Living in Tokyo with a family: daycare, child allowance and the French school (2026)

Tokyo gives families real advantages: licensed daycare free from the first child, ¥5,000 a month per child up to age 18, and a French international school from pre-school to the final year of secondary school. You still need to know the rules and the dates. Here are the essentials for parents.

Daycare: free from the first child

Since September 2025, licensed daycare (hoikuen) in Tokyo is free for the first child aged 0 to 2, with no income condition (BCN; Meguro City).

From 3 to 5, daycare, kindergarten and licensed childcare centres are already free throughout Japan (Financial Field).

You enrol through your ward office. Start with your city hall registration, which is required within 14 days of settling on an address: see our guide to moving to Tokyo.

018 Support: ¥5,000 a month per child

Through the 018 Support programme, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government pays ¥5,000 a month, or ¥60,000 a year, for every child aged 0 to 18 living in Tokyo, with no income condition (Tokyo Metropolitan Government 2026 leaflet; Bunkyo City).

• The condition is to live in Tokyo, with a certificate of residence.
• You apply online, ideally with your My Number card.
• The next deadline is 1 March 2027, for payment in April.

School: the Lycée français international de Tokyo

The Lycée français international de Tokyo (LFI Tokyo) teaches pupils from pre-school (age 3) to the final year of secondary school, on its Takinogawa campus in Kita ward.

• It belongs to the network of the Agency for French Education Abroad (AEFE).
• It had 1,550 pupils in September 2023, according to its website.
• Most lessons are in French, with Japanese, English, German and Spanish taught as foreign languages.
• It offers French-English bilingual classes in primary school and the French international baccalaureate.

Check tuition fees and admission requirements directly with the school.

Choose your neighbourhood around the school

The journey to school weighs heavily in the choice of a home. Rents vary widely between neighbourhoods: ¥4,909 per m² on average in the 23 wards and ¥5,859 per m² in the five central wards in the third quarter of 2026, according to Savills. Our guide to renting in Tokyo has the details.

Children's healthcare

To get treatment at the insured rate, every family member must be enrolled in health insurance. Since December 2025, the My Number card serves as the health insurance card: see our guide to health insurance and pension in Japan.

A family move, with support

Kizuna Relo supports French-speaking families in Tokyo. We look for a home that suits the school, help with daycare and allowance applications, then take care of everyday requests through our concierge service, such as booking appointments or finding activities for the children. Tell us about your project.