Summerhill International School — Moto-Azabu
Summerhill in Moto-Azabu serves ages 15 months to 6 years. Younger classes draw on Reggio Emilia and Montessori; K3–K5 use the IB PYP from age 3. Affiliation with Aoba-Japan International School does not guarantee primary entry.
Admissions & ages
The annual cutoff is August 31: K1 starts at 15 months with independent walking; K2 at 2; K3/K4/K5 at 3/4/5, with toilet training required for K3. K1/K2 offer 2–5 days weekly; K3–K5 require 5. Applications are accepted year-round from all nationalities and English beginners. A tour, application, parent interview and classroom play observation precede individual admission decisions. English communication by at least 1 parent is recommended, not explicitly stated as compulsory. Families must receive electronic communications; children must live with a parent or school-approved guardian. Previously enrolled K3–K5 applicants need teacher recommendations. Required documents are due 1 week before entry.
Curriculum & language
English is used for teaching and communication throughout the day, with 1 Japanese enrichment lesson weekly and optional after-school Japanese. The currently linked policy, reviewed July 2026, still says “Draft”; other school pages corroborate this. Home-language support does not establish a half-English, half-Japanese programme.
Schedule & care
Doors open at 08:15; core classes run 08:30–14:00. Weekday extension runs 14:00–18:00, despite older course-page text saying 17:00. K3-plus activities run Monday–Thursday, 14:00–16:00. Fee-schedule terms are 2026-08-24–2027-01-22 and 2027-01-25–2027-06-11. The 2026/27 calendar retains 2025/26 footer dates, so precise closures need confirmation; seasonal camps cost extra.
Campus & daily life
Address: 2-13-8 Moto-Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0046. Bring nut-free snacks; lunch can be brought or ordered from Luca Deli. The homepage lists 5 bus stops and morning/afternoon service is advertised, but linked 2019 guidelines and a 2023/24 bus table cannot establish current fees or restrictions.
Fees & extras
For 2026/27, 5-day tuition is JPY 1,355,200 per term, not per year; both terms have this rate. Maintenance is JPY 59,400 per term; one-time charges are registration at JPY 286,000 including child insurance, and the building fund at JPY 198,000. All fees include tax and are non-refundable. Extension costs JPY 2,750/hour. Lunch, bus and complete materials costs are unconfirmed.
Support & eligibility
Government registration and ordinary unlicensed-childcare benefit eligibility at the current address remain unverified because Minato’s current list could not be read. This does not establish zero support. Separately, the school’s need-based No Child is Left Behind in Tokyo scholarship requires income evidence and non-Japanese nationality for the child, prioritising families soon returning home who need English continuity. Amounts are individually assessed, with no fixed or guaranteed award. IB status and Aoba affiliation do not establish Japanese licensing.
TBD
Current vacancies and next-year birthday ranges. · Confirmed closures and weekly Japanese lesson length. · Bus eligibility ages, seats, fares and 18:00 returns. · Nap/diaper arrangements, allergy support and meal prices. · Withdrawal notice, proration, payment deadlines and scholarship availability. · Household eligibility for government or residence-based support.
Sources
summerhill.jp · summerhill.jp · summerhill.jp · summerhill.jp · summerhill.jp · summerhill.jp · summerhill.jp · summerhill.jp · summerhill.jp · summerhill.jp · summerhill.jp · summerhill.jp · summerhill.jp · summerhill.jp · summerhill.jp · summerhill.jp · summerhill.jp · ibo.org · city.minato.tokyo.jp