Japanese language school costs in Japan, and the student visa rules

A full-time Japanese language school (日本語学校) costs about ¥610,000 to ¥1.9 million in fees for the first year, according to the Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO). Three Tokyo schools we checked charge ¥845,000 to ¥1,115,000. On top, JASSO’s survey puts average student living costs at about ¥105,000 a month. That is the Japanese language school cost as of October 2026. If you already live in Japan, evening courses and city classes cost far less.

How much does a Japanese language school cost for one year?

JASSO, the government-backed student support agency, gives first-year admission and tuition fees for Japanese language institutions as about ¥610,000 to ¥1,900,000, depending on the course. Materials and similar items can be charged on top.

Here is what three schools publish for their full-time courses, which are the ones that come with a student visa:

The first year is the most expensive because it includes one-time fees. At Akamonkai, that means a ¥20,000 screening fee and a ¥65,000 enrollment fee. ISI charges a ¥40,000 application fee and a ¥100,000 admission fee, and says tuition for later years may rise. Akamonkai’s tuition changes from April 2027.

Check what the fee covers. ISI’s facility fee includes student insurance, and the Shinjuku school lists insurance as a separate line. A 1.5-year course costs ¥1,415,800 at the Shinjuku school (October entry) and ¥1,225,000 at Akamonkai.

What does a year cost with rent and living expenses?

JASSO’s 2023 survey of privately financed international students found average spending of ¥105,000 a month, not counting school fees. Housing alone averaged ¥41,000 nationally and ¥57,000 in Tokyo.

Twelve months at that average is ¥1,260,000. Add first-year fees of about ¥850,000 to ¥1.1 million at the Tokyo schools above, and a first year in Tokyo comes to roughly ¥2.1 million to ¥2.4 million. JASSO’s housing average is lower outside Tokyo, and ISI’s Nagano campus charges less than its Tokyo campuses.

Budget for health insurance too: see our National Health Insurance guide.

Can you pay for language school with a part-time job?

Only partly. The Immigration Services Agency (出入国在留管理庁, ISA) says plainly that covering all your tuition and living costs with part-time work is not allowed. It warns that some brokers abroad tell students the opposite. Students who believe them often work over the legal limit, fall behind in class and end up having to leave Japan.

Student status (留学) doesn’t allow work by itself. With permission to engage in activity other than that permitted (資格外活動許可), you can work up to 28 hours a week, or 8 hours a day during long school holidays. Our student visa work guide covers how to apply and what happens if you go over.

ISA now asks schools to check each student’s part-time work once every 3 months. Schools must report to immigration when an employer makes a student work more than 28 hours a week, or when a student doesn’t improve after guidance.

What is a certified Japanese language institution?

Since 1 April 2024, a new law lets the Minister of Education (文部科学大臣) certify Japanese language schools. A school that passes becomes a certified Japanese language institution (認定日本語教育機関). The law is the 日本語教育の適正かつ確実な実施を図るための日本語教育機関の認定等に関する法律.

What certification means for you:

• Published tuition. A certified school must publish its courses, numbers of students and teachers, and tuition online in Japanese, and should try to publish them in other languages too.
• Qualified teachers. Its teachers must be registered Japanese language teachers (登録日本語教員). Until 31 March 2029, teachers with other qualifications or experience set by the ministry can still teach.
• A mark you can check. Only certified schools may use the minister’s certification mark in their advertising.
• Self-evaluation. Certified schools must evaluate themselves and publish the results.

For a student visa, ISA accepts schools listed in the Ministry of Justice notice (告示) and certified schools. ISA says schools on the notice must be certified by 31 March 2029. Ask any school which of the two it is, and whether it has applied for certification, before you pay.

Certification is still rolling out. MEXT certified 22 schools in October 2024, 19 in March 2025, 23 in October 2025 and 32 in April 2026, so 96 in its first four rounds. Many applicants withdrew during review: 53 of the 100 that applied in the April 2026 round.

What do you need for a student visa at a language school?

The Japanese test rule is new. Before, 150 hours of Japanese study was accepted as proof of A1 level. Now ISA requires a test certificate or an interview. This applies to Certificate of Eligibility applications for students starting from October 2026, and to change and extension applications filed from 1 July 2026. Nationals of listed countries who submit a foreign university degree certificate are exempt.

The process is explained step by step in our Certificate of Eligibility guide. If you already live in Japan on another visa and want to switch to Student status, see changing your status of residence.

What are the cheapest options if you already live in Japan?

If you already live in Japan, evening, short and community courses cost a fraction of a full-time course. They are separate from the long-term courses that come with a student visa: ISI lists its evening course as a short-term program, for example. The Kawasaki and Hamamatsu class pages below list no visa condition. If you are unsure whether a course fits your status of residence, ask the school or immigration.

City international associations run many of these classes. Kawasaki’s daytime course runs Tuesday and Friday mornings at ¥12,100 for 22 lessons, with free childcare from age 1, and the association charges no membership fee. Its page also lists volunteer classes across the city’s wards.

In Hamamatsu, the city’s international association lists NPO and volunteer classes. Several are free, and others charge ¥200 to ¥500 a session. The city also offers free beginner to intermediate (A1 to B1) learning for foreign residents new to Hamamatsu and for people who want to relearn Japanese. Search your city’s name plus 日本語教室 or ask your city office’s international desk for a local list.

Who studies at Japanese language schools?

The Association for the Promotion of Japanese Language Education (日本語教育振興協会) surveyed its member schools on 1 July 2025. The 184 schools that replied had 42,897 students from 117 countries and regions.

The largest groups were from China (26.2%), Nepal (24.1%), Myanmar (12.3%), Vietnam (12.2%), Sri Lanka (6.3%) and Bangladesh (4.3%). Of those students, 41.3% studied in the Tokyo area.

More guides

Planning your Japanese test? See JLPT registration dates. Bringing family? Read the Dependent visa guide. Working while you study: the 28-hour rule.