MEES International School — Hakusan Campus / Preschool
MEES Hakusan offers mixed-age preschool with English as the main teaching language. Regular classes and extended care share an English-immersion environment while respecting children’s home languages.
Admissions & ages
Lower serves ages 1–3 and Upper ages 3–6, with transition based on readiness. Children aged 3 or older on September 1 must attend 5 days; younger children may attend 2–5. Concurrent enrolment elsewhere on non-attendance days is not supported. The school year starts in September; mid-year entry is accepted with prorated fees. Families visit, apply, receive an invoice after their application is reviewed and pay. Primary-school progression is not guaranteed.
Curriculum & language
Activities draw on Montessori and Reggio Emilia approaches without establishing certification in either. Children choose hands-on projects, explore across subjects and develop independence. The school describes STEM, digital and AI tools; preschool screen time is unverified. Regular Forest day trips are advertised for ages 4 and above.
Schedule & care
Regular hours are 9:00–14:00 Monday–Friday. Extended care operates within 8:00–18:00; fixed Nursery arrangements require at least 3 additional hours and agreed collection times. Nursery covers school-open days, not uninterrupted year-round care. Programme-specific holidays must be checked against the calendar.
Campus & daily life
Address: 5-5-8 Hakusan, Bunkyo-ku; the floor is unverified. School guidance quotes 5 minutes from Hakusan station and 15 from Hon-komagome. A paid return bus option is listed, but routes and age/safety conditions are unconfirmed. Lunch is prepared daily; severe allergies may require a packed meal without fee reduction. Toilet training need not be complete. Parents use ClassDojo; some notices are English-only.
Fees & extras
For 2026–27, regular 5-day annual tuition is JPY 1,236,400; the 9:00–18:00 Nursery example is JPY 1,727,790, including its listed summer component. Tuition excludes 10% tax and includes lunch. Entry is JPY 90,000 and annual materials JPY 20,000; tax treatment of these and other extras is unclear. Buses and possible outing charges are extra. Absences are non-refundable; withdrawal/change requests must precede the debit date by at least a month, with the exact deadline requiring clarification.
Support & eligibility
No match was found on Bunkyo’s national childcare-support list; this does not establish zero eligibility across all schemes. The handbook broadly describes the school as unregistered with Japanese government or ward offices, without identifying the registration category; its legal meaning needs clarification. IB candidacy is not authorisation or Japanese administrative approval.
TBD
Confirm vacancies, language/passport conditions and Japanese lessons. · Ask about bus routes, age requirements, allergies and screen time. · Confirm non-tuition taxes and the precise withdrawal deadline. · Clarify registration status and facility/household subsidy eligibility.
Sources
mees.jp · mees.jp · mees.jp · drive.google.com · drive.google.com · mees.jp · mees.jp · city.bunkyo.lg.jp