This page is general information from the official guidance of each ward and does not decide whether you qualify. For your own case, ask your ward office or the kindergarten.
From the October 2026 payment month, the national upper limit of free early childhood education for private kindergartens that have not moved to the new system rose from ¥25,700 to ¥28,000 a month. The total support differs by ward, though. Ota Ward rose to as much as ¥42,300 a month, while Bunkyo Ward reduced its own top-up, so the total for a first child in an ordinary household stays at ¥35,000 a month. This page compares tuition support, entrance fee support, extended care and where to apply in 5 wards: Setagaya, Suginami, Nerima, Ota and Bunkyo.
In short
- Kindergartens and certified centers for early childhood education and care (education use) that have moved to the new system have tuition of ¥0. The big differences in support are at private kindergartens that have not moved to the new system.
- For tuition and entrance fee support, you submit the application form handed out by the kindergarten you entered to the kindergarten (Bunkyo Ward uses an online application). Only extended care support requires certification from the ward before you start using it.
- Entrance fee support is paid once per child and ranges across the 5 wards from ¥50,000 in Nerima to ¥130,000 in Ota.
Checked with official pages on October 27, 2026 (Japan time). Prices and hours may change.
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1. Comparing private kindergarten support in 5 Tokyo wards (from the October 2026 payment month)
Tuition support at kindergartens that have not moved to the new system, for a first child in an ordinary household, runs from ¥35,000 a month (Setagaya and Bunkyo) to ¥42,300 a month (Ota), and entrance fee support is ¥50,000 to ¥130,000. The table shows the monthly upper limit combining the national free-education benefit and the Tokyo and ward support.
| Ward | Tuition support (monthly upper limit) | Entrance fee support | Difference by income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setagaya | ¥35,000 (¥33,000 up to September) | ¥120,000 | Yes (up to ¥41,200) |
| Suginami | ¥37,300 (¥35,000 up to September) | ¥80,000 | Yes (up to ¥40,900) |
| Nerima | ¥28,000 plus ward support of ¥11,200 | ¥50,000 (¥60,000 under conditions) | No categories in the ward guidance |
| Ota | ¥42,300 (¥40,000 up to September) | ¥130,000 | ¥42,700 for households on public assistance |
| Bunkyo | ¥35,000 (same as up to September) | ¥70,000 | Yes (up to ¥39,400) |
Sources: each ward’s 2026 guidance on private kindergarten support (checked on October 27, 2026). Support is limited to the tuition actually paid to the kindergarten, and actual costs such as teaching materials, facility maintenance, heating and cooling, uniforms and bus fees are not covered. Nerima’s ¥11,200 applies to the amount of tuition above ¥28,000 plus the remainder of the entrance fee spread over the months.
2. National free education: ¥0 at new-system kindergartens, up to ¥28,000 a month at those that have not moved
Private kindergartens and certified centers for early childhood education and care (Category 1) that have moved to the new system have tuition of ¥0, and private kindergartens that have not moved receive the national Facility Usage Benefit (shisetsu-nado riyo kyufu) of up to ¥28,000 a month from the October 2026 payment month. In Nerima’s guidance, kindergartens that have moved to the new system have a flat tuition (user charge) of ¥0, so they are not covered by tuition support. Check which type your kindergarten is in the ward’s list of kindergartens or with the kindergarten itself. Nerima Ward, details of 2026 private kindergarten support (revised October edition, PDF) (Japanese)
The national limit rose from use in October 2026. The extended care limit also rose, from ¥11,300 to ¥12,300 a month for the 3-to-5-year-old classes and from ¥450 to ¥490 a day. For households exempt from resident tax in the class for children who turn 3 during the school year (man-3-sai class), it rose from ¥16,300 to ¥17,700 a month. Use up to September stays at the old amounts. Suginami Ward, review of the Facility Usage Benefit upper limit (October 1, 2026, PDF) (Japanese)
Even at new-system kindergartens, the “specific burden” (tokutei futangaku), such as facility maintenance fees collected each year, and the entrance fee are paid by parents. Some wards support this part (Nerima up to ¥11,200 a month, Ota up to ¥14,300 a month).
3. Setagaya Ward: tuition up to ¥35,000 a month, entrance fee ¥120,000
Setagaya’s upper limit for tuition support became ¥35,000 a month from the October 2026 payment month, and up to ¥41,200 for households exempt from resident tax or with many children. The ward explains the reason as the national Facility Usage Benefit rising from ¥25,700 to ¥28,000. The ward’s top-up (the Tokyo-and-ward tuition subsidy) is ¥7,000 to ¥13,200. Entrance fee support is ¥120,000 a year, once per child. Setagaya Ward, 2026 private kindergarten parent support pamphlet (final edition, PDF) (Japanese)
How you receive it differs by kindergarten. At kindergartens with proxy receipt, the ward pays ¥35,000 a month to the kindergarten and parents pay only the difference. At kindergartens with reimbursement, you pay the tuition first and the ward transfers the money to your account later. Tuition support for April to August is planned for around late October, and for September to March around late March of the next year.
The amount of tuition support is decided by the previous year’s resident tax for April to August, and by the current year’s resident tax from September. Households whose resident tax cannot be confirmed receive the same amount as the highest-income bracket (bracket F). Setagaya Ward, about free early childhood education (kindergartens not yet moved to the new system) (Japanese)
Inquiries: Setagaya Ward Kindergarten and Nursery Subsidy Office 03-6453-4990
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4. Suginami Ward: tuition ¥37,300 to ¥40,900 a month, extended care up to ¥12,300
Suginami’s tuition support at kindergartens that have not moved to the new system is ¥37,300 to ¥40,900 a month from the October 2026 payment month, and entrance fee support is ¥80,000 (no income limit). The amount is ¥37,300 for the first and second child, and ¥40,900 from the third child, in households with a ward resident tax income-based amount of ¥77,101 or more. Teaching materials, facility maintenance and heating and cooling are actual costs. Suginami Ward, notice on the 2026 private kindergarten Facility Usage Benefit and parent support (kindergartens not yet moved, PDF) (Japanese)
At new-system kindergartens, the ward supports the specific burden such as facility maintenance fees (for Category 1 children; amounts a kindergarten collects in one lump sum at entry are not covered). The application form is handed out by each kindergarten after your child’s place is decided, including when you enter a private kindergarten outside the ward. Suginami Ward, about private kindergarten parent support (Japanese)
Inquiries: Child Care Division, Kodomo-en and Kindergarten Section 03-5307-0357
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5. Nerima Ward: national ¥28,000 plus ward ¥11,200, with the ward adding ¥3,700 to extended care
Nerima adds the ward’s parent burden reduction subsidy (up to ¥11,200 a month) to the national Facility Usage Benefit (¥28,000 a month), and the ward subsidy also covers the remainder of the entrance fee. In the ward’s example, if tuition is ¥30,000 a month and the entrance fee is ¥110,000, the ward subsidy is ¥7,000: ¥2,000 for the tuition above the limit, plus ¥5,000, which is the entrance fee minus the ¥50,000 entrance fee subsidy, divided over 12 months. Nerima Ward, details of 2026 private kindergarten support (revised October edition, PDF) (Japanese)
Entrance fee support is ¥50,000. Children who regularly used long-hours extended care at a certified Nerima Kodomo-en for at least 6 months during the year receive an extra ¥10,000 from late May of the following year, making ¥60,000 in total.
For extended care, the ward’s own subsidy (up to ¥3,700) is added to the national subsidy (¥490 times the days used), and for children aged 3 to 5 with a childcare need certification (Category 2) the total is up to ¥16,000 a month. At kindergartens in the ward, the kindergarten deducts the subsidy when it bills extended care and meal fees.
The deadline for submitting the application-and-claim form was April 30. People who entered partway through the year submit it as soon as the documents are ready, and the final deadline to receive support is March 31, 2027. Nerima Ward, 2026 private kindergarten subsidy (Japanese)
Inquiries: Education Promotion Department, School Affairs Division, Kindergarten Section 03-5984-1347
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6. Ota Ward: tuition up to ¥42,300 a month, entrance fee ¥130,000
Ota’s tuition support at kindergartens that have not moved to the new system is up to ¥42,300 a month from the October 2026 payment month (¥40,000 up to September), and entrance fee support is ¥130,000 with no income limit. Households on public assistance receive ¥42,700 a month. For children at new-system kindergartens, there is support of up to ¥14,300 a month for the specific burden. Ota Ward, about Ota parent support linked to free early childhood education (Japanese)
If your child attends a kindergarten in the ward, the ward pays the support to the kindergarten and parents pay only the difference. If your child attends a kindergarten outside the ward, you pay the full tuition first and the ward transfers the money to your account later. For kindergartens outside the ward, April to August is planned for transfer in October and September to March in April. Ota Ward, about the tuition subsidy (PDF) (Japanese)
Extended care support is days used times ¥490 (¥1,050 in August), and you use it after receiving Facility Usage Benefit certification (Category 2 or 3).
Inquiries: Education General Affairs Division, Private School Administration (5th floor, Nissay Aroma Square, 5-37-1 Kamata, Ota Ward)
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7. Bunkyo Ward: the ward’s top-up fell as the national amount rose, so a first child stays at ¥35,000 a month
Because the national Facility Usage Benefit rose to ¥28,000 from the October 2026 payment month, Bunkyo cut its parent burden reduction subsidy from ¥9,300 to ¥7,000, so the total for a first child in an ordinary household is unchanged at ¥35,000 a month. For third and later children and households exempt from resident tax the total rose, up to ¥39,400. Entrance fee support is up to ¥70,000 per child (no income limit). Bunkyo Ward, private kindergartens (excluding those moved to the new system) (Japanese)
You claim the subsidy through one online application a year, and the final deadline for fiscal 2026 is March 5, 2027. If you want a paper application, contact the ward. The final deadline for submitting proof of payment for people who also used unlicensed childcare facilities and similar is April 8, 2027.
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8. Apply through the kindergarten, or directly to the ward
You apply for tuition and entrance fee support with the documents handed out by the kindergarten you entered (Bunkyo Ward uses an online application), and you receive certification from the ward before you start using extended care support. Certification cannot be backdated to before the day you apply.
- Through the kindergarten: Facility Usage Benefit certification (Category 1) and the subsidy application form (Setagaya, Suginami, Nerima and Ota). Bunkyo uses one online application a year.
- Directly to the ward: certification to receive extended care support (Category 2 or 3). In Setagaya this is the Kindergarten and Nursery Subsidy Office, and in Nerima the Childcare Certification Section of the Childcare Division (03-5984-1479).
- If you moved in: in a fiscal year when you were not registered as a resident of the ward on January 1, documents showing resident tax, such as a tax certificate, are required (Setagaya and Nerima).
9. Things to know when looking at private kindergarten support in Tokyo
Private kindergarten support in Tokyo stacks Tokyo and ward support on the national free-education benefit, so the monthly limit changes depending on the ward you live in, even for the same kindergarten.
- The ward where you are registered as a resident pays the support. Attending a kindergarten outside the ward is also covered, but some wards, such as Ota, require you to pay first when you attend a kindergarten outside the ward.
- The national increase in October 2026 does not necessarily reach your household budget in full. In some wards the total rose (Setagaya, Suginami and Ota), while one ward (Bunkyo) cut its top-up and kept the total unchanged.
- The amount of tuition support is decided by the previous year’s resident tax for April to August and by the current year’s resident tax from September. If you move partway through the year, you redo certification and the application in the ward you move to.
- To compare with licensed nurseries, see the article on licensed nurseries in 5 Tokyo wards (tuition is ¥0 for ages 0 to 5, and unlicensed Tokyo-certified nurseries for ages 0 to 2 get a subsidy of up to ¥80,000 a month; Japanese). For subsidies for temporary care and babysitters, see the article on subsidies for leaving children in care in 5 Tokyo wards (babysitters up to ¥2,500 an hour, plus temporary care fees; Japanese).
Frequently asked questions
Q. Is there tuition if my child attends a certified center for early childhood education and care in Tokyo as a kindergarten?
A. No. Tuition for education use (Category 1) is ¥0 under free early childhood education. The specific burden such as facility maintenance fees, the entrance fee, meal fees and extended care fees are charged separately, and some wards offer support.
Q. Does kindergarten support rise for everyone from October 2026?
A. No, it depends on the ward. The national limit rose to ¥28,000 a month, but Bunkyo Ward cut its top-up, so the total for a first child in an ordinary household stays at ¥35,000 a month. In Setagaya, Suginami and Ota the total upper limit rose.
Q. When is entrance fee support paid?
A. Once in the fiscal year you enter. In Setagaya, transfers are planned for around mid-August, and in Nerima around late August. For kindergartens inside Ota Ward, the ward pays the kindergarten.
Sources
11 pages we checked
Checked with official pages on October 27, 2026 (Japan time).
