Tokyo Junior High School Entrance Exams 2027: Private Schools From February 1, Metropolitan General Selection on February 3

This page is general information, not advice on any child’s eligibility or admission. For exam procedures, ask each school or the Tokyo Metropolitan Government (private schools: Private School Administration Division, 03-5388-3194).

In 2027 (Reiwa 9, the 9th year of the current era), Tokyo’s junior high school entrance exams for private schools start on February 1 (Monday), and the aptitude test for the general selection at metropolitan combined junior-senior high schools is on February 3 (Wednesday). Applications to private schools open from January 10 (Sunday), and online entry for metropolitan schools runs from December 17, 2026 (Thursday) to January 18 (Monday) at 17:00. This page covers how the private and metropolitan schedules differ, how to apply, and the Tokyo tuition subsidy available after you pass. Check the dates for each school in the Metropolitan Government’s table and each school’s admission guide.

In short

Private schools: apply from January 10 and take exams from February 1 (dates differ by school).
Metropolitan schools: online entry December 17 to January 18, general selection test February 3, results February 9.
After enrolling: Tokyo residents get a subsidy of up to ¥100,000 a year toward private junior high tuition (up to ¥120,000 in FY2026, with a temporary extra ¥20,000), with no income limit.

Checked with official pages on November 1, 2026 (Japan time).

Note: In Japan, junior high school (chugakko) covers ages 12 to 15, and children usually go to the public school for their area. Taking an entrance exam to a private school or a metropolitan combined junior-senior high school (chuko ikkan-kou) is optional. Combined schools run grades 7 to 12 in one school.

1. Private and metropolitan schedules compared

Private school exams start on February 1, and the metropolitan general selection has its test on February 3 and results on February 9. For private schools, each school sets its own days within the Metropolitan rule that applications open from January 10 and selection takes place on or after February 1.

Type	Application	Exam	Results
Private junior high schools	From January 10 (deadline differs by school)	February 1 or later	By school
Metropolitan, special selection	Online entry Dec 17–Jan 18	February 1	February 2
Metropolitan, general selection	Online entry Dec 17–Jan 18	February 3	February 9
Metropolitan, make-up test	February 4 and 5	February 12	February 16

Only the start of online entry is in 2026; the other dates are in 2027. The period for submitting documents to metropolitan schools is January 8 (Friday) to January 18 (Monday).

2. Private junior high schools in Tokyo: 180 schools recruiting, from February 1

For FY2027, 180 private junior high schools in Tokyo are recruiting students, with a total of 26,122 places. According to the “FY2027 Selection Guidelines for Private Junior High Schools in Tokyo” announced by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government on October 7, 2026, that is 1 fewer school and 88 more places than the previous year. They are 28 boys’ schools, 60 girls’ schools, 92 co-ed schools and 3 special-needs schools. (Tokyo Metropolitan Government announcement, October 7, 2026, Japanese)

Selection is by an academic exam at the school you apply to, plus interviews and similar. Entrance exams for returnees from overseas are outside these guidelines, and each school sets its own schedule. You can take exams at several schools on February 1, 2 and 3 in a row because private school exam days differ by school. The exam day, application deadline and results date of each school are in the table (PDF) attached to the Metropolitan Government’s announcement. (Table of private junior high school selection in Tokyo, Japanese)

Some schools are not recruiting for FY2027. According to the announcement, Denenchofu Futaba Junior High School is not recruiting students, and 3 other schools have stopped recruiting. Even if you have chosen a school, check this year’s table to see whether it is recruiting.

↑ Back to the comparison table

3. Metropolitan combined junior-senior high schools: aptitude test on February 3

For Tokyo metropolitan secondary education schools and attached junior high schools, the general selection test is on February 3 (Wednesday) and results are on February 9 (Tuesday). The special selection test is on February 1 (Monday) with results on February 2 (Tuesday). These were set in the FY2027 implementation guidelines and details issued by the Tokyo Metropolitan Board of Education on June 11, 2026. (Tokyo Metropolitan Board of Education, Japanese)

You enter your application on the internet and send the other documents by registered mail (tokutei kiroku yubin) to a designated post office, to arrive by January 18 (held at the post office). The entry period is December 17, 2026 (Thursday) to January 18, 2027 (Monday) at 17:00.

For the general selection, each school combines a school report, an aptitude test (questions prepared jointly by Tokyo and questions of each school), an essay and an interview. To apply, a child must be expected to graduate from elementary school in March 2027, live in Tokyo with a parent or guardian, and commute from within Tokyo after entering. The metropolitan schools on the FY2026 recruitment table were Koishikawa, Hakuo, Ryogoku, Oshukan, Fuji, Oizumi, Minami-Tama, Tachikawa International, Musashi and Mitaka (10 schools), and the special selection was held at Koishikawa and Hakuo. (Implementation guidelines page, Japanese)

A make-up test is available for children who could not take the test because of influenza or similar: application on February 4 and 5, test on February 12, results on February 16. The selection for returnees from overseas and foreign students living in Tokyo takes applications at the counter on January 8 and 12, with the test on January 25 and results on January 29.

↑ Back to the comparison table

4. Applying to both private and metropolitan schools

Results for the metropolitan general selection (February 9) come after many private school exams, so check them against the enrollment procedure deadlines of the private schools. Private school results and the deadlines to pay the entrance fee differ by school. Writing out each school’s results date and procedure deadline early, from the Metropolitan table and the admission guides, helps you decide calmly where to pay the entrance fee.

The metropolitan special selection test (February 1) falls on the day private school exams begin.

5. Things to know in Tokyo

Junior high school entrance exams in Tokyo have several circumstances that differ from other regions.

The 180 private schools alone hold exams from February 1, on different days by school. If you take several in a row, compare exam dates and results dates in the table.
Eligibility for metropolitan schools assumes you live in Tokyo. If you plan to move out of Tokyo before the exam, check whether you can still apply.
For private junior high tuition, Tokyo has a subsidy for families living in Tokyo with no income limit (next section). It also applies to private junior high schools outside Tokyo.

6. Tuition subsidy after enrolling (Tokyo residents)

Parents or guardians living in Tokyo whose child attends a private junior high school can get a subsidy of up to ¥100,000 a year toward tuition, regardless of income. In FY2026 a temporary ¥20,000 was added, for a total of up to ¥120,000, capped at the tuition the parent actually paid. It does not apply if the tuition is fully waived. (Tokyo Metropolitan Government, August 25, 2026, Japanese)

You apply online only, and it is not paid automatically. For FY2026, applications ran from September 1 to October 15, and the information comes from the school the child attends. The application period for children entering in FY2027 has not been announced. Details of the conditions are on the Tokyo Private School Foundation page (Japanese).

For tuition subsidies after high school starts, see our page (in Japanese), Tuition subsidy for Tokyo private high schools 2027. For metropolitan high school entrance exam dates, see Tokyo metropolitan high school exams 2027 (Japanese).

7. Who to ask

For the selection guidelines for private junior high schools, ask the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Citizens, Culture and Sports, Private School Administration Division (03-5388-3194). For the tuition subsidy, the contact is the Junior High School Subsidy desk at the Tokyo Private School Tuition Support Center (03-5206-7808, weekdays 9:15–17:00). For the content of exams and what to bring, each school’s admission guide is the authority.

Common questions

When are the private junior high school exams in Tokyo?

From February 1 (Monday), with the day set by each school. Applications open from January 10.

When can I apply to a metropolitan combined junior-senior high school?

Online entry runs from December 17 to January 18 at 17:00, and documents must arrive by January 18. The general selection test is on February 3.

Is there a subsidy for private junior high tuition?

Yes, for Tokyo residents: up to ¥100,000 a year, with no income limit. You must apply online.

Official information checked: November 1, 2026 (Japan time). Fees, hours and dates can change.

Sources

4 pages we checked