Photograph pending
New International School of Japan (NewIS) — Genuinely Dual-Language, Not English-Medium
Tokyo, Japan
An original dual-language school inspired by Scotland's Curriculum for Excellence — notably, violin is compulsory from age 6.
Researched by William Prep from published sources. Not yet verified by the school. — Last reviewed by William Prep: 2026-09-24
NewIS is a dual-language school in Minami-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, serving PK1 through Grade 12. It runs an original programme inspired by Scotland's Curriculum for Excellence, reportedly pairing an English co-teacher and a Japanese co-teacher of equal status per class. Notably, violin is compulsory from age 6, and Mandarin is offered as an elective.
At a Glance
| Curriculum | Genuinely dual-language (English/Japanese, original programme) (not independently confirmed)as of: 2026-09-24 |
| Teaching Model | Equal-status English and Japanese co-teachers per class (not independently confirmed)as of: 2026-09-24 |
| Notable Required Subject | Violin (from age 6) (not independently confirmed)as of: 2026-09-24 |
| Est. First-Year Cost (PK1-PK2, 1st child) | ≈¥2.94M2026-27 · as of: 2026-09-24 |
Not "English-Medium" — a Genuine Two-Teacher Dual-Language Model
The legacy William Prep directory described this school as having "own international curriculum (EN-medium)" — English-medium. What was actually confirmed this session is a genuine dual-language school, with English and Japanese co-teachers running each class as equals. Unlike KAIS, this is a case where "bilingual" is arguably the accurate word.
William Prep’s Analysis
This same batch also researched KAIS International School — the legacy directory labeled KAIS "bilingual" and NewIS "English-medium." What was actually confirmed this session comes closer to the reverse. This pair is a concrete illustration of why each school needs to be checked individually rather than trusted by category label or school name alone.
Fees: A Real First-Year Total of About ¥2.94M (PK1-PK2, 1st Child)
NewIS's own 2026-27 fee schedule lists two one-time charges: a ¥330,000 entrance fee and a ¥450,000 building/facilities fee (1st child). On top of that, an annual ¥200,000 resource and programme development fee applies alongside grade-banded tuition (¥1,960,000 for PK1-PK2, 1st child), for a genuine first-year total of roughly ¥2,940,000. Discounted rates apply for a 2nd or 3rd+ child.
University Entrance Eligibility in Japan
| School-accreditation route | No not publicly confirmedWhether NewIS holds any of the six MEXT-recognised accreditations was not confirmed this session. |
| Student-qualification route (IB, etc.) | No not publicly confirmedWhether NewIS offers the IB or another curriculum that would trigger the individual-credential route was not confirmed this session. |
Whether NewIS holds a MEXT-recognised accreditation, and whether it offers a curriculum triggering the individual-credential route, were both not confirmed this session. Families with specific Japanese-university plans should confirm the actual eligibility route directly with the school.
Fees & Estimated First-Year Cost
academic year: 2026-27
| Entrance Fee | ¥330,000 |
| Building/Facilities Fee (1st child) | ¥450,000 |
| Resource & Program Development Fee (annual) | ¥200,000 |
| Tuition (PK1-PK2, 1st child)PK1-PK2 | ¥1,960,000 |
| Tuition (Kindergarten-Grade 1, 1st child)K-G1 | ¥2,360,000 |
| Tuition (Grade 2-6, 1st child)G2-G6 | ¥2,450,000 |
| Tuition (Grade 7-8, 1st child)G7-G8 | ¥2,560,000 |
| Tuition (Grade 9-12, 1st child)G9-G12 | ¥2,600,000 |
| Estimated First-Year Total | ¥2,940,000 |
Includes: enrolment, capital, other, tuition — Excludes: Excludes lunch and school bus (only for those using them). This uses PK1-PK2, 1st child, as the base. Discounted rates apply for a 2nd or 3rd+ child.
What Makes This School Distinctive
An original programme inspired by Scotland's curriculum
Equal-status English and Japanese co-teachers per class
Multiple third-party sources consistently report this teaching model.
A clear option for families genuinely seeking balanced bilingual education.
Admissions
| Cycle | 未確認 not publicly confirmed |
What Japanese Families Should Know
Who Might Find This School a Good Fit
Might suit — Families seeking genuinely balanced Japanese/English bilingual education
Might not suit — Families who had assumed an English-centred environment
William Prep’s Analysis
Researching NewIS alongside KAIS surfaced a case where the legacy directory's category labels ran opposite to what was actually confirmed. Researching either school in isolation would have missed this contrast entirely.
Questions to Ask the School
1.What credential do students actually graduate with, and what are the university outcomes?
Why this matters: Not confirmed this session.
2.Does NewIS itself hold a WASC or other MEXT-recognised accreditation?
Why this matters: Not confirmed this session.
Sources & Verification
- Tuition and Fees — New International School of Japanprimary source · as of: 2026-09-24Fetched directly. 2026-27: entrance fee ¥330,000, building/facilities fee ¥450,000 (1st child, one-time). Annual tuition (1st child) from ¥1,960,000 (PK1-2) to ¥2,600,000 (G9-12), plus a ¥200,000/yr resource & program development fee. Sibling discounts apply (2nd/3rd+ child rates listed separately).
- Search synthesis on New International School of Japan curriculum — Multiple (search aggregation)third-party source · as of: 2026-09-24A dual-language (English/Japanese) school in Minami-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Pre-K through Grade 12, describing its programme as inspired by Scotland's Curriculum for Excellence, taught by paired EN/JP teachers per class. Not independently confirmed against the school's own curriculum page directly this session.
- 大学入学資格について — 文部科学省 (MEXT)official source · as of: 2026-09-23Sets out the routes to 大学入学資格: MEXT-designated schools; graduates of 12-year programmes at institutions accredited by WASC, CIS, ACSI, NEASC, Cognia or COBIS; holders of the IB Diploma, Abitur, Baccalauréat, GCE A-Level, International A-Level or European Baccalaureate; 高等学校卒業程度認定試験 (age-18 gated); and individual university review at 18+.
Last reviewed by William Prep: 2026-09-24
Official Website ↗Explore Other Schools
- American School in Japan (ASIJ)Chōfu
- Tokyo Metropolitan Kokusai High School (Kokusai-kō)Meguro-ku
- Tokyo International School (TIS)Minato-ku (Mita)
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