Chinese parents are fueling Tokyo's education race

Japan Times

a day ago

An increasing number of elite Chinese are fleeing their deteriorating home country in pursuit of a better life abroad. Some find better educational opportunities for their kids in Japan, where entrance exams are much looser as local birth numbers are in steep decline.
International schools in Tokyo are already witnessing an influx of children from the newly arrived, highly involved Chinese households. Chinese students are also more visible in cram schools, eyeing competitive junior high school entrance exams.
Yet another notable trend is that Chinese families are clustering in Bunkyo Ward, a district renowned for the finest educational environment.
The northern Tokyo ward has long been regarded as a hub for scholars and intellectuals. Historically, the area was home to sprawling samurai estates during the Edo Period (1603 to 1868), many of which were later converted into educational institutions in the wake of the Meiji Restoration. Bunkyo Ward was officially established in 1947 through the merger of two adjacent wards, and its name literally means 'education and culture.'
According to Bun Kaito, head of sales at Future Leading, a real estate firm catering to Chinese clientele, Bunkyo's appeal is obvious. 'It's home to the University of Tokyo. The ward is also renowned for safety, often ranked as the safest in statistics. Plus, it's conveniently close to attractions like Korakuen amusement park and offers a high-quality living environment.'
Within the Chinese community, four public elementary schools in Bunkyo — Seishi, Sendagi, Showa, and Kubomachi — have earned iconic status. Collectively referred to as '3S1K' based on their initials, these schools boast long histories and impressive academic track records, drawing fervent interest from Chinese parents.
In China, disparities in public school quality are acutely felt, and moving to a neighborhood with top schools is not uncommon. Such properties are known as xuequfang, or 'school district homes.' For instance, aspiring to enroll children in top-notch universities like Peking or Tsinghua often starts with placing them in elite middle schools in Beijing's Haidian District.
According to "Getting Ashore," a bestseller written by Amber Jiang, Haidian District accounts for over 50% of all admissions to Tsinghua and Peking Universities in Beijing, and the six leading public middle schools alone account for over 90% of the district's admissions to those universities in recent years.
This 'school district homes' mindset has led to a sharp rise in Chinese families relocating to Bunkyo. A student roster from one 3S1K school viewed by the author revealed a noticeable increase over the past year in students with Chinese citizenship or heritage, many bearing surnames like Wang, Hu, or Zhang. Chinese students now comprise over 10% of the student body, and the actual number may be higher considering those using Japanese surnames.
Showa Elementary School in Tokyo's Bunkyo Ward |
Alex K.T. Martin
A representative from the Bunkyo Ward Board of Education confirmed the upward trend. The number of foreign students in public elementary schools rose from 389 in 2023 to 467 in 2024. Still, they account for a mere 4% of the total student cohort. This data hints at a disproportionate concentration of Chinese students at the 3S1K schools.
Hu, a Chinese mother who moved to Japan in 2018, relocated to Bunkyo in 2023 after consulting with her husband. The goal was to enroll their daughter in one of the 3S1K schools, a move inspired by her husband's discovery of these schools on Douyin, China's domestic version of TikTok.
The couple hopes their daughter will eventually attend a Japanese national university, an elite institution such as Tsinghua back home, or a U.S. university. With junior high school entrance exams in mind, they are now preparing to place her in SAPIX, Tokyo's premier cram school network.
'There's a 70-square-meter apartment nearby that recently sold for ￥190 million ($1.29 million). Rumor has it a Chinese buyer snapped it up,' she explained.
Following her daughter's enrollment, however, Hu realized the actual curriculum wasn't drastically different from that of other public schools. She suspects that some Chinese-run real estate agents may be inflating the appeal of the Bunkyo brand.
Another Chinese mother who recently moved to Japan — specifically to one of the 3S1K school districts — said she is now considering moving to another area of Tokyo after noticing her children speaking Chinese with newly transferred students from China, despite her original expectation that they would quickly improve their Japanese skills.
'In my apartment building, the number of Chinese families has more than tripled in just one year,' she explained, making her feel that the super-competitive atmosphere she had tried to escape is now being recreated here.
Still, statistics confirm Bunkyo's growing popularity among Chinese citizens. According to Tokyo Metropolitan Government data, the number of Chinese residents in Bunkyo grew by roughly 3,000 from January 2022 to January 2024 — an astonishing 60% surge.
On Chinese Instagram-like social media RedNote, one can browse countless posts explaining the 3S1K. One reads, 'Bunkyo residents are the most education-conscious in all of Tokyo,' while another claims, 'The average progression rate to private or national junior high schools is 7% nationally and 25% in Tokyo, but 50% in Bunkyo.'
Other posts detail the 140-year history of one of the 3S1K schools, often alongside real estate listings targeting Chinese buyers. One post even said: 'Some parents are selling large homes to move into tiny, old houses in Bunkyo just so their children can attend these schools — even if it means lowering their standard of living,' citing a Chinese old saying that philosopher Mencius' mother moved three times to ensure a proper educational environment.
The flock of Chinese newcomers has started to strain Bunkyo's housing market. A Chinese couple who arrived in Japan in 2023 hoped their daughter could attend a public school in Bunkyo. However, outside the 3S1K areas, the only available property was a 75-square-meter unit renting for ¥350,000, which they found unaffordable.
Xu, a Chinese father in his 30s living in a major city in China, is preparing to immigrate to Japan shortly. The tipping point was the worsening state of education in his motherland.
Sendagi Elementary School in Tokyo's Bunkyo Ward |
Alex K.T. Martin
'In 2023, I participated in a reunion at my old high school and realized that club activities now start only in senior year. Parents had pressured the school, saying academic performance was slipping. Kids today study from 7 a.m. to midnight, and student suicides are sadly common. I don't want my daughter to experience that, so we've decided to move to Japan.'
University entrance in China has grown fiercely competitive in recent years. The buzzword juan, or involution, has gained popularity. With weak social safety nets, Chinese families do not hesitate to pour resources into education, and this ever-intensifying fervor is now spilling into Japan.
Like many compatriots, Xu originally searched for housing in Bunkyo but noticed it was too costly. After more detailed investigation, he finally chose to land in Urawa Ward in the city of Saitama, another area known for educational advantage. He narrowed down the options based on the academic level of a nearby elementary school and eventually purchased a ￥20 million ($133,000) apartment unit.
Among Chinese real estate agents in Tokyo, Urawa has earned the nickname 'Little Bunkyo.'
'Urawa has so many cram schools — it's like the Ginza of tutoring,' Xu explained. Already popular among Japanese families, Urawa is now seeing sharp land price increases. Furthermore, in the Chinese real estate agent circle, the nearby city of Shiki, also famous for educational achievement, is now being dubbed 'Little Urawa.'
The relentless drive for academic excellence continues to push Chinese families toward Bunkyo and similar schooling districts. Junior high school entrance exam rates are hitting record highs in greater Tokyo. Still, Japanese parents tend to believe it's a domestic rivalry among Japanese students. This perception may soon change, as elite public schools become launchpads for Chinese families intent on academic conquest.
'We're planning for junior high entrance exams,' Xu said. 'We're eyeing schools like Eikoh Junior High.' Eikoh is one of the toughest private junior highs in Saitama and among the most competitive in the country.
'Chinese urban schools already lead the world in subjects like math and English, so I'm not worried. Once in Japan, we'll focus on improving her Japanese,' Xu added. 'For many Chinese families, even Eikoh is just a safety net school.'
Takehiro Masutomo is the author of "Run Ri," a book on China's new immigrants in Japan.