If you are living in Japan with kids – you might want to put your child into a nursery or a daycare. This blog will hopefully give you a brief overview of the different types of nurseries available and some vocabulary to look out for.
認可(にんか,Ninka) Authorized Daycare Facility
Authorized daycare facilities in Japan are publicly funded and lower cost compared to commercial options.
Within this category there are both public daycares 公立 kouritsu – and private daycares 私立shiritsu.
Authorized centers are inspected and licensed by the Ministry of health labor and welfare.
The size of the school area, the ratio of students to teachers, curriculum, and health and safety standards, all must be inspected and approved by the MHLW
Costs can be anywhere from 0 – 60,000 JPY / month depending on your amount of taxable income.
This means that they are the lowest cost option, as well as the most popular.
Applying to Ninka Nurserys
In order to get in to these facilities – you will need to submit a formal application in accordance with a yearly schedule.
Because there is often a waiting list – these applications are prioritized based on a points scale in order to preserve open seats for children based on need.
Points are awarded based on several criteria, including:
- How many hours per week you are working
- What type of employment you have
- If you are a resident of the ward
- If you are a single parent household
- If you have parents nearby to take care of the children
- If you are a student / attending Japanese language school
Each ward handles this application process differently – but the points categories generally share the same criteria in most wards.
The application process can be long and complicated – including multiple visits and interviews to the nursery.
We will do our best to help share useful information and tips for navigating this process later in the course.
む認可(むにんか,MuNinka) Unauthorized Daycare Facility
Unauthorized daycare facilities or Muninka
Unlike the Ninka facilities these facilities do not follow the inspection standards set forth by the MHLW and they are also not public.
Some people may have the misconception that this means they are less safe than authorized facilities but this is actually not true.
These facilities offer more flexible options to parents:
How long the child can stay Easier Entrance process and comparable cost Wider range of activities for students
Another difference between the ninka facilities, They will also care for sick children, as opposed to an authorized facility which would send the child home if the child were sick.
Costing is a bit higher than the authorized facilities, but the trade off is that they are easier to get into as they have no set limit for the number of students that they can accept.
Additionally to this – they also offer a wider range of activities and classes for children normally.
You also will not need to participate in a long and formal application process to enroll in these schools, making them easier to enter for most people.
Some municipalities offer funding to help pay the costs with these centers.
認証 (にんしょう, Ninshou) Government certified daycare centers
In recent years – child care in the Tokyo Metropolitan Region has had large waiting lists and limited availability.
In order to respond to the demand the Japanese government has allowed municipal governments to certify their own child care centers with proprietary inspection methods.
For these – monthly fees are determined based on each location and there is not a strenuous application process – they also will care for infants below the age of 1 years old.
They are typically divided into two categories:
Type A – centers that are located near train stations Type B – centers that have a home like environment.
Applying to Ninka Daycare Facilities
When applying to the public, certified facilities – the most popular application window is during the November of the Preceeding year. So for example if you would like your child to join a licensed daycare facility in April of 2022, you would need to submit your application roughly in November or December of 2021.
This timeline varies from city to city and the exact dates can be found on your city office website. There will normally be a child care help desk.
To find the child care help desk / support section – you can search for “保育課庶務担当”
- Visiting child care centers to introduce yourself and inspect them
- Admission Application to state your preference and formally request enrollment
- Selection / Announcement of Result
- Re-application in terms of non-selection
In the event that you are not successful with your application – you can apply to join from the 1st of every month. This application is typically due by the 21st of the previous month, but this deadline varies from city office to city office.
Useful Japanese vocabulary for Nursery School applications in Japan
Childcare / Hoikuen Japanese
Authorized Daycare facility
認可
にんか
ninka
Nursery School
保育園
ほいくえん
hoikuen
Unauthorized Daycare facility
無認可
むにんか
muninka
Integrated pre-school, daycare facility
こども園
こどもえん
kodomoen
Temporary child care
一時保育
いちじ ほいく
ichiji hoiku
Ward Operated (school)
区立
くりつ
Kuritsu
City Operated School (Municipal)
市立
しりつ
Shiritsu
Privately Operated School
私立
しりつ
Shiritsu
Enrollment
入園
にゅうえん
Nyūen
Nursery School Admission Application
保育園入園申込み
Hoikuen nyūen mōshikomi
Childcare facility tour
保育施設見学
Hoiku shisetsu kengaku
Unofficial Entrance Offer
内定
Naitei
Rough flow / outline (of a process / instructions)
大まかな流れ
Ōmakana nagare
Child Care General Affairs Department
保育課庶務
ほいくか しょむ
Hoiku-ka shomu