare centre for children of working parents. It takes children from 0 to 5 years old (until primary school starts at 6). Hours are long: typical opening is 7:30 to 18:30, with extended care available. Admission requires that parents meet the criteria for “childcare need” (保育の必要性), which in practice means having a job, being in education, being ill, or other specific circumstances.

幼稚園 (yochien): a kindergarten with a more educational focus. It only takes children aged 3 to 5. Hours are shorter: usually 9:00 to 14:00, with optional paid extended care. It falls under the Ministry of Education rather than Welfare. Parents do not need to be working to apply for a place.

認定こども園 (nintei kodomo-en): a hybrid model created in 2006 to combine both systems. It accepts children from 0 to 5 regardless of whether the parents work. It operates with two tracks inside the same centre: the hoikuen track for working families and the yochien track for everyone else. This is the model that has been growing most rapidly across Japan.

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Hoikuen: licensed or unlicensed

Within hoikuen there is one important distinction:

認可保育園 (ninka hoikuen): a centre officially recognised by the municipality. It meets standards for space per child, carer-to-child ratios and staff qualifications. Fees are regulated by the municipality according to the family’s income. These are the most sought-after centres and the ones with waiting lists.

認可外保育施設 (ninka-gai hoiku shisetsu): unlicensed centres. They are not subject to the same regulations. Fees are set by the centre. Quality varies considerably. They can be a solution when no place is available in a licensed centre, but it is worth visiting before enrolling.

For most foreign residents, the goal is a place in a ninka hoikuen. Everything that follows refers to that system.

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Ages and cycles

In Japan the school year starts in April. Age is counted as of 1 April of the current year.

Age on 1 April	Year in hoikuen
0 years (0歳児)	0-year section
1 year (1歳児)	1-year section
2 years (2歳児)	2-year section
3 years (3歳児)	3-year section
4 years (4歳児)	4-year section
5 years (5歳児)	Final year, graduation in March

The move to primary school (小学校) happens in April of the year in which the child turns 6. Hoikuen or yochien graduation is in March of the same school year.

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How to apply for a place

The application process varies by municipality, but the general structure in most large cities is:

October to November: the application period (申し込み) for entry in April of the following year. The municipal office publishes the forms and exact deadlines. In many municipalities applications can now be made online.

January to February: first-round results (一次結果). You receive a letter or notification. If a place has been assigned, you need to confirm it within the specified deadline.

February to March: second round (二次募集) for places that remain unfilled. If no place was offered in the first round, you can apply in the second.

From notification to the April start date there is not much time to get organised: it is worth having the child’s clothing, supplies and the centre’s administrative paperwork ready before the decision arrives.

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The points system

Places are not awarded on a first-come, first-served basis but by score. Each municipality has its own criteria, but the most common factors are:

Employment situation of both parents: full-time work scores more than part-time. Weekly hours and contract type (permanent vs temporary) may also be factored in.

Single-parent households: single-parent families receive additional points in most municipalities.

Siblings already enrolled: if you have a child in the same centre, you typically receive points that make it easier for the next sibling to be admitted. This matters: in Yokohama and elsewhere it is one of the most effective ways to secure a place.

Recent birth or pregnancy: some municipalities award additional points.

No grandparents in the same municipality: if grandparents are not available to help with childcare, some municipalities award extra points.

Points are calculated from the documents the family submits. The most important is the 就労証明書 (shuro shomeisho): an employment certificate issued by the employer stating the weekly hours worked, contract type and schedule. If you are self-employed, the process is different but equally necessary.

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Costs

Since October 2019, the 幼児教育・保育の無償化 (mushouka) makes early childhood education free for children aged 3 to 5 at licensed facilities, regardless of family income.

For children aged 0 to 2, the monthly fee depends on family income. The municipality calculates it from the household tax records. Ranges vary, but broadly:

• Families with low income or exempt from local residential tax: zero or very low fees.
• Middle-income families: between ¥10,000 and ¥40,000 per month, depending on the municipality and the child’s age.
• Higher-income families: the maximum cap is usually around ¥57,000 per month in municipalities that apply that ceiling.

On top of this there are centre-specific costs: school meals (kyushoku), clothing, supplies, activity fees. At a public hoikuen the real total including extras is generally manageable.

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The waiting list problem

In Tokyo, Yokohama and other large cities, getting a place in a licensed hoikuen is competitive, particularly for the 0-year section (0歳児). Centres have limited spots and demand exceeds supply.

The most common strategies for improving your chances:

List multiple centres on the same form in order of preference. Most municipalities allow you to indicate up to ten or more centres.

Apply for the most competitive year early — many families apply for the 0-year section while still on parental leave to secure a place and be able to return to work.

Visit centres in person before applying. Some centres appreciate the initiative, and it gives you a clearer picture of available capacity.

If you end up on the waiting list (待機児童, taikiji), the municipality keeps the list active and will contact you if a place opens up. Placements sometimes happen in March, just before the April school year starts.

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Daily life

Once your child is enrolled, there are things that help to know from the start.

The renrakucho (連絡帳): a daily communication notebook between the centre and the family. Each day the educators write how the day went: whether the child ate well, slept, had any incidents. Parents can also write in if the child slept badly or if there is something the centre should know. Some centres now use an app, but the format varies.

Clothing: every item of clothing needs to be labelled with the child’s name. Everything. The quantity varies by centre and age, but the first day involves a sizeable bag. It is worth buying name labels in advance.

Events: hoikuen have a full event calendar that takes up a significant part of the year. The main ones are the undokai (運動会, the autumn sports day), the natsu matsuri (夏祭り, summer festival) and the March graduation. Parental attendance is customary and generally expected.

Illness: children in daycare get sick far more often than those at home, particularly in the first year. It is a period of immune adjustment that takes as long as it takes. Working out in advance who stays home and how that interacts with both parents’ work arrangements is worth doing before the child starts.

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Documents typically required for the application

Required documents vary by municipality, but the most common are:

• Municipal application form (申請書)
• Employment certificates from both parents (就労証明書)
• Copy of residence certificate (住民票)
• For self-employed applicants: copy of tax return and additional documentation
• For families with special circumstances (illness, caring for a family member, etc.): relevant supporting documents

All documents must be complete by the stated deadline. A missing document can result in the application not being processed.

Along with health insurance and My Number registration, securing a daycare place is one of the essential administrative steps of raising a family in Japan.

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Getting a place in a licensed daycare is one of the first major administrative challenges of life in Japan with children. The system has its own logic once you know it. The hardest part is the first time.