IB and International Schools in Osaka 2026: All 12 IB World Schools, 2026-27 Fees and How to Choose

Osaka Prefecture has 12 schools on the Japanese Ministry of Education (MEXT) list of IB World Schools, as of 30 June 2026. Some are English-medium international schools, some are Japanese private or public high schools with an IB course, and two serve only very young children. This guide puts all 12 schools side by side, explains the difference between an “Article 1” school and an international school, and shows the latest fees each school publishes (mostly for 2026-27; where we found no current figure, we say so).

Everything below was checked on 26 September 2026 against the MEXT IB consortium list and each school’s own website or admissions guide. Fees and deadlines change every year, so please confirm details with the school before you apply. If you would like the wider picture for the whole region, our guide to IB schools in Kansai covers Hyogo, Kyoto, Nara and Shiga as well.

All 12 IB schools in Osaka at a glance

First, one word you will see a lot: Article 1 school (ichijo-ko). This means a school recognised under Article 1 of Japan’s School Education Law, such as an ordinary Japanese elementary, junior high or senior high school. Most international schools are not Article 1 schools. This matters for Japanese nationals of compulsory school age, and we explain why further down.

The “IB programmes” column follows the MEXT list. PYP is the Primary Years Programme, MYP the Middle Years Programme and DP the Diploma Programme for the last two years of high school. “Dual Language DP” means MEXT marks the school as teaching the DP partly in Japanese.

A few notes on the table. The “Language” entries for Ikeda and Sugahara Tenma describe the ordinary Japanese school setting; neither publishes a statement about the language of its IB programme on the pages we checked, so please ask. “See school” (Suito, Ikeda and Sugahara Tenma) means we found no current fee on an official page.

As Figure 1 shows, only three schools in Osaka offer all three programmes from the early years to Grade 12: OIS, OYIS and AIS Osaka. The DP is also offered by four Japanese (Article 1) high schools, three of them teaching it partly in Japanese, and by Korea International School.

The international schools

Osaka International School of Kwansei Gakuin (OIS), Minoh

OIS is a non-profit K-12 school run by the Kwansei Gakuin Educational Foundation. Classes are taught in English. The PYP runs from Kindergarten to Grade 5 (ages 4 to 12), the MYP from Grade 6 to Grade 10, and the DP in Grades 11 and 12. Its About page states that “OIS was the first school in Japan to offer all three IB programmes”; it has served Kansai since 1991.

OIS shares its campus with Senri International School (SIS), which the school describes as a private Japanese middle and high school. The two schools have different curricula, but some PE, art and music classes, clubs and sports teams are shared. SIS itself is not on the MEXT list of IB schools.

For 2026-27, annual tuition is ¥2,270,000 (KA to Grade 5), ¥2,708,000 (Grades 6 to 10) and ¥2,828,000 (Grades 11 and 12), plus a ¥5,000 PTA fee. New students pay a ¥40,000 application fee and a ¥330,000 registration fee. The school says the fees rose by about 4% for all grades this year.

Osaka YMCA International School (OYIS), Osaka City

OYIS opened in 2001 and teaches students from Preschool to Grade 12. Its admissions FAQ says English is the language of instruction in all grades. It has two campuses: Nakatsu in Kita-ku (ages 3 to 14) and Tosabori in Nishi-ku (ages 14 to 18), opened in August 2020 in the Osaka YMCA headquarters building. According to its 2025-26 School Profile, OYIS was authorised to offer the IB Diploma in 2021 and is accredited by WASC.

The same profile reports Class of 2025 DP results: an 81% pass rate and an average total of 31.4 points, against worldwide figures of 81.26% and 30.58.

The 2026-27 fee sheet (updated April 2026) shows annual totals, which include tuition, a development fee and insurance, from ¥1,754,000 for Preschool to ¥2,317,000 for Grades 10 to 12. Grades 1 to 6 are ¥2,021,000 and Grades 7 to 9 ¥2,240,000. Registration is ¥300,000 (¥200,000 for Grades 10 to 12), and the sheet notes that Grade 10 to 12 tuition may be reduced by government support depending on your address and income.

Abroad International School Osaka (AIS Osaka), Ikuno-ku

AIS Osaka covers a wide age range: its Early Learning Center starts with an infants class, followed by Primary (Grades 1 to 5), Middle School (Grades 6 to 10) and High School (Grades 11 and 12). The school says it was authorised for the DP in November 2025 and would launch it in August 2026. MEXT’s June 2026 list now shows it with the PYP, MYP and DP.

The pages we checked list English language proficiency (from PreK up) as an admissions criterion and offer EAL support for ¥150,000 a term if needed, but they do not state the language of instruction in so many words. Please confirm this with the school. For 2026-27, tuition is ¥1,550,000 for PreSchool to Kindergarten, ¥1,800,000 for Primary and ¥1,950,000 for Secondary, plus a ¥300,000 maintenance fee every year and a ¥200,000 DP fee in Grades 11 and 12. One-time fees are ¥30,000 (application), ¥250,000 (enrolment) and ¥250,000 (building fund).

AICJ International School Osaka, Suita

AICJ’s Osaka campus is an elementary school following the PYP. Its FAQ says classes are taught in English, while Japanese lessons are taught in Japanese. It also says clearly that it is not a recognised school under the School Education Act: students do not receive an official Japanese graduation certificate and “remain enrolled in their public school”. The FAQ adds that about 90% of students are Japanese, varying by campus.

The AY 2026 rolling admissions guide lists Grades 1 to 5 and is aimed at children who have had several years of English-medium education. Fees are monthly: tuition ¥125,000 until March 2027 (¥145,000 from April 2027), an educational enhancement fee of ¥20,000, and a ¥120,000 facility fee every April and October, plus a ¥300,000 enrolment fee.

Aiwin International School, Toyonaka campus

Aiwin’s Toyonaka campus opened in September 2020 and is authorised for the PYP for the early years. The school says it is registered as non-licensed childcare facilities that qualify for Japan’s free early childhood education support. The 2026-27 handbook lists monthly tuition from ¥60,000 to ¥105,000 depending on the class and course, a one-time admission fee of ¥150,000 for the main classes, a ¥25,000 application fee, a ¥30,000 annual registration fee, a building maintenance fee of ¥13,500 a month and a monthly education development fee.

Korea International School (KIS), Ibaraki

KIS (Korea Kokusai Gakuen) is a junior and senior high school that opened in April 2008 and is registered as a miscellaneous school (kakushu gakko). It aims to develop students in Korean, English and Japanese. The school history page says it became an IB candidate in January 2015 and an authorised school in October 2017, and MEXT marks it as teaching the DP partly in Japanese. According to the 2026 admissions guide, students choose the IB course in the third term of their first senior high year. Senior high tuition is ¥460,000 a year, and annual payments including facility and other fees total ¥807,500.

The Japanese high schools with an IB course

These four high schools (and the Ikeda junior high below) are Article 1 schools, so students also earn a Japanese school qualification. The biggest difference between them is how and when your child joins the IB course, as Figure 2 shows (Korea International School, described above, is included for comparison).

• Osaka International High School (Moriguchi): you apply directly to the IB course in the high school entrance exam. The 2026 guide offered 15 places and asked for English at Eiken Grade 2 or CEFR B1 level at the time of application. The school’s FAQ says about half of first-year classes are in English, and from the second year everything except subjects such as PE and health is taught in English.
• Osaka Jogakuin Senior High School (Chuo-ku): a girls’ school where the IB course sits in the English Department. The 2027 admissions page lists about 15 external places, and the IB course cannot be your only choice; you set a second or third choice too. Fees (previous year, per the 2027 admissions page) are a ¥200,000 entrance fee, ¥630,000 tuition a year and a ¥220,000 IB education fee a year. The course page shows the DP subjects taught in a mix of Japanese and English.
• Suito Kokusai Senior High School (Suminoe-ku): a public school. All students follow a common first year and choose one of three courses, including the IB course, for Year 2. The school runs a Dual Language Programme in English and Japanese and says the IB can be taken for public school fees, with materials and final exam costs charged at cost.
• Kindai University High School (Higashiosaka): students enter the English-specialised course and can move into the IB class (up to 15 students) in Year 2. English B and mathematics are taught in English, the other subjects in Japanese.

At junior high level, Ikeda Junior High School attached to Osaka Kyoiku University is a national school offering the MYP. Its own Year 1 entrance exam is for sole applications (sengan) only, and pupils must live with a parent in a set catchment area within a 90-minute commute. For the youngest children, Sugahara Tenma Kindergarten in Higashiyodogawa-ku is a kindergarten-type certified childcare centre (nintei kodomo-en) with classes for ages 3 to 5. MEXT’s June 2026 Japanese list places it among Article 1 schools, while its older English list (as of September 2025) does not mark it that way, so ask the kindergarten if the distinction matters to you.

Comparing 2026-27 fees at the three IB continuum schools

Every school bundles its fees differently, so in Figure 3 we added each school’s compulsory annual fees for 2026-27 as published: at OIS, tuition plus the PTA fee; at OYIS, the “annual total” (tuition, development fee and insurance); at AIS Osaka, tuition plus the maintenance fee and PTA fee, plus the DP fee in Grades 11 and 12.

• Elementary: AIS Osaka ¥2,105,000 (Primary), OYIS ¥2,021,000 (Grades 1 to 6), OIS ¥2,275,000 (KA to Grade 5).
• Middle years: AIS Osaka ¥2,255,000 (Grades 6 to 10), OYIS ¥2,240,000 (Grades 7 to 9), OIS ¥2,713,000 (Grades 6 to 10).
• DP years: AIS Osaka ¥2,455,000 (Grades 11 and 12), OYIS ¥2,317,000 (Grades 10 to 12), OIS ¥2,833,000 (Grades 11 and 12).

Grade bands differ between schools, and one-time fees come on top in the first year (for example, ¥370,000 at OIS and ¥530,000 at AIS Osaka for application plus registration or enrolment and building fund). Buses, lunches and trips are extra. For a broader look at costs across Japan, see our guide to IB school costs in Japan.

How to choose: the questions that matter most

1. Is your child a Japanese national of compulsory school age?

This is the question many families only discover late. MEXT’s IB consortium page puts it this way in English: “Article 1 Schools are required by the School Education Law and other laws and regulations to ensure the quality of education, and parents are obligated to send their children to Article 1 schools.” The Japanese version of the same page is more specific: it says Japanese parents are obliged to have their children at the compulsory education stage (elementary and junior high school) attend Article 1 schools. It also notes that non-Article-1 schools do not meet the standards required of Article 1 schools.

In practice, this is why AICJ tells parents that its students stay enrolled at their local public school, and why OYIS’s FAQ says it welcomes Japanese nationals who have been educated mainly in non-Japanese schools overseas or at accredited international schools in Japan. On the MEXT list, the only Article 1 IB option in Osaka during the compulsory years is the MYP at Ikeda Junior High School; no Article 1 elementary school in Osaka is listed for the PYP. If you are a Japanese family, talk to your local board of education and the school before you decide.

2. Which language should your child learn in?

If your child will move on to schools abroad, or is already studying in English, the English-medium international schools and Osaka International High School’s English DP are the natural fit. If your child’s strongest language is Japanese, the Dual Language DP at Suito Kokusai, Osaka Jogakuin or Kindai lets them take some subjects in Japanese while building English. Our parent’s guide to the DP explains how the subjects and assessment work.

3. How old is your child, and how far will they travel?

For toddlers and preschoolers, the options are AIS Osaka, OYIS, Aiwin Toyonaka and Sugahara Tenma, with OIS starting from Kindergarten. For elementary school, OIS, OYIS, AIS Osaka and AICJ. The locations spread from Minoh, Toyonaka and Suita in the north, through central Osaka City, to Suminoe-ku in the south-west and Higashiosaka in the east, so try the journey at school time before you choose where to live.

Questions parents often ask

My child speaks little English. Is an IB school still possible?

It depends on the school and age. AIS Osaka and OYIS both mention EAL support (OYIS charges ¥175,000 a year for selected students in Grades 1 to 12), while AICJ’s rolling entry is aimed at children who already have several years of English-medium education. Osaka International High School asks for Eiken Grade 2 or CEFR B1 at application. The Dual Language DP schools are designed for students who study partly in Japanese.

Can we get government help with high school fees?

Several schools mention it. OIS says students in Grades 10 to 12 may qualify for the national “Tuition Support for High School Students”, and OYIS notes support of ¥0 to ¥630,000 for Grades 10 to 12 depending on address and income. KIS’s guide describes the national support and an Osaka Prefecture subsidy for residents. Eligibility depends on your household, so ask each school’s office.

Note that MEXT’s notice of 31 March 2026 removed foreign schools (miscellaneous schools mainly for foreign nationals) from the national High School Tuition Support Fund from 1 April 2026,. Students enrolled before then keep the previous terms, and new entrants at previously designated foreign schools may receive equivalent support through the prefecture-run budget programme 高校生等・新修学支援, so ask the school which applies.

Our guide to IB scholarships and financial support in Japan has more background.

Can an IB Diploma from Osaka lead to Japanese universities?

Yes. Many Japanese universities have entry routes for IB Diploma holders, and the rules differ by university and faculty. Our guide to Japanese universities accepting IB scores is a good place to start.

Is the PYP at a kindergarten the same as at an international school?

The framework is the same, but the setting differs. Aiwin Toyonaka and Sugahara Tenma both use the PYP for the early years, one in English and one in a Japanese kindergarten. See our guide to the PYP.

Summary

• 12 IB schools in Osaka: six Article 1 schools and six non-Article-1 schools on the MEXT list as of 30 June 2026.
• Three full IB continuum schools: OIS (Minoh), OYIS (Osaka City) and AIS Osaka (Ikuno-ku), whose Diploma was due to start in August 2026.
• Four Japanese high schools with the DP: Osaka International (English DP) and three Dual Language DP schools (Osaka Jogakuin, Suito Kokusai and Kindai). Korea International School also offers a Dual Language DP.
• 2026-27 fees vary widely: from monthly early-years fees at Aiwin to about ¥2.8 million a year for OIS Grades 11 and 12.
• Japanese nationals: check the Article 1 rule for compulsory school age before choosing a non-Article-1 school.

The best next step is to shortlist two or three schools by age, language and location, then visit on a school day, with your child if you can.

Sources and references

• MEXT IB Education Promotion Consortium: IB schools in Japan (Japanese, as of 30 June 2026)
• MEXT IB Education Promotion Consortium: IB World Schools and Candidate Schools in Japan (English)
• OIS: About, Learning and Fees 2026-2027
• OYIS: Admissions, 2026-27 Tuition and Fees (PDF) and 2025-26 MYP-DP School Profile (PDF)
• AIS Osaka: Admissions, High School and Tuition 2026-27
• AICJ International School Osaka: Admissions (including the AY 2026 rolling admissions guide) and FAQ
• Aiwin International School: Toyonaka Campus and 2026-27 Admission Handbook (PDF)
• Korea International School: school outline and history (Japanese) and 2026 admissions guide (PDF, Japanese)
• Osaka International High School: IB course FAQ (Japanese) and 2026 IB course admissions guide (PDF, Japanese)
• Osaka Jogakuin: IB course (Japanese) and senior high admissions (Japanese)
• Suito Kokusai: International Baccalaureate (Japanese) and from entry to graduation (Japanese)
• Kindai University High School: IB class (Japanese) and English-specialised course (Japanese)
• MEXT: Notice on the amended High School Tuition Support Fund Act (31 March 2026, Japanese)
• Ikeda Junior High School attached to Osaka Kyoiku University: 2026 general admissions guide (PDF, Japanese)
• Osaka City: Sugahara Tenma Kindergarten facility information (PDF, Japanese)