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Osaka International School (OIS) — Japan's First Full IB Continuum, 30-Plus Years Running

Osaka, Japan

Founded 1991, part of the Kwansei Gakuin University foundation — reportedly Japan's first school to run the full IB continuum, with over 30 years of operating history.

Researched by William Prep from published sources. Not yet verified by the school. — Last reviewed by William Prep: 2026-09-24

OIS was founded in 1991 and is now part of the Kwansei Gakuin University foundation. It's reported as the first school in Japan to run all three IB programmes (PYP/MYP/DP), with students from 35-plus nationalities.

At a Glance

Founded	1991 (not independently confirmed)as of: 2026-09-24
Standing	Japan's first full IB continuum school (reported), 30+ years running (not independently confirmed)as of: 2026-09-24
Operator	Kwansei Gakuin University foundation (not independently confirmed)as of: 2026-09-24
Est. First-Year Cost (KA-G5)	≈¥2.65M2026-27 · as of: 2026-09-24

"First in Japan" Plus Three Decades of Actual Track Record

Compared to KIS (Kyoto, zero DP graduates so far) and FIS's 2020 MYP authorisation — both researched in this batch — OIS brings something different: founded 1991, over 30 years of accumulated track record. "Runs the full IB continuum" alone doesn't tell you how long a school has actually been doing it, and that gap matters for a family weighing school choice.

William Prep’s Analysis

Even within the same "full IB continuum school" category, how long a school has held that status and how many graduating cohorts it's actually produced varies enormously. Treating a school with OIS's track record the same as one that was just authorised isn't a fair comparison.

Fees: A Real First-Year Total of About ¥2.65M (KA-Grade 5)

OIS's own 2026-27 fee schedule lists two one-time charges: a ¥40,000 application fee and a ¥330,000 registration fee. On top of that, an annual ¥5,000 PTA fee applies alongside grade-banded tuition (¥2,270,000 for KA-Grade 5), for a genuine first-year total of roughly ¥2,645,000. The Board approved a roughly 4% fee increase across all grades for 2026-27.

University Entrance Eligibility in Japan

School-accreditation route	No not publicly confirmedWhether OIS holds any of the six MEXT-recognised accreditations was not confirmed this session.
Student-qualification route (IB, etc.)	Yes

Whether OIS itself holds a MEXT-recognised accreditation was not confirmed this session. A student completing the full IB Diploma qualifies via the individual-credential route regardless.

Fees & Estimated First-Year Cost

academic year: 2026-27

Application Fee	¥40,000
Registration Fee	¥330,000
PTA Fee (annual)	¥5,000
Tuition (KA-Grade 5)KA-G5	¥2,270,000
Tuition (Grade 6-10)G6-G10	¥2,708,000
Tuition (Grade 11-12)G11-G12	¥2,828,000
Estimated First-Year Total	¥2,645,000

Includes: application, registration, other, tuition — Excludes: Excludes school bus and cafeteria fees (only for those using them; amounts vary by location/grade). This uses KA-Grade 5 tuition as the base.

What Makes This School Distinctive

Over 30 years of IB operating experience

Founded 1991, reportedly the first school in Japan to run all three IB programmes

Multiple third-party sources consistently report this "first in Japan" standing.

A real advantage for families prioritizing programme maturity and accumulated institutional know-how.

Admissions

Cycle

未確認 not publicly confirmed

What Japanese Families Should Know

Who Might Find This School a Good Fit

Might suit — Families prioritizing a well-established IB track record

Might not suit — Families wanting to minimize commute time from central Osaka (Minoh is a suburban location)

William Prep’s Analysis

Researching OIS alongside the other IB schools in this batch made something visible that wouldn't have shown up researching it alone: "full IB continuum school" turns out to span an enormous range of actual operating history. Seeing a brand-new school and a three-decade-old one side by side in the same batch was itself informative.

Questions to Ask the School

1.Does OIS itself hold a WASC or other MEXT-recognised accreditation?
Why this matters: Not confirmed this session.
2.What is the historical IB DP average score and university matriculation record?
Why this matters: Despite the 30+ year track record, this wasn't confirmed this session.

Sources & Verification

Fees — Osaka International School of Kwansei Gakuinprimary source · as of: 2026-09-24Fetched directly. 2026-27: application ¥40,000, registration ¥330,000 (one-time), PTA ¥5,000/yr, tuition by grade band (KA-G5, G6-G10, G11-G12). Board approved a ≈4% fee rise for 2026-27.
Search synthesis on Osaka International School history — Multiple (incl. Wikipedia, IBO school registry reference)third-party source · as of: 2026-09-24Founded 1991; part of the Kwansei Gakuin University foundation. Reported as the first school in Japan to offer all three IB programmes (PYP/MYP/DP). 35+ nationalities. Not independently confirmed against sois.kwansei.ac.jp's own history 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

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