In Japan, there are several kinds of facility where some organizations look after children.
At first I want to explain difference between kindergarten ( Yochien ) and Nursery school (Hoiku en ).
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| Kindergarten (Youchien) | Nursery school(Hoiku-en) | |
| Age of children | from 3 years prior to entering elementary school. | from 0 year prior to entering elementary school |
| Average nursing hours | from 9 am to 2 pm | from 7:30 am to 5 pm |
| Nursing expenses | Public kindergarten : determined by municipal government. . Private kindergarten : determined by operator | Authorized nursing school ( Ninka hoiku en ): determined by municipal government. . Unauthorized nursing school ( mu Ninka hoiku en ): determined by operator. |
| Necessary License | license of kindergarten teacher ( yochien kyoyu shikaku ) | license of nursery school or nurse ( Hoikushi ) |
| the competent authorities | Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology; MEXT ( Monbu kagaku sho ) | Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare ( Kosei rodo sho ) |
The purpose of kindergarten is teaching small children.
The purpose of nursery school is taking in and looking after children while their parents are working.
So, the competent authorities is different.
So, a person who has license of kindergarten can not act as nursing school teacher and a person who has license of nursery school teacher can not act as kindergarten teacher.
But, recently this difference is becoming vague and there are facilities called Nintei kodomo en ( authorized child facility ).
This facility has both of features.
In the case, parents are working and can not look after their children, they will leave their children with nursery school.
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Or some parents will leave their children with kindergarten and after closing time of kindergarten, they will leave their children with nursery school that has distinctive feature.
In some nursery schools, Teachers speak only English language and they can teach English language for Japanese national children.
It will attract Japanese parents.
In order to start kindergarten in Japan, you can make it base on incorporated educational institution ( Gakko hojin ).
The easiest way to make your preschool is that you make it based on nursery school in Japan. Law relating to Nursery school is stipulated in ” child welfare act ( Jido fukushi ho = 児童福祉法 )”.
How to obtain childminder license ( Hoikushi ) in Japan
In the event that you are going to set up Hoikuen ( 保育園 ) = kindergarten in Japan, you need to prepare childminder ( Hoikushi ).
Even if you have been teacher or childminder outside of Japan, you can not use the license in Japan.
In order to become Hoikushi in Japan,
1 You need to pass test to become Hoikushi.
However pass rate is about 10%.
If you are fluent in Japanese language, there is a possibility to pass the test
Or
2 You can go to college or vocational school.
However you need to spend 2 years until graduation.
Category of Hoiku En in Japan (Ninka Hoikuen ＆ Ninkagai Hoikuen) ➡