How to prepare for rising costs of Japan's private junior high school track
TOKYO -- Parents preparing for junior high school entrance exams in Japan are often surprised by the cost of cram school fees, teaching materials and
Junior high school entrance exams in Japan come with significant costs beyond just tuition fees. Financial planner Masaaki Kurihara advises families to understand the overall expense structure. Cram school tuition for four core subjects can be around 550,000 yen ($3,450) a year in fourth grade, rising to approximately 800,000 yen ($5,000) by sixth grade. Additional expenses include summer and winter intensive courses, textbooks, and mock exams.
Parents should budget around 3 million yen ($19,000) over three years if their child starts attending from fourth grade, including application fees for multiple schools. After enrollment, families must consider education costs, which are about 1.63 million yen ($10,200) at public schools versus 4.68 million yen ($29,400) at private ones. Adding cram school and related costs brings the private school total to about 6 million yen ($37,700) more.
To alleviate the financial burden, Kurihara suggests cutting down on a private car, lowering a husband's allowance, switching to a cheaper mobile phone plan, or reviewing subscriptions. However, he notes limited options for reducing living expenses. Changing cram schools may also help, as tuition tends to be higher at institutions specializing in competitive schools. The fifth grade is effectively the deadline for transferring, as some schools refuse transfers after sixth grade.
Starting to save for education expenses early is crucial. Japan offers a child allowance of 10,000 yen ($60) to 15,000 yen ($95) per month until age 18, with 30,000 yen ($190) for third and subsequent children. By saving around 20,000 yen ($125) monthly, a family could accumulate 2.4 million yen ($15,000) by age 10, or 3.6 million yen ($22,590) with a 30,000 yen ($190) monthly contribution.
The upcoming Nippon Individual Savings Account (NISA) for children, set to launch in January 2027, will allow tax-exempt investments up to 600,000 yen ($3,760) annually, with a 6 million yen ($37,700) total tax-exempt limit. This could expand families' investment capacity and help cover education expenses.
Written by urgent.news from The Mainichi's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
