Japanese parents of the growing number of children attending international school in Japan often feel overwhelmed due to a lack of support, which may hinder their ability to fully achieve their own education goals for their children.
Unable to understand English communications, let alone help with their children's homework or participate effectively in parent-teacher conferences, some find themselves on the sidelines with more questions than answers.
It is what inspired businesswoman Fuyuka Tsuruda, managing director of Freed Co, to launch a tailor-made service to provide extensive support to Japanese parents trying to help their kids thrive in international schools.
The service, called Outbox English Academy, is unique in that it takes a "concierge-style" approach, meaning the company handles virtually any English-related need that arises for these families.
It offers three core services. English tutoring support for children struggling with international school coursework, communication assistance for parents who cannot speak English and English lessons for the parents themselves.
On a typical day in Tsuruda's concierge service, when a parent receives an email from a school about an upcoming event or academic concern, she or her staff can immediately translate and explain the contents, draft an appropriate response and help the parent understand any required actions.
For homework assignments, they do not just help children with the language aspects -- they work to assist them in understanding the academic concepts as well, coordinating with teachers when needed.
"If we notice a student is struggling with homework, we can communicate directly with their teacher to identify the root of the problem," Tsuruda explained.
"This kind of comprehensive academic support is something that bilingual babysitters or traditional tutoring services typically cannot provide," said the 32-year-old Tsuruda, who completed her master's degree in entrepreneurship in London last year.
"We realized these families needed more than just traditional English lessons. They needed holistic support to thrive in the international school environment," she said.
The business comes against the backdrop of a surge in international schools across Japan, driven by the government's policy shift to attract highly skilled foreign workers and a growing demand from Japanese parents seeking global education for their children, said Manabu Murata, an international education expert.
He said the comprehensive family support model combined with traditional tutoring is unprecedented in the industry.
As of January 2025, there were around 110 international schools, excluding preschool programs, in Japan. The number had been on the rise, particularly after 2000, when it was just 38. More than 20 international schools have been added in the last five years, according to data compiled by Murata.
Japan's education ministry cannot count the total number as the definition of international schools is not fixed, and there are many that do not register as an educational institution, according to an education ministry official in charge of foreign education policy.
While concerns remain parents sending their children to unregistered international schools may not be abiding by the law, as attendance at registered ones is considered mandatory, the official suggested a gray area, saying the ministry wants local governments to decide individually based on the children's best interests.
Prestigious British institutions have recently established campuses in Japan, including Harrow International School Appi with a full-boarding school in the northeastern prefecture of Iwate, while development projects such as North London Collegiate School in the western city of Kobe promise to bring even more international educational options.
Many British schools shifted their focus to Japan after facing tightening restrictions in China, including requirements to change school names and modify their educational approach, Murata said.
He added, "These schools found Japan appealing due to its predictable regulations and expanding market for international education."
The numbers are likely to increase soon as some consider establishing international schools within the communities surrounding upcoming large-scale semiconductor factory projects.
The world's largest contract chipmaker, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., will build a factory in Kumamoto Prefecture. Other projects include Japanese chip manufacturer Rapidus Corp.'s plant in Hokkaido and U.S. chipmaker Micron Technology Inc.'s plant in Hiroshima Prefecture.
Meanwhile, the education ministry envisages an educational program that could meet the demand for high-skilled workers and expand beyond those regions.
With international schools opening in those regional areas, Tsuruda believes there will be a growing demand for family-oriented language support and other services.
"While the initial stage of the business will target Japanese families who struggle with English communications with the international schools, it will expand beyond the scope of them to the students who come from abroad," Tsuruda said.
Following research for her new business, Tsuruda understood that the parents would benefit the most.
A 32-year-old Japanese mother of a child who attends an international school in Tokyo said that she finds it a burden to communicate with the school in English and is concerned about how she is supporting her son's coursework.
The homemaker said she would like to use Tsuruda's service to make communications smoother by relying on the professionals.
While international schools in Japan are expensive options, they have become more democratized in recent years. The declining birthrate in the country means more money can be spent on one child.
With financial support from grandparents, more middle-class families are able to afford such schools. The cost can vary widely, from 1.5 million yen to up to 10 million yen, including dormitory fees, such as in the case of Harrow.
Their growing appeal can also be seen at events such as the International Education Expo, which has been held since 2023.
The biannual event, previously organized under different names a decade ago when around 50 groups came to visit, the expo now has visitor groups exceeding 1,000.
When Tsuruda visited the event in Tokyo in October 2024 for her marketing research, she immediately saw the industry's potential.
"I was astonished by how many people were visiting this event. The experience gave me the push to start this business."
Looking ahead, Tsuruda hopes to expand her staff to include Chinese speakers, anticipating demand from families of foreign professionals moving to Japan.
She also envisions eventually establishing a nonprofit organization to provide English education support to families who cannot afford international schools.
"The goal is not just to run a successful business," she said. "It is about creating more opportunities for children to have positive early experiences with English, regardless of their background."
Mari Tokumitsu contributed to this report.
© KYODO
15 Comments
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Asiaman7
This is a service for very very few people — not applicable to more than 99.9% of Japanese.
sakurasuki
I bet students from that school have better English language skill then 99.9% of Japanese school.
MarkX
It seems a little funny that a school operating in Japan would not have at least one staff member that could communicate in Japanese with the parents of students. As for the course work, for the fees that Harrow and other schools charge, in some cases over 10 million yen per year, they should provide the tutoring necessary to help the struggling student. This article seems to be more of an advertisement for international schools in Japan!
John
Top news?
Little joey
What's omitted from this article is that the government hands out loads of cash to new international schools. Nowadays everyone can start an international school.... And like somebody else wrote ,an international school without a Japanese administrator is kind of weird. Japanese education is set up so that people can earn lots of money from it, like this new useless business or cram schools, international schools etc.
Meiyouwenti
Send your kids to Japanese schools.
Empress of the Universe
Asiaman7--there isn't enough space here to add all the "very"s you need to add to "few people". And probably most of the students are from the Chinese schools that shut down.
Asiaman7
Good recommendation, Fighto. However, most parents sending their children to international schools in Japan are planning for them to attend college/university outside Japan.
Most Japanese schools don’t have an adequate system or guidance counselor with adequate knowledge to assist a talented student with the many requirements of entry into an elite overseas college/university, the target of most of these parents. Moreover, the quality of most Japanese schools is not known to many overseas college/university admissions officers. Now, this is not the case for all Japanese schools. Some, like Gakugei or Senzoku, are well-known to overseas admissions officers and can handle an application to an overseas university or a Japanese university equally well.
Many other schools in Japan, however, are severely lacking, and most wealthy parents don’t want poor support staff impeding their child’s future.
diobrando
As said above, international schools always have bilingual Japanese staff.
Jordi Puentealto
It will make parents “lazier” and distance themselves from the reality of their children.
wallace
I know one 6-year-old boy attending an international school who travels daily about 100 km on the Shinkansen to attend. A scholarship pays for everything. Both Japanese parents speak English as he does, and his teachers speak Japanese. The desire of his parents is he will attend university in the US.
Negative Nancy
I'm dead against private schools and international schools, I believe their whole purpose is to create division. I much prefer the inclusivity of the local schools. I think the issues raised in this article are very interesting- it shows that the schools themselves are a scam and that they do not properly accomodate for the students, despite the government money and paid fees. Avoid them like the plague.
dbsaiya
Conversely, expand services for foreign students and families in Japan since their population far exceeds those that are in this article.
WoodyLee
Home Teaching is the only way to get your kids to speak your native language. Yes schools like this helps but HOME in the ultimate classroom, spend time with them and speak only your language, they will pick up the Japanese language on their own so no worry their.
Japantime
Is it guaranteed these kids will be able to enter a university overseas? They will not be able to enter a Japanese university as they only allow local High school scores. Parents won’t be able to communicate with their children in English either as the article states they didn’t study English at their school.