If you have been searching for international schools in Kawasaki and quietly wondering why the list feels so short, you are not missing anything. Kawasaki is a city of more than 1.5 million people, yet it has almost no full international school that runs from kindergarten all the way through high school. Most of what you will find are English-immersion preschools and international kindergartens. This honest guide walks you through every real international school in Kawasaki, then shows you the realistic paths for continuing an international education beyond the early years — commuting to neighboring Yokohama or Tokyo, and the “learn-from-home” online option. By the end, you will have a clear way to decide: keep it local for now, or widen the map.
International schools in Kawasaki: the real picture and fee ranges
The first thing to understand is that international schools in Kawasaki are overwhelmingly focused on early childhood. Around Kawasaki-ku and Nakahara-ku (Musashi-Kosugi), you will find English-immersion preschools and international kindergartens. Among them, Kawasaki International School (KIS, ages 2–12) is the one that reaches into the elementary years; most of the others serve toddlers through age six. In short, at the time of writing there is no full “K-12” international school within Kawasaki city. Families who want to continue through middle and high school realistically look to neighboring Yokohama or Tokyo — or to an online school that removes the commute entirely.
On fees: Kawasaki’s early-childhood international schools typically run around ¥60,000–¥120,000 per month, plus an entrance fee (roughly ¥100,000–¥150,000) and materials or facility charges. Full-time, that lands somewhere around ¥1.0–1.5 million per year as a rough guide. By comparison, the K-12 international schools in Yokohama (below) sit higher, around ¥2.1–3.4 million per year. Several Kawasaki kindergartens also qualify for Japan’s early-childhood education subsidy for ages 3–5, which can ease the load if you’re eligible.
Note: fees reflect publicly available information as of July 2026 and may change. Always confirm the latest figures on each school’s official website.
Every international school in Kawasaki, honestly (all 5)
Here is an honest, complete list of the international schools that actually exist in Kawasaki. We are not padding it to a “top 7.” The number is small, but each school has its own character in age range and philosophy. Read on the basis of “does this fit our child’s age and our values” rather than name recognition.
1. Kawasaki International School (KIS)
Located in Kawasaki-ku, KIS is the city’s flagship international school. It runs a nursery and an elementary section, welcoming children from age 2 to 12 in an English environment. Children learn language, arithmetic, physical education, art, practical science, and social studies in English, while Japanese is valued as part of cultural and emotional education. As one of the very few schools in the city that reaches the elementary years, its strength is a continuous international environment from toddler through primary school.
- Curriculum: An original English-language program (language, math, science, art, plus reading, music, and an EVC program)
- Ages: 2–12 (nursery through elementary)
- Estimated fees: Entrance fee ¥150,000. Monthly tuition ¥35,000 (3 days, mornings) to ¥95,000 (5 days, 9:00–18:00), plus materials ¥50,000/yr and facility fee ¥30,000/yr. Full-time, roughly ¥1.0–1.3 million per year (2026, please confirm)
- Best for: Families in Kawasaki-ku who want an English environment from toddler through primary school
2. Creative Kids International Preschool
In Kyomachi, Kawasaki-ku, this is a Kawasaki-certified English-immersion preschool. It serves children from 12 months to 6 years, letting them absorb English naturally through play and daily routines. You can choose from half-day to long-day schedules, which makes it workable for dual-income families.
- Curriculum: English-immersion childcare and early education
- Ages: 12 months–6 years
- Estimated fees: Entrance fee about ¥100,000. Monthly around ¥60,000 (half day) / ¥90,000 (full day) / ¥120,000 (long day) — publicly listed figures that may have changed; please confirm
- Best for: Families who want their child comfortable with English before school age
3. KINCARN International School
An international kindergarten in Tsutsumine, Kawasaki-ku — about a 10-minute walk from JR Kawasaki Station and three minutes from Keikyu Hatchonawate. Rather than language alone, it emphasizes “building the foundations of global education,” introducing themes of human rights, peace, diversity, and the SDGs from an early age. A good fit for families who want a multicultural outlook, not just English.
- Curriculum: International early-childhood education in English, with a focus on diversity and global understanding
- Ages: Early childhood (pre-elementary / international kindergarten)
- Estimated fees: Please inquire (varies by age and schedule; confirm on the official site)
- Best for: Families who want to build a foundation of diversity and global awareness, not just language
4. Kids International Musashi-Kosugi
An international preschool in Musashi-Kosugi, Nakahara-ku. Children can enroll from 6 months old, and the center offers both an age-appropriate “International School” course and an “Academy” class for kindergarten and elementary-age children. Alongside English conversation, it bundles Eiken prep, sports, dance, music, art, and programming in one place — convenient for busy working households.
- Curriculum: English early education plus academy classes (English conversation, Eiken, art, programming, and more)
- Ages: From 6 months (early childhood focus; academy classes for elementary age)
- Estimated fees: Please inquire (varies by course and schedule)
- Best for: Families near Musashi-Kosugi who want childcare and English learning under one roof
5. Laurus International School of Science, Musashi-Kosugi
The Musashi-Kosugi (Nakahara-ku) campus of Laurus, a school known for its STEM focus. It offers the Cambridge international curriculum plus its own science education at the preschool and kindergarten level, for ages 1 to 5 (the elementary years and above are centered on its Tokyo campuses). It is also eligible for the early-childhood education subsidy — a fit for families who want an early, English-based start in science and inquiry.
- Curriculum: Cambridge international curriculum plus a proprietary science (STEM) program
- Ages: 1–5 (preschool and kindergarten; the Musashi-Kosugi campus is early-childhood)
- Estimated fees: Entrance fee about ¥110,000–¥120,000. A 5-day, 5-hour course has been reported at around ¥115,000/month (varies by campus and course; please confirm). Ages 3–5 qualify for the early-childhood subsidy
- Best for: Families who want to nurture a love of science early, in English
As you can see, international schools in Kawasaki are concentrated in early childhood; KIS carries children into the primary years, but no school in the city runs continuously through middle and high school. That makes it wise to plan early for how you will continue an international education after the early years.
For a K-12 path: international schools within reach of Kawasaki (Yokohama and Tokyo)
One of Kawasaki’s advantages is easy rail access to both Yokohama and Tokyo. If you want a full international school through the upper years, widening the map to neighboring cities is the realistic move.
First, Yokohama. Yokohama International School (YIS), founded in 1924, offers a continuous IB education from early childhood through Grade 12. Tuition runs roughly ¥2.12–3.44 million per year depending on grade, plus a campus development fee and other charges (2026–27; please confirm). With long-established schools such as Saint Maur International School as well, Yokohama’s K-12 options are far deeper than Kawasaki’s, and reachable by Keikyu or JR from Kawasaki-ku. To compare Yokohama schools in detail, see the Yokohama options here.
Next, Tokyo. Central Tokyo (Minato, Shibuya, and beyond) concentrates a wide range of K-12 international schools — IB, British, American, Montessori, and more. Plenty of families commute in from Musashi-Kosugi or Kawasaki. Fees and travel time rise, but the range of choice is the widest anywhere. See our guide to international schools in Tokyo as well. Just be honest with yourself about whether a long daily commute is fair on a young child.
Comparing the options: how to find the right fit from Kawasaki
It helps to sort the choices into three types: (1) Kawasaki’s early-childhood international schools, (2) major K-12 international schools in neighboring Yokohama and Tokyo, and (3) online international schools with no commute. The table below shows the honest tendencies of each on cost, ease of admission, commute, and more.
Kawasaki’s early-childhood schools are relatively gentle on both cost and admission, and a fine way to start before school age. Their weakness is the wall you hit later: there is no school to continue into for the upper grades. The major K-12 schools in neighboring cities solve that, but tuition climbs to ¥2–3.4 million a year and daily travel time grows. If you want to understand what those fees actually cover, see our breakdown of international school tuition costs. And there is one more option that does not depend on commuting at all.
See how learning works online →
When fees or the commute are the wall — the online option
Try to continue an international education from Kawasaki and most families run into the same wall: “We can manage locally in the early years, but do we really commute to Yokohama or Tokyo every day from upper elementary on? Can we sustain ¥3 million a year and long travel times for years?” If that is where you are, an online international school — one that does not assume a commute at all — is worth a serious look. Your child’s learning becomes far less tied to your address or nearest station.
We are NIJIN GLOBAL ACADEMY (NGA), an online international school scheduled to open in September 2027. It is run by NIJIN Inc., the company behind “NIJIN Academy,” an alternative school in Japan with more than 1,000 enrolled students. Guided by a “beyond test scores” philosophy that refuses to rank children by exam results, we center small-group dialogue and aim for learning where children “come to love themselves and the world.” It is open to ages 6–18 across Asia and Oceania, wherever you live, and is designed so children can lean on Japanese while gradually growing into English. We aim to keep tuition at roughly one-fifth of a face-to-face international school.
In honesty, NGA has not opened yet, and our track record is still ahead of us. We cannot offer the same on-campus, in-person experience — the playground and facilities — that a commuting school provides. Even so, for families facing “few real schools nearby” and “a commute too heavy to sustain,” a way to connect with the world beyond the wall of travel is a path genuinely worth considering.
Frequently asked questions
Q. From what age can my child enter an international school in Kawasaki?
A. Most are early-childhood schools, and some accept children from around 6 months to 1 year old (Kids International Musashi-Kosugi from 6 months, Creative Kids from 12 months). If you want to continue into the primary years, Kawasaki International School (KIS), which serves ages 2–12, is the main option in the city.
Q. Is there an international school in Kawasaki that goes through high school?
A. As of July 2026, there is no full “K-12” international school within Kawasaki city that runs continuously through high school. To continue through middle and high school, families realistically commute to Yokohama (YIS and others) or Tokyo, or choose an online school with no commute. Sketching out the “after early childhood” path early brings real peace of mind.
Q. Is Japanese-language support available?
A. It varies by school. Some, like KIS, weave Japanese into an English environment as part of cultural and emotional education. If a solid Japanese foundation matters to you, an online school designed around Japanese support (such as NGA) is also a candidate — a fit for families who want to move from the mother tongue gradually into English.
“Nothing nearby” is not a reason to give up
There is no single “right answer” in choosing a school. In a city like Kawasaki, where the options are limited, it is easy to give up because the ideal school isn’t close by. But what matters most is not “which school can we get into” — it is “can our child keep going with this, comfortably, for years.” Starting at a Kawasaki early-childhood school, widening the map to Yokohama or Tokyo, or connecting with the world without commuting at all — any of these can be the right choice for your family. The very time you are spending gathering this information is proof of how seriously you are thinking about your child’s future. And if you would like to keep the “no-commute path” on your radar, we would be glad for you to hold our opening news gently among your options.
