Moving to Tokyo with Your Family: A Practical Guide for International Families

For families moving to Tokyo with children, the hardest part is rarely finding information. The real challenge is turning schools, housing, commuting, childcare, and family finances into one workable daily routine.

This guide is written for international families relocating to Tokyo for work, long-term residence, or family reasons. It assumes that immigration and employment arrangements are broadly in place, so the focus is on the decisions that most affect family life before and immediately after the move.

It is especially useful for families considering central Tokyo, with preschool- or school-age children, and comparing international schools, bilingual schools, and Japanese public schools.

A move can look settled on paper and still fail at 3 p.m., when one child needs collecting, another is on a different campus and both parents are working. Tokyo offers many schools, homes and services; the harder job is making them function together on an ordinary Tuesday. Start with the choices that constrain the others, and let neighborhood preference come later.

Make this decision first: Shortlist two or three schools your child can realistically enter. Confirm the campus, grade, school run, and admissions path before searching for a home.

Fees, school places, bus routes, rental availability, and public programs change. Always reconfirm important details directly with the school, landlord, management company, employer, or local authority before signing a contract or making a non-refundable payment.

Do Not Start by Choosing a Ward

A common first question is: “Which part of Tokyo is best for an international family?”

For families with children, a better sequence is:

education route → schools that are realistically available → campus and commute → shortlist of neighborhoods → housing → total family budget

The reason is simple. School location and the daily school run usually affect family life more than a preference for one neighborhood over another.

Questions to answer before you move

One of the most expensive mistakes is to sign a lease first and discover later that the preferred school has no place available. Another is to place siblings in schools in opposite directions and find that the daily routine does not work.

Choose an Education Route and Shortlist Schools

The three routes answer different family questions. An English-medium international school can preserve curriculum continuity if another move is likely. A bilingual school may support a longer life in Japan, but its language balance must be examined subject by subject. Japanese public school can create local friendships and immersion, while the family must be ready to support the transition into Japanese-language learning. The right answer depends on each child’s age, language and likely next move, not on a school label.

Most international families in Tokyo will end up considering one of three broad routes.

English-medium international schools

Often suitable if:

your family may relocate internationally again, your child is already in an English-medium curriculum, you want continuity in the IB, British, or American system, Japanese is not the immediate educational priority.

Do not compare schools only by reputation. Check:

actual seat availability, curriculum, grade placement, English requirements, learning support, school bus options, withdrawal notice periods, non-tuition fees.

Japanese-English bilingual schools

These can work well for families planning to stay in Japan while maintaining strong English.

Do not rely on the word “bilingual” alone. Ask:

• Which subjects are taught in English?
• Which are taught in Japanese?
• How many hours per week are taught in each language?
• What level of literacy is expected in both languages?
• What happens at middle- and high-school level?

Japanese public schools

Foreign-national children can attend Japanese public elementary and junior high schools under the relevant local procedures. Ask the local authority what Japanese-language support is available for your child.

Compulsory education normally does not charge tuition or textbook fees, although school lunches, supplies, trips, and other costs still apply.

For long-term residents, the benefits can go beyond cost: Japanese-language immersion and local community integration may be significant.

Schools That Shape Where Central-Tokyo Families Live

Use the Japan International School Guide for the curriculum and admissions picture, the International School Calendar for term dates and holidays, and the international school finder for current school profiles. Build a realistic shortlist before comparing addresses; this guide concentrates on how that shortlist changes the family routine.

This is not a ranking. These are schools whose locations often have a direct impact on where families choose to live.

Do not ask only, “Do you have space?”

Your first inquiry should ideally include:

date of birth, current grade, current curriculum, English and Japanese proficiency, intended start date, expected length of stay in Japan, any learning support, allergy, or medical requirements.

Confirm five things in particular:

1. Is your child merely eligible to apply, or is there actually a place?
2. What are the language requirements?
3. What learning support is available?
4. When do fees become non-refundable?
5. How much notice is required before withdrawal?

Choose Where to Live and Plan the School Commute

It is tempting to choose a favorite neighborhood from photographs and then search for a school nearby. That reverses the harder constraint. With two children on different campuses, the morning may involve a stroller, a train change and a parent who must still get to work. Afternoon pickup, groceries on the way home and a future campus change can turn a pleasant address into a daily detour. Try the whole loop, not just the distance from home to school.

International families do not need to compare all 23 wards. If central Tokyo is your priority, it is usually more practical to start with a small number of school-oriented life zones.

Hiroo – Minami-Azabu – Moto-Azabu

A natural first choice for families considering:

Nishimachi, ISSH, the traditional international-community cluster around central Minato.

The area combines schools, imported food, multilingual services, and a long-established international residential market.

When viewing a home, walk the route rather than relying on map distance. Check:

hills, crossings, stroller access, rainy-day conditions, the walk home with groceries.

Azabu-Juban – Higashi-Azabu – Akabanebashi – Azabudai

This is an obvious area to investigate if BST Primary is the main school.

However, BST's primary and secondary campuses are not in the same place. If you expect to remain in Tokyo for several years, do not optimize only for the child's current grade.

Shirokane-Takanawa – Sengakuji – Takanawa – Mita

This is a logical starting point for families targeting the new TIS campus.

Rather than assuming that the best answer is to live in the same development as the school, compare:

residences in the same development, normal rental buildings within walking distance, larger homes one short train ride away.

The right choice is a balance of space, cost, and daily school-run time.

Bancho – Kojimachi – Ichigaya

For families considering Phoenix House, this is a highly practical residential zone.

Its advantage is not simply prestige. School, shopping, parks, and daily errands can often be kept within a compact area.

Other areas that may make sense

There is no universal “best neighborhood.” The correct neighborhood is the one where school, work, pick-up logistics, and housing costs all work at the same time.

Plan the School Commute

A bus can make a distant campus viable, but only if its stop, time and return service fit the parents’ day. A child who misses the late bus after an activity, or becomes ill at noon, still needs an adult who can reach the campus. Test that exceptional journey as carefully as the normal morning.

The useful questions are:

• Where is the exact stop?
• What time is pick-up?
• How long is the one-way ride?
• Are there age restrictions?
• Is there space on the route?
• Is there a late bus after after-school activities?
• Who can collect your child if they become ill?

Before signing a lease, send the exact prospective address to the school and confirm whether the route actually works.

Renting in Tokyo: The Real Question Is Whether You Can Pass the Screening

New arrivals often find that the limiting factor is approval, not the number of attractive apartments online. A landlord may accept foreign residents yet require a Japan-based income record, a local contact or a particular contract arrangement. Establish what an agent can actually submit before spending weeks viewing homes that cannot pass screening.

For newly arrived international families, the issue is often not the absence of apartments. It is whether a particular landlord or management company will accept your immigration status, income source, and contract structure.

Three different questions

These are not the same:

• Are foreign-national tenants accepted?
• Can you apply while still overseas?
• Can overseas income be used in the screening?

Tell the agent your arrival date, employment start date, whether your employer can lease the property, your income source, household size, and whether you have a Japan-based emergency contact.

Corporate lease or personal lease?

For employer-sponsored relocation, ask HR:

• Can the company be the tenant?
• Are management fees covered?
• Who pays move-in costs?
• Is temporary accommodation provided?
• Does education support include enrollment, facility, and bus fees?
• Who bears early-termination costs if you leave Japan sooner than planned?

Common move-in charges

Move-in cash can easily equal several months of rent. Do not judge affordability by monthly rent alone.

Watch for fixed-term leases

A teiki shakka fixed-term lease normally ends when the agreed term expires and does not automatically renew.

For families with children, avoid lease expiries that fall in the middle of a school year unless you are comfortable with the risk.

UR can be a useful alternative

UR rental housing commonly has no key money, agent fee, or renewal fee, and does not require a traditional personal guarantor.

Income and eligibility rules still apply, and availability varies.

Should You Use Temporary Housing First?

A short temporary stay can buy time to confirm school placement and walk the likely school and shopping routes. It also lets a newly arrived family compare real apartments rather than committing from overseas. The extra short-term cost should be weighed against the risk of an unsuitable long lease.

Temporary housing may be safer if school placement is unconfirmed, your employer is not managing the housing search, this is your first Japanese rental, or you want to inspect homes in person.

Two to four weeks can be a useful starting assumption, with flexibility to extend.

Check:

• Is the unit licensed for the whole family?
• Can you cook?
• Is there laundry?
• Can you receive deliveries?
• Can the address be used for the procedures you need?
• What are the extension and cancellation rules?

When Viewing a Home, Look Beyond Floor Area

Floor area alone says little about whether four people can leave home on time. Where will the stroller dry, can children sleep while a parent works, and can groceries move from the door to the kitchen without blocking the hall? Inspect the apartment at the pace of a normal school morning.

Two apartments with the same “2LDK” label can work very differently for a family.

Rooms

• Can real beds fit?
• Do the children need separate rooms?
• Is there space for desks?
• Is storage sufficient?
• Can work-from-home space be separated from sleep?

Daily flow

laundry and drying, kitchen counter space, refrigerator dimensions, stroller storage, garbage disposal, bicycle parking, rainy-day walk from the station.

Safety

balconies, windows, stairs, elevators, child access, evacuation routes.

Take dated photos of existing damage when you move in.

Budgeting: Separate Recurring Costs from First-Year Cash

A family may be able to afford the monthly rent and still struggle with the cash needed before the first school term. Separate the steady monthly pattern from deposits, enrollment charges, furniture and temporary housing. The model below is a planning example; replace every assumption with your own school and employer terms.

School costs can include application and enrollment fees, tuition, building or facility fees, school bus, lunch, uniforms, a laptop or tablet, after-school programs, and school trips.

Calculate your normal annual cost and first-year cash requirement separately.

Simple four-person household model

This is not an average Tokyo household budget. It is only a planning model.

Adjust the model for your rent, number of children, school, employer benefits, car, travel, and childcare or sitter use.

Family Documents to Prepare Before Departure

Pre-departure checklist

• Confirm each child's realistic school entry, grade, campus, fees, and transport.
• Shortlist housing around school and work; arrange temporary housing if the school or lease is not settled.
• Gather identity, school, vaccination, and medical records in paper and cloud copies.
• Check medication-import and pet-entry lead times before booking travel.
• Set up working phone/data and a payment back-up for the first days.

Put the documents needed for school, housing and healthcare in one accessible set, with paper and cloud copies. A missing record can delay several decisions at once after arrival; the checklist is most useful when each adult knows where the copies are.

Identity and family records

• passports;
• residence-related documents;
• birth certificates;
• marriage certificate;
• translations where required.

School records

• recent report cards;
• proof of enrollment;
• teacher recommendations;
• vaccination records;
• learning-support reports;
• curriculum information.

Medical

• immunization history;
• allergies;
• relevant medical history;
• generic drug names;
• dosage;
• doctor's letters where useful.

Work and housing

• offer letter / employment certificate;
• income evidence;
• HR contact;
• housing allowance policy;
• corporate lease policy.

Start Early on Two Things: Medication and Pets

Ongoing medication

Do not assume that a prescription legally obtained overseas can automatically be brought into Japan.

Before departure, check the medication’s active ingredient and quantity, whether it is controlled, and whether prior import confirmation is required.

For essential medication, start checking several weeks before departure.

Dogs and cats

Depending on the country or region of departure, requirements may include a microchip, rabies vaccinations, an antibody test, a waiting period, and a quarantine application. Preparation can take months.

A Practical Order for Setting Up Life After Arrival

The timeline is a way to order tasks, not a promise that every office will process them on the same day. Keep interim cash, mobile data and a contact method until registration, insurance and banking are working.

Address registration

Eligible mid- to long-term residents must register their place of residence within the required period after establishing an actual address.

Do not reduce the rule to “everyone must register within 14 days of landing.” The relevant trigger is your residence status and establishment of an address.

Health insurance

If you are employed by a Japanese company, confirm whether you and your dependents are enrolled in the employer-based health insurance system.

If not, check National Health Insurance with the local municipality.

Medical eligibility is generally confirmed through My Number health insurance registration or an eligibility certificate.

Bank account and mobile service

Banking and mobile service may take time, so keep an overseas card that works in Japan, some cash, mobile data, and a way to receive authentication messages.

Electricity, water, gas, internet

Gas activation may require an appointment and someone to be present.

For internet service, check whether the apartment already has a line or requires installation work.

Plan Childcare, Healthcare, and Everyday Life

A school place does not cover after-school hours. Before moving, map pickup times and responsibilities, activities, after-school care and handoffs, school holidays, parents’ late-work days, and who can leave work when a child is sick. This helps you choose a workable bus stop, home, and childcare plan.

Preschool age

Options range from hoikuen and kindergarten to certified childcare centers and international preschools.

“International” does not necessarily mean full-day childcare. See Kindergarten vs Nursery in Japan when comparing these options.

Elementary school age

Options include school-based after-school programs, public gakudo, private after-school centers, and babysitters.

Sick-child care

Some services require advance registration. The best time to register is when your child is healthy, not on the morning they develop a fever.

Healthcare: Do Not Rely on One English-Speaking Hospital

A major English-speaking hospital is valuable for complex care, but it is rarely the easiest response to an ordinary childhood fever. A nearby pediatrician, a weekend option and a pharmacy reachable from home reduce the effort of every routine illness. Keep the major hospital as part of that network.

Identify a nearby pediatrician, general-medicine clinic, dentist, evening or holiday clinic, and major hospital.

For routine illness, a nearby clinic is often the most practical first stop, with referral to a larger hospital when needed.

Useful Tokyo numbers

Make Everyday Family Life Work

Daily shopping is a better test of an address than its restaurant list. After pickup, can one adult buy dinner ingredients, carry them home and manage a tired child? The extra ten minutes repeated every weekday often matters more than an occasional special meal.

Check that your family’s regular and specialty foods are easy to buy, school lunch works for your child, and allergies can be accommodated. Walk from a candidate home to the supermarket and back with groceries. International grocery options include National Azabu and Nissin World Delicatessen.

Clothing and School Supplies: Do Not Buy Everything Before You Arrive

School requirements vary and may include uniforms, PE kit, indoor shoes, bags, a laptop or tablet, and specific stationery. Wait for the official list before buying.

Furniture and Appliances: Japanese Homes Have Different Constraints

Residential power in Japan is generally 100V, and Tokyo uses 50Hz. Before bringing an appliance, check its voltage, frequency, wattage, and plug; an adapter does not solve a voltage mismatch. Before moving large furniture, measure the full route and delivery spaces, including the entrance, elevator, hallway, doors, refrigerator space, and washing-machine space. If your stay length is uncertain, buy essentials first and add the rest gradually.

Transport: Central-Tokyo Families Can Delay Buying a Car

Trains and buses make a car optional for many central families, though lifts, transfers, and walking can be tiring with children. Start with walking, subway and train, bus, or taxi; try school and weekend routes for one or two months before deciding whether a car or bicycle solves a recurring problem. For a bicycle, check child seats, liability insurance, registration, building parking, and route safety.

Prepare for Disasters and Make Final Checks

Disaster planning starts with the home. For each candidate, check flood and earthquake hazards, evacuation sites, elevator operation during outages, building supplies, and furniture anchoring. Your family should also decide who collects the children, where to meet if phones fail, how much water and food to store, and how to secure essential medication.

Final Checks Before Paying

Before a large non-refundable payment, confirm the school place, rental eligibility, pickup, and childcare plan. If any part is unsettled, keep room to change the decision.

1. School Your child has a clear admissions path and an actual place, not merely permission to apply or a place in a candidate pool.

2. Housing The landlord or management company accepts your residence status, income structure, and proposed contract arrangement.

3. Daily life The school run, after-school care, parent work schedules, and emergency back-up plan all function in real life.

The most reliable sequence is to confirm a school place, choose housing that supports a workable family routine, and refine neighborhood preferences after daily life is in place.

Sources and verification

The official references below are the sources retained from the 28 September 2026 guide. Fees, availability and public procedures must be reconfirmed before committing money.

• Tokyo Intercultural Portal Site
• Tokyo Metropolitan Government – International Schools
• MLIT – Fixed-term Tenancy
• UR Housing
• Animal Quarantine Service
• Tokyo Intercultural Portal
• National Azabu
• Hazard Map Portal