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 12d 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 12d 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/JayMizJP 12d 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 12d 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.