Why “fluent” returnees still struggle in class

Many returnee children, known in Japan as kikokushijo (帰国子女), speak Japanese at home every day. So it can be confusing when a child who chats happily with grandparents comes home from school saying they understood almost nothing. The explanation is that there are two different kinds of language: the Japanese of everyday life, and the Japanese of studying.

Japan’s Ministry of Education (MEXT) makes this distinction itself. Its description of which children qualify for Japanese language instruction includes returnees and children who use another language at home, and it covers two groups: children who cannot yet hold everyday conversations in Japanese, and children who can hold everyday conversations but lack the grade-level “learning language” needed to take part in lessons. A 2008 MEXT expert report made a similar point about children learning Japanese as an additional language: even after they can manage daily conversation, many cannot fully follow lessons, not only in reading and writing but also in listening and speaking.

For a returnee, this gap is easy to miss because they sound fluent. Teachers may assume there is no language issue, and the child may not have the words to explain what is going wrong. Kanji is often the most visible gap: classmates have been learning characters year by year, while a child schooled abroad may have learned far fewer, even with weekend Japanese school.

If your child seems tired, slow with homework, or suddenly “bad at” a subject they were good at abroad, it is worth asking whether study language is part of the picture before assuming it is motivation or ability.

Unwritten rules, standing out and identity

Language is only part of it. Japanese schools have routines that local children absorb from their first year: how to line up, how to speak to older students, cleaning duties, class roles, when to speak in class and when not to. None of this is secret, but much of it is never explained, because everyone else already knows it.

Research suggests the social side can matter as much as the academic side. A study by Yoshida and colleagues, published in the International Journal of Intercultural Relations in 2009, surveyed 512 Japanese returnees who had spent at least two years abroad between the ages of 5 and 18. Those who adjusted easily and those who struggled reported similar challenges, such as stereotyping and language difficulties. The main difference was acceptance: those who struggled more reported feeling less accepted by others, and reported more incidents of discrimination and bullying.

That is a useful message for parents. The problem is often not that your child is “failing to adjust”, but how the people around them respond to a child who is a little different. MEXT’s own policy overview says support for returnees should not only aim at smooth adjustment to school life in Japan, but should also respect what children learned and experienced abroad and help them develop those strengths.

Identity questions often sit underneath all of this. A child who was “the Japanese kid” abroad may now be “the foreign kid” in Japan. Some children respond by trying hard to blend in and playing down their English; others hold on tightly to their overseas identity and resist anything Japanese. Neither is a failure. Both are ways of working out who they are, and it helps when home is a place where every part of them is welcome.

Enrollment and grade placement: how it works

If your child is a Japanese national of compulsory school age (roughly 6 to 15), MEXT explains that parents apply to the board of education, or kyoiku iinkai (教育委員会), of the municipality where the family lives. Based on your resident registration, the board then tells you which school your child will attend and from what date.

The general rule is that a returnee child joins the grade that matches their age, not the grade they would have been in based on the overseas school year. MEXT describes some flexibility for children whose Japanese is not yet strong enough:

If your child is not a Japanese national, MEXT states that there is no legal obligation for parents to send them to school, but that public elementary and junior high schools accept foreign-national children free of charge in the same way as Japanese children if the family wishes. Again, the local board of education is the place to ask.

High school (from age 15) is not compulsory, and joining a Japanese high school usually involves an entrance or transfer process. As long ago as 1988, MEXT asked high schools to widen transfer opportunities for returnees, for example by holding transfer exams as often as possible during the year and simplifying documents. How far this happens today varies by prefecture and school. This article does not cover entrance exam strategy; the point is simply that high school placement is less automatic than elementary and junior high.

Japanese language support in public schools

Since April 2014, public elementary and junior high schools in Japan have been able to provide Japanese language instruction as a formal “special curriculum”, or tokubetsu no kyoiku katei (特別の教育課程). MEXT’s notice on the change explicitly includes children who have returned from abroad, as well as foreign-national children and children whose main home language is not Japanese.

In practice this often means your child is taken out of some regular lessons for small-group or one-to-one Japanese study. MEXT’s most recent survey of public schools, as of 1 May 2025, counted 84,759 students needing Japanese language instruction, of whom 11,446 were Japanese nationals. So your child is far from the only Japanese child in this position.

Support is uneven, though. MEXT is phasing in dedicated staffing for Japanese instruction at one teacher per 18 students by FY2026, but what exists at your particular school depends on the municipality and on how many other children need help. Some areas have visiting instructors or a central school with a language class; others have very little. The only way to find out is to ask, early and specifically.

What “returnee-accepting schools” actually means

Parents often hear about kikokushijo ukeire-ko (帰国子女受入れ校), or “returnee-accepting schools”. It is worth knowing that this is not a single legal category. It is a loose label for schools that have some experience or arrangement for returnees. A few types are worth knowing:

• National university-affiliated schools. Since 1974, some schools attached to national universities have run classes for returnee children, combining educational support with research. MEXT’s list, as of May 2015, covered 45 schools across 21 universities.
• Schools listed by JOES. Japan Overseas Educational Services (JOES), a public interest foundation, runs a search of around 1,400 schools that accept returnees, from kindergartens to universities, including some international schools.
• Ordinary local schools. Most returnee children simply attend their local public school. Some schools have plenty of experience with returnees; others have very little.

Much of the information about “returnee-accepting” private schools focuses on admissions. If your child is already struggling, the more useful questions are about daily life: Is there Japanese language support? Are there other returnees in the class? How are children with overseas backgrounds treated? JOES also offers education consultations for families before and after returning to Japan, online or in person; as of April 2025 it charges ¥10,000 (excluding tax) for up to two sessions a year for families who are not members through an employer, with an extra fee for consultations in English.

Early signs that adjustment is becoming school refusal

Some difficulty in the first months is normal. What matters is whether things are slowly improving or slowly getting worse. In Japan, school refusal is called futoko (不登校), and MEXT counts a student as futoko when they miss 30 or more days in a school year for reasons other than illness or finances. In the 2024 school year, MEXT counted 353,970 futoko students in elementary and junior high schools, the highest number on record. You can read more in our guide to school refusal in Japan.

The American Academy of Pediatrics’ parenting site, HealthyChildren.org, describes typical signs of school avoidance, including headaches, stomachaches, nausea or dizziness that appear mostly on school days and are usually absent at weekends. It advises that if school avoidance lasts more than a week, the family may need professional help.

For returnees, it is worth listening carefully for anything about being teased for being different. Given the research on acceptance, bullying or exclusion is a real possibility, and it is something the school has a duty to take seriously.

Next steps if your child stops going

If your child has started missing school, it helps to know that Japan’s official approach has changed. In a 2019 notice, MEXT said support for futoko children should not aim only at getting the child back to school, but at helping them take charge of their own path and become independent in society. The notice also recognizes that time away from school can sometimes have a positive meaning, as rest or a time to reflect, while noting real risks such as falling behind.

If your child cannot manage school for now, there are options beyond “go back” or “stay home.” Many municipalities run education support centers, and there are private free schools and online options. In some cases, time spent learning outside school can be recognized as attendance by the child’s school principal. We explain how this shusseki atsukai (出席扱い) works, and what support may be available, in our guide to attendance recognition and costs.

Keeping English alive

Many returnee parents worry that English will fade quickly once a child is surrounded by Japanese. That worry is reasonable, and it is also where parents can make a real difference. A 2013 study by Ikuko Okamura in Intercultural Education (Japan) looked at returnee high school students and the strengths they felt they had gained abroad, such as foreign language ability and self-expression. It found that for students who returned at around ages 13 to 15, family support was strongly related to how they saw their foreign language ability, and that support from their high school also mattered.

JOES says its foreign language maintenance classes, which it describes as the first of their kind in Japan, have around 1,500 students, with classrooms in the Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka areas plus an online class. They focus on reading and writing in a relaxed atmosphere.

One caution: when a child is already overwhelmed by Japanese school, adding a heavy English program can make things worse. For a struggling child, rest and a sense of safety usually come first. English can wait a few weeks; your child’s wellbeing cannot.

Comparing the main school options

Some families start to wonder whether a Japanese school is the right place at all. Before switching, it is important to know one legal point. For Japanese-national children of compulsory school age, MEXT states that attending an international school that is not a formally recognized Japanese school, or ichijo-ko (一条校), does not fulfill the legal duty of schooling. MEXT also notes that a child who completes the elementary section of such a school cannot, on that basis, enter a Japanese junior high school. This can affect future options, so it is worth asking the board of education before you decide. Our guide to international schools in Japan covers this in more detail.

There is no single right answer. A local public school keeps your child connected to the neighborhood and the Japanese system, and may offer language support. An international school may feel familiar, but fees are high and the legal point above matters for Japanese nationals. An online school keeps English and a small group, but cannot replace in-person school life.

One online option for bilingual children: NIJIN GLOBAL ACADEMY

NIJIN GLOBAL ACADEMY (NGA) is an online international school for ages 6–18, run by NIJIN, the company behind this site. We mention it because some parts of its design relate to returnee children: bilingual mentors, a small group that stays the same, and no English requirement. Its FAQ says families both abroad and in Japan can join. It will not suit every child, and the limitations below matter as much as the features.

NGA’s FAQ also says classes run in an environment outsiders can’t freely enter, and that mentors watch over online interactions. Optional Cambridge IGCSE and A-Level courses are available for older students.

Frequently asked questions

Sources used for this article

Moved back to Japan? Keep both languages in your child’s day

For bilingual families in Japan and abroad, NIJIN GLOBAL ACADEMY offers small online classes with no entrance exam or English requirement. Tuition is yet to be announced, it does not issue a Japanese diploma, and the school opens in September 2027.

Visit NIJIN GLOBAL ACADEMY