Education Cost Japan is a free, English-language calculator and guide for foreign families trying to see what raising a child through Japan's school system actually costs — 保育園 (daycare) to 塾 (juku) — and the 幼保無償化 and 児童手当 support that offsets it.
How we source our numbers
The backbone is the 文部科学省 (MEXT) 子供の学習費調査 (Survey on Children's Learning Costs), latest edition (令和5年度 / FY2023), which reports the average amount families actually spent per stage — cited on-page with its survey year. Daycare (保育料) is set by each municipality on an income scale, so we give the mechanism and a band and point you to your own city rather than invent a per-city figure. The 幼保無償化 and 児童手当 support rules come from こども家庭庁, with dated sources.
What we're careful about
These are ranges from statistics, not quotes. The survey's 学校外活動費 already includes juku, so the calculator keeps school and juku separate to avoid double-counting. And because a cost picture that ignores support (無償化, 児童手当) overstates the burden, we model the support side too.
Independence
This is an independent project, not affiliated with MEXT, こども家庭庁, or any school or provider. It is informational only and not financial advice. Confirm your own city's fees and your providers before budgeting.
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