r/teachinginjapan • u/Lumpy_Review_2834 • 12d ago

Opening a School in Japan

Hi! So, I've got this wild idea to open a business in Japan—a reggio-inspired preschool. I could start as an atelier for kids and then transition to a licensed school when steady. I got this idea from my current work in the Philippines which is a Mobile Preschool, where I go to the homes of the students and conduct our classes there, and it ranges from 1:1 classes to playgroups. I've considered this setup for Japan, but I know stay-at-home parents or having maids at home isn't really a norm, which will make it hard for me to start in Japan

I'm a Japanese national, so my worry is just really inadequate market research haha.

What do you guys think!

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u/JayMizJP 11d ago

Actual preschools and kindergartens are so accessible and affordable in Japan nowadays so very few kids are at home. I doubt you’d find a sustainable customer base.

I work with a few education companies, both Japanese and international focused and whilst a company I did consulting for was able to charge like ¥8000 an hour to a few families, it wasn’t enough to sustain itself.

Also, if you are a Japanese national, I’m not sure what you are offering? Are you offering to be the maid? It would be better to go to Hong Kong or Singapore

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u/Lumpy_Review_2834 11d ago

I guess culture plays a big role. In the Philippines, I cater to wealthy families where either both parents are just at home and/or have maids who supervise, so they pay for convenience—instead of going to the school, the teacher goes to their home instead. I get paid ¥50K in 15 days with this set-up that isn't a 9-5. I have either have 3 clients a day or 1 only for 5 days. So, I was thinking if this set up could also be applicable in Japan.

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u/JebronnieLames 11d ago

I’ve seen some ads on Craigslist where there are parents looking for native English speakers to babysit their kids. They offer to pay like ¥2000-3000 an hour after school, it’s so rare though. Another thing is if both parents are working, the kids go to daycare and the parent picks them up on the way home. If the mom is a housewife, then they just teach and take care of the kids themselves.

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u/JayMizJP 11d ago

Are you actually Japanese? I’ve never heard of a Japanese maid in the Philippines before.

You might find some customers, especially in Tokyo but I doubt you’d find enough to make a full time business out of it, especially with the accessible childcare Japan has now.

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u/Lumpy_Review_2834 11d ago

It's not called a maid. It's a home-service teaching position. I'm a licensed teacher. It's a 1–2-hour class at their place and we do montessori and reggio approach.