Japanese Schools in Düsseldorf: 2026 Fees, Saturday Classes & Local Options

Japanese schools in Düsseldorf serve different purposes. The Japanese International School is a weekday school; its Saturday supplementary school, the Bilingual Japanese School and the city’s Japanese heritage-language classes add Japanese learning to another weekday school. Choose the child’s main school first, then compare timetable, level, journey and cost.

Nijiiro is operated by NIJIN Inc. TOMODACHI JAPAN, the online service included below, is also a NIJIN Inc. business. This is a comparison of options documented by their operators or the city, not a ranking. The order moves from a full-time school to in-person supplementary options and then an online add-on. Information was checked on 21 October 2026.

If you searched for “Japanische Schule Düsseldorf,” note that the full-time school and the Saturday school using its campus are different enrolments and different bills. A local German or international school plus Japanese study is another route. Read the Japanese-language guide if that is easier for your family.

Japanese schools in Düsseldorf: compare the five routes first

Start with the role of each option. This table uses the same questions for every row: who it serves, where and when learning happens, what is taught, what it costs, and how to enter or try it. A supplementary or online class does not replace a child’s weekday school. Figures are the operators’ published 2026 figures where available; “ask the operator” means no current amount or place was verified.

For a child who needs a weekday Japanese curriculum, begin with JISD’s admission team. For a child already settled in a German or international school, ask first whether a local Saturday, Friday or HSU class fits. TOMODACHI JAPAN may suit a family seeking an additional online conversation opportunity, especially if travel is difficult, but its pilot has not opened and a Düsseldorf-time group has not been confirmed.

Could online Japanese fit a Düsseldorf week?Request the current guide and check the planned opening, age range, Düsseldorf-time classes and fees alongside your child’s main school.Get the school guide

A weekday Japanese school: JISD admissions and the real cost

The Japanese International School in Düsseldorf is the city’s full-time Japanese school. It is at Niederkasseler Kirchweg 38, 40547 Düsseldorf. The access page suggests U-Bahn 74, 76 or 77 towards Meerbusch from the central station, followed by a walk from Heerdter Sandberg. That published route is only a starting point: test the journey from the home you expect to use at actual school hours.

Its 2026 procedure page states €450 admission and €6,360 annual tuition, described as €530 monthly and normally paid in three-month instalments of €1,590. Budget the payment schedule as well as the annual figure. Ask for the current written total including any transport, school materials and child-specific charges before accepting a place. These fees belong to the full-time school, not the Saturday supplementary school.

The school has an admission request route and asks accepted families to prepare its forms. For a transfer, it names an enrolment certificate, a sealed copy of school records in relevant cases, and health documents in relevant cases. Its procedure says completed admission forms should arrive two weeks before the transfer date. Ask which records and translations apply to your child’s previous school and whether the intended grade has a place. Do not assume that a Japanese-speaking child is automatically admitted.

JISD Saturday classes: Japanese alongside another school

The supplementary school uses the full-time school’s campus but has a separate purpose and admission process. It says lessons run on Saturdays from 14:00 to 17:25 during the Japanese school’s term, with four class periods. Its stated aim is grade-appropriate Japanese language study using textbooks aligned with Japan’s curriculum. That may fit a child enrolled in a German or international weekday school who also wants a structured Japanese reading and writing routine.

The current fee page lists a €150 entry fee for each child and €90 monthly tuition from October 2026, paid in three-month blocks. For one child entering now, that means asking about the entry charge, the first three-month payment, textbooks, and any other current school costs separately. Do not apply the weekday school’s €530 monthly fee to this Saturday programme.

The 2026 admissions page provides a form and says transfers and trial lessons can be discussed throughout the year, with an application in advance. Ask about the child’s grade, Japanese level, place availability and trial date. A family should also check whether Saturday travel and homework are sustainable after a full weekday school week.

Bilingual Japanese School: Saturday, Friday and online formats

Bilingual Japanese School Düsseldorf uses rooms at Cecilien-Gymnasium and EKO Kindergarten in Oberkassel. Its official page describes Saturday-afternoon classes on about 35 days a year, or 32 for kindergarten. It also describes Friday Terakoya from 16:00 to 19:00, mainly individual lessons, and individual lessons online. These are different formats; ask which is currently available for the child’s age and language level.

The school describes provision from age three through 18 for children in German or international education. It separates Japanese as a heritage language from Japanese as a foreign language and offers activities beyond basic language work. A child who speaks Japanese at home and a beginner learning it as a new language may need different classes. Tell the school what the child can read, write and comfortably discuss, then ask for the right class rather than choosing only by age.

The overview checked for this article does not provide a current fee table for every class. Ask for tuition, registration, materials, trial arrangements, kindergarten availability and the total for the intended format. Its Friday or online provision may solve a Saturday conflict, but an individual lesson should not be assumed to have the same peer group as a Saturday class.

City heritage-language instruction: check HSU before paying

Düsseldorf’s Herkunftssprachlicher Unterricht (HSU) page lists Japanese among the city’s heritage languages. It is for primary and lower-secondary pupils whose heritage language is not German. The city says classes usually amount to about three 45-minute periods per week after the regular school day. Participation is free and the school lends the books.

HSU is a useful question for a family entering a Düsseldorf weekday school, because it is arranged through that school system. The Japanese-specific city page lists Cecilien-Gymnasium, Schorlemerstraße 99, as the site. The city says there is no entitlement to a particular HSU site, and the general registration deadline is 15 March for the school year. Ask the regular school’s office how to register, whether a midyear request is possible, where the Japanese class currently meets and how the trip home works.

HSU, the JISD Saturday school and Bilingual Japanese School each have a different timetable and learning focus. A family can ask about more than one, but should compare the actual weekly load before enrolling. A free class with a long cross-city trip may still be difficult to keep attending.

Choose by the child’s main school, language goal and weekly journey

First decide where the child will receive weekday education. If the family needs a Japanese school curriculum and can reach the campus, investigate JISD’s place and grade rules. If the family wants a German or international weekday school, ask that school about its own admission and then compare supplementary Japanese study. A weekend or online programme cannot supply a weekday school place.

Next name the language goal. “Maintain Japanese” may mean family conversation, kanji and composition, Japanese school subjects, or friendships with Japanese-speaking peers. JISD’s supplementary school explicitly focuses on grade-level Japanese language, Bilingual Japanese School offers heritage and foreign-language tracks, and HSU is a city heritage-language class. TOMODACHI JAPAN’s stated online focus is dialogue and peer connection. Ask each provider about the parts your child needs rather than treating all Japanese instruction as equivalent.

Finally map a real week: school hours, homework, the trip to Oberkassel or an HSU site, meals and sleep. The published JISD campus route from the central station is not a promise about your commute. Test both directions on a Saturday if considering either supplementary school; test a weekday afternoon if considering HSU. An online class removes that journey, but it needs a confirmed Europe-time slot, a reliable device and a child who can engage on screen.

Where TOMODACHI JAPAN fits, and where it does not

TOMODACHI JAPAN’s English site describes planned small-group online Japanese learning and contact with children in Japan. It says a pilot is planned for December 2026. Its school-guide page offers current details about tuition, teachers and curriculum. The planned class is not yet a running Düsseldorf group, and the site information checked here does not establish a specific local-time slot.

It may suit a child who already has a weekday school and wants additional Japanese conversation without another trip across Düsseldorf. It may be less suitable when the family needs a main school, a full Japanese subject timetable, guaranteed local attendance credit, a currently operating peer group, or intensive in-person writing instruction. The provider should answer the child’s age fit, class level, timetable in Düsseldorf time, actual launch, total fees, trial route and any reading or writing expectations before the family commits.

For a family considering both Saturday school and an online group, check the combined burden. A child may enjoy peers in two settings, but the right number of sessions depends on homework, sports, travel and the child’s own preference. Ask the child what kind of Japanese interaction feels useful, then review the choice after a few weeks of actual attendance.

An application checklist for a Düsseldorf family

1. State the weekday-school plan. Tell each provider whether the child will attend JISD, a German school or an international school; never assume a supplementary class handles main-school enrolment.
2. Share the child’s profile. Give age, current grade, Japanese spoken at home, reading and writing level, other languages, intended Düsseldorf address and start date.
3. Ask for a real place and schedule. Request the class location, day, start time, available place, trial or visit process and a timetable in local time for online lessons.
4. Request a written first-year total. Separate entry, tuition, quarterly advance payment, materials, transport and any individual-lesson charge. Ask when a fee changes and how withdrawal works.
5. Check the transfer documents. For JISD, use its current admission procedure. For HSU, ask the child’s weekday school about registration. For other classes, ask the operator what it needs before a trial.

The JISD procedure, supplementary application page and city HSU information give different first contacts. Keep copies of answers about fees, grade and start date. A family arriving midyear should ask for an individual timetable instead of assuming that the next school year is the only entry point.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a full-time Japanese school in Düsseldorf?

Yes. JISD is the full-time Japanese school at Niederkasseler Kirchweg 38. Its Saturday supplementary programme is a separate option for children attending another weekday school.

How much does the Japanese school cost in 2026?

The full-time school’s published 2026 figures are €450 admission and €6,360 a year, stated as €530 per month and paid three months ahead. The supplementary school’s figures are €150 entry and €90 per month from October 2026. They are different programmes; ask each one for all additional costs.

Does Düsseldorf provide free Japanese study through schools?

The city’s HSU information lists Japanese and says participation is free. Its Japanese page lists Cecilien-Gymnasium as a site. Eligibility, time and availability should be checked through the child’s regular school.

Can an online Japanese class replace weekday school?

No. Online supplementary learning can add practice and contact, but it does not enrol a child in a Düsseldorf weekday school. TOMODACHI JAPAN’s pilot was still planned for December 2026 when this article was checked; ask for its current launch and Europe-time timetable.

Official sources checked on 21 October 2026

These are operator and municipal pages. Admissions, fees, places and class times can change, so obtain a current answer for your child’s case.

• Japanese International School in Düsseldorf, address and access, 2026 admission procedure and full-time fees.
• JISD supplementary-school format, fees, 2026 application and trial information.
• Bilingual Japanese School Düsseldorf: ages, sites and formats.
• City of Düsseldorf: heritage-language instruction, fees and registration; Japanese location.
• TOMODACHI JAPAN: English programme overview and planned pilot; school guide and current contact route.

Check the online option alongside local classesAsk for the current guide to compare age fit, pilot status, Düsseldorf-time lessons and costs with your child’s main school and weekly routine.Get the school guide