The Japanese School Singapore

The Japanese School Singapore traces its history to 1912, although its modern form dates from 1966, when it reopened after the war. It is one of the largest overseas Japanese schools in the world and operates on three campuses. The primary school has two independently run campuses, at 95 Clementi Road (opposite NUS, and also the school's headquarters) and at 11 Upper Changi Road North (opened in 1995). The junior high school is at 201 West Coast Road. Each campus has its own sports field, gymnasium and swimming pool, along with specialist rooms for music, art, science and home economics, and dojo spaces for judo and kendo.

Teaching follows Japan's national curriculum and is equivalent to Japanese elementary school (Grades 1–6) and junior high school (Grades 7–9). Lessons are taught in Japanese. English immersion classes, taught in small groups, and English-taught lessons in some subjects are part of the timetable. The school year begins in April, as in Japan, and new students are taken in at several points during the year.

Applicants must be of the age set by Japanese education law and live in Singapore, and parents must be members of the Japanese Association Singapore. In practice this means the school serves Japanese families. In 2025 it had about 1,690 students: 746 at Clementi, 531 at Changi and 410 at the secondary school. Fees are modest. For 2026, monthly tuition is about S$676 (primary) or S$752 (secondary), plus a S$141.70 monthly facility fee, which comes to roughly S$9,800–10,700 a year. One-off entrance and building charges are added, and a company or family donation is required on admission.