High School Entrance for Foreign Children in Japan: How Koukou Juken Works

Quick answer

Hi, I'm Miya, and I help newcomers settle into life in Japan. This guide is for families whose child is heading toward the end of junior high and wondering what comes next. It's a separate topic from enrolling in elementary or junior high school, or from choosing a juku or an international school — here we're looking at koukou juken, the high school entrance process.

The short version: compulsory education in Japan ends after junior high, so moving on to high school means applying and going through a selection rather than simply being placed. Public and private schools run their admissions differently, the junior-high school record (naishinten) usually matters alongside any exam, and some prefectures offer special consideration for students who arrived in Japan fairly recently. Your child's homeroom teacher and the prefectural board of education are the two best places to get the details right.

Why high school isn't automatic

In elementary and junior high school, children living in the area can attend their local public school without an entrance selection. High school works differently. Because it sits outside compulsory education, each high school decides who it admits, and students apply to the schools they'd like to attend. That's why you'll hear families talk about juken — the whole season of choosing, applying and sitting selections.

This can feel like a lot if your own schooling worked another way, and that's completely understandable. The reassuring part is that the process is well mapped out, junior high schools guide students through it step by step, and there is more than one kind of high school — full-day, part-time and correspondence courses among them — so there are several routes to a diploma. You don't need to have it all figured out on day one.

Public and private schools: two different paths

Public high schools follow rules set by each prefecture's board of education. The prefecture decides things like the application period, the exam subjects, how the junior-high record is weighed against the exam, and whether there are extra routes such as recommendation-style or special selections. Because of this, what a friend describes from another prefecture may not match what happens where you live.

Private high schools set their own admissions, and many offer several routes. A recommendation-style route (suisen) often places more weight on the school record and an interview. A single-application route (tangan) generally means your child commits to enrolling if accepted, while a general exam route may let students apply as a backup alongside a public school. The names and conditions differ from school to school.

Many families look at both kinds and build a plan together with the junior high school. I won't compare or rank schools here — the right fit depends on your child's interests, the commute and how they learn best. Each school's own information sessions and application guide (boshu yoko) are where the accurate, current details live.

The junior-high record and the exam

The naishinten is an evaluation built from your child's junior-high report card grades, and it's usually sent to high schools as part of a school report (chosasho) prepared by the junior high. Depending on the prefecture and school, it may cover grades from more than one school year and can include things like attendance and activities. In many public selections it counts alongside the written exam, so steady effort in everyday classes really does matter.

The written exam typically covers core subjects, and some schools add an interview, an essay or a practical task. How much each piece counts varies widely, so rather than guessing, ask the homeroom teacher how it works in your prefecture and check the guide the board of education publishes for the current year. Knowing the structure early helps your child focus their energy calmly rather than worrying about everything at once.

Special consideration for students who arrived recently

If your child came to Japan fairly recently, it's worth knowing that some prefectures offer special admission frameworks for students of foreign nationality or students returning from abroad. Depending on the area, this might mean a separate selection at certain schools, adjusted exam subjects, an interview or essay in place of some tests, or accommodations such as reading support on exam papers. Not every prefecture has these, and the details differ a lot.

Eligibility usually comes with conditions — for example, how long the student has been in Japan or where they completed their earlier schooling — and these vary by prefecture and can change from year to year. If your child finished part of their education abroad, it's also worth confirming early how their schooling history fits the application requirements. The prefectural board of education and the junior high school can tell you what applies to your family.

Your best allies: the homeroom teacher and career guidance

At junior high, career guidance (shinro shido) runs through the final year, and the homeroom teacher is your key contact. Expect meetings with the student, parent and teacher together (sansha mendan), where you'll talk about your child's hopes, their school record and which schools to consider. It's perfectly fine to ask questions, ask for something to be explained again, or ask whether interpreting support is available — some schools and municipalities can help arrange it.

High schools also hold open days and information sessions, and some areas run multilingual guidance events about high school entrance through the board of education or a local international association. Try to keep the conversation at home gentle: this is your child's path, and a calm, well-informed family is the best support they can have. Starting to look well before the final year gives everyone breathing room.

Staying reachable through the season

Much of this now reaches parents through their phone: schools send information session details and reminders online, some prefectures and private schools take applications through web portals, and results notices or follow-up calls can come to the number you registered. So having an active Japanese phone number with data in place early helps your family stay on schedule. Setting one up is refreshingly simple — you apply online with your residence card, verify with a quick eKYC, and eSIM-capable phones can connect the same day, often within about fifteen minutes.

Have a look at our setup guide for eligibility and the step-by-step, and confirm current terms on the page before you apply. Get the line sorted, stay in touch with the homeroom teacher and your prefectural board of education, and take the season one step at a time together. I'll be right here to help.