Guide to Living in Urasoe - Childcare and Education

The City of Urasoe, like other muncipalities in Japan, subsidizes many services for families with young children. Although not part of the official education system, these are government-run programs designed to lighten the burden of child rearing by providing child care services, financial assistance, and classes for parents. Please see the Healthcare Chapter for more information about services for expectant mothers and new parents.

Daycare Centers (Hoiku-sho 保育所)

There are 21 government-certified daycare centers for children ages 0-5 in Urasoe. Some are run by the city and some are run privately, but their fee structure, hours, and mission are the same. Hours are from 7 am-6 pm and fees are determined based on the parents' income.

Only parents who cannot care for their children at home because of documented reasons such as work, school, illness, or childbirth may place their children in daycare. When the reason for needing daycare expires (for example, one parent quits his/her job) the children cannot continue day care.

To place your children in daycare, you must apply in fall/winter for placement the following April. The exact dates of the application period are printed in the November Koho. Applications are accepted at other times, but in this case, the child is placed on a waitlist and admitted if space becomes available. Usually all spaces are filled in April and waitlists are long, so chance of admittance is slim unless you apply during the application period.

Children's Centers (Jidō Center 児童センター)

There are eleven Children's Centers in Urasoe for children ages 0-18. (Children ages four and under must attend events with a parent). The centers are places where children can play after school and on weekends in a supervised environment. Registration of your child is free, and all that is required is the completion of a registration form and a brief sign-in upon each visit. There are often planned events, such as dodge ball, picnics, small festivals, and sports competitions. The centers are a good place for your children to meet local Japanese kids. For specific information, please inquire at the center. Facilities usually include a library, video room, and gymnasium with basketball hoops, badminton, and ping-pong facilities.

Wakakusa Children's Center Wakakusa Jidō Sentā 若草児童センター 3-44-1 Iso 〒901-2132 Tel. (098) 877-0047	Uchima Children's Center Uchima Jidō Sentā 内間児童センター 3-28-12 Uchima 〒901-2121 Tel. (098) 876-1502	Nishihara Children's Center Nishihara Jidō Sentā 西原児童センター 356 Nishihara 〒901-2101 Tel. (098) 878-1766
Kyōzuka Children's Center Kyōzuka Jidō Sentā 経塚児童センター (In the Yuimāru Center) 109-2 Kyōzuka 〒901-2111 Tel. (098) 876-4100	Machinato Children's Center Machinato Jidō Sentā まちなと児童センター 2-38-2 Makiminato 〒901-2131 Tel. (098) 873-1898	Miyagigahara Children's Center Miyagigahara Jidō Sentā 宮城ヶ原児童センター 2-4-1 Miyagi 〒901-2126 Tel. (098) 876-1895
Urashirokko Children's Center Urashirokko Jidō Sentā 浦城っ子児童センター 2-13-2 Iso 〒901-2132 Tel. (098) 878-6815	Morinoko Children's Center Morinoko Jidō Sentā 森の子児童センター 1-4-1 Jicchaku 〒901-2122 Tel. (098) 874-7610	Urasoegusuku Children's Center Urasoegusuku Jidō Sentā うらそえぐすく児童センター 2-47-5 Nakama 〒901-2103 Tel. (098) 874-0417
Miyagikko Children's Center Miyagikko Jidō Sentā 宮城っ子児童センター 3-7-1 Miyagi 〒901-2126 Tel. (098) 878-6815	Maeda Yubushigaoka Children's Center Maeda Yubushigaoka Jidō Sentā 前田ユブチが丘児童センター 323 Maeda 〒901-2501 Tel. (098) 871-1558

Financial Support

The Children's Welfare Section offers several different kinds of financial assistance for families with young children. Benefits are limited to families with an income under a certain amount.

The Education System

The Japanese education system consists of kindergarten, six years of elementary school (shōgakkō 小学校), three years of junior high school (chūgakkō 中学校), and three years of high school (kōtōgakkō 高等学校). Only elementary and junior high school are compulsory, but many children also attend kindergarten and nearly all students complete high school. Foreign children may attend Japanese schools, but unlike for Japanese citizens, attendance is not compulsory. The school year runs from April to March of the following year and is divided into two or three terms, with a holiday at the end of each term.

Kindergarten (Yōchien 幼稚園)

There are 11 public kindergartens in Urasoe. All are located on the campuses of public elementary schools.

Any child who has reached the age of five by April 1st is eligible to sign up for kindergarten for the school year beginning in April. A limited number of four-year-old children are admitted based on an interview at the kindergarten. Children are generally assigned to the kindergarten in the school district in which they live. However, parents may apply to send their child to another kindergarten nearer to their place of work, or a relative's house.

Because kindergarten is not part of compulsory education, there is a one-time entrance fee of ¥7,200 and a monthly fee of ¥4,400. There are additional small fees for materials and snacks.

Children walk to school with their parents or other students and arrive around 8 am. Three days a week children are released at 12:15 pm (no lunch break) and two days a week, children bring their own lunches and are released at 2 pm. Kindergartens also provide afternoon daycare until 6 pm. This extra service costs ¥5,000 per month.

Elementary (Shōgakkō 小学校) and Junior High School (Chūgakkō 中学校)

Urasoe City has 11 public elementary schools and five public junior high schools. If you live in Urasoe and your child falls between the ages of six and fifteen, he or she is eligible for enrollment at one of these schools. Please visit City Hall if you wish to enroll your child. Children will be assigned to the school in the district in which they live.

For the youngest children, the school day usually runs from 8 am-2 pm. Older students may have classes until 4 pm, and students in 5th and 6th grades of elementary school and in junior high schools may have after-school commitments as well. Tuition is free, but school lunches (¥3,000-¥4,000/month) and some teaching materials must be purchased.

High School (Kōtōgakkō高等学校)

Unlike elementary and junior high schools, high schools are administered by the Okinawa Prefectural Government. As high school is not part of compulsory education, tuition fees are charged. These vary depending on the school.

After graduating from junior high school, students are placed in higher-level or lower-level high schools based on an entrance examination offered every year in March. Due to this system, many students attend schools far away from where they live. Urasoe has five public high schools and one private high school, with students in attendance who come from all over Okinawa Prefecture.

The entrance exam system makes it difficult for students not proficient in Japanese to attend public high school. If your child does not speak Japanese, you may wish to enroll him or her in a correspondence course, or investigate the Okinawa Christian International School, a private K-12 school where English is the language of instruction. The Christian School is located at 1835 Zakimi, Yomitan-cho and can be reached by telephone at (098) 958-3000.

Studying Japanese in Okinawa

Studying Japanese can help you make the most of your time in Okinawa. Luckily, there are a number of Japanese language schools and other organizations offering a wide variety of programs. Please contact the organizations listed below for further information. Schools and organizations are listed by city.