Nishimachi International SchoolTuition, Admissions & Curriculum
William Michihiko Akiyama
William Prep
Tokyo, Japan
A historic, small school in Motoazabu — but with no high school of its own, so a transfer after Grade 9 is built into the plan, not an exception.
Last reviewed by William Prep: 2026-09-24
Nishimachi International School is a small, historic school in Motoazabu, Minato-ku, founded in 1949. Across Kindergarten, Elementary and Junior High it has a capacity of roughly 516 students from more than 40 countries. The single most important structural fact: the school ends at Grade 9 (equivalent to Japanese 中学3年) — there is no high school here.
At a Glance
| Location | Minato-ku (Motoazabu)as of: 2026-09-24 |
| Grade Range | Kindergarten–Grade 9 (no high school)as of: 2026-09-24 |
| Capacity | 516as of: 2026-09-24 |
| Accreditation | WASC, CISas of: 2026-09-24 |
| Tuition (all levels) | ¥3,129,000/year2026 · as of: 2026-09-24 |
01Tuition & Fees
Fees: Only the Annual Tuition Figure Was Confirmed
The Tokyo Metropolitan Portal records a single annual tuition figure of ¥3,129,000 across Kindergarten, Elementary and Junior High. One-time fees — application, enrolment, facilities — are not publicly confirmed. Getting the real first-year total means asking the school directly.
academic year: 2026
| Tuition (all levels) | ¥3,129,000The Tokyo Portal lists a single annual tuition figure across Kindergarten, Elementary and Junior High. One-time application/enrolment fees are not publicly confirmed. |
02Admissions
| Cycle | 未確認 not publicly confirmed |
| English requirement | 生徒に学年相応の英語力が求められる |
University Entrance Eligibility in Japan
| School-accreditation route | No not publicly confirmedNot directly applicable — Nishimachi ends at Grade 9, so university eligibility depends entirely on whichever high school (Grade 10–12) a student transfers to afterward, not on Nishimachi itself. |
| Student-qualification route (IB, etc.) | No not publicly confirmed |
Nishimachi runs Kindergarten through Grade 9 only — there is no high school. University eligibility is not established during enrolment here at all; it depends entirely on which high school a student transfers to for Grade 10–12. This is the single most important practical fact for a family evaluating Nishimachi.
What Japanese Families Should Know
Questions to Ask the School
1.What are the one-time fees beyond tuition — application, enrolment, facilities?
Why this matters: Public information does not establish this clearly; confirm it directly with the school.
2.Where do Grade 9 graduates typically go for high school — Article 1 schools, or other international schools?
Why this matters: Public information does not establish this clearly; confirm it directly with the school.
03Curriculum
University Pathways
Since Nishimachi ends at Grade 9, the relevant "outcomes" data is really destination high schools, not university matriculation — and this is not publicly confirmed.
Where graduates typically go for high school (Article 1 schools vs. international schools) is not publicly confirmed.
04School Features
Why "No High School" Should Be the Starting Point, Not a Footnote
The Tokyo Metropolitan Portal's grade structure for Nishimachi lists exactly three levels — Kindergarten, Elementary, Junior High — with no high school row at all. A student who completes Grade 9 has to move to a different school for Grade 10 onward, whether that's an Article 1 Japanese high school or another WASC/CIS-accredited international school.
Key Point
This isn't a judgment on the school — it's a structural fact. But it matters most to families who assumed they were choosing one school through graduation. If Nishimachi is on your list, the honest way to plan it is as two separate decisions from the start: Nishimachi for the junior-high years, and a deliberate, separate high-school search to follow.
What Makes This School Distinctive
Daily Japanese instruction for every student
Every student receives daily Japanese-language instruction alongside English-medium classes
The Tokyo Portal explicitly states "a minimum of one lesson per day in Japanese. "
For families prioritising Japanese-language maintenance, this is a real differentiator from schools where Japanese is elective or minimal.
Who Might Find This School a Good Fit
Might suit — Families comfortable choosing a separate high school after Grade 9, and those prioritising Japanese-language maintenance
Might not suit — Families wanting one continuous school from early years through high school graduation
Explore Other Schools
- Ikubunkan GlobalBunkyo-ku
- American School in Japan (ASIJ)Chōfu
- Tokyo Metropolitan Kokusai High School (Kokusai-kō)Meguro-ku
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