Compare International Schools in Hakuba, Japan

Instructs in English

Ages 12 - 18 years

Fees ¥3,740,000 - 4,230,000

Pupils 60

Type Co-educational, Co-educational (boarding)

Hakuba International School is a small international boarding and day school in Japan’s Hakuba Valley (Nagano Prefecture), near the site of the 1998 Winter Olympics. For 2025–26 it serves Grades 7–11, with plans to reach Grades 7–12 by 2026-27. English is the language of instruction and all students study Japanese at an appropriate level. The school describes a university-preparatory program built around its “Human Flourishing Curriculum,” and it uses project-based learning alongside social-emotional learning. A distinctive feature is its calendar structure: six-week project “bursts” separated by weeks that include outdoor expeditions. Boarding life is supported by two dormitories (girls’ and boys’) that together house almost 50 students.

Location

Hakuba International School is located in the Hakuba Valley in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. The campus sits in a mountain valley renowned for year‑round outdoor activity and access to world‑class skiing. Hakuba is reachable by rail and road from Nagano and Tokyo, with local transport connections into the valley and surrounding area.

Stages

For the 2025–26 school year, HIS serves grades 7 through 11 and plans to add one more grade per year to reach grades 7–12 by the 2026–27 school year.

Type

Hakuba International School is an international boarding school that serves both boarding and day students. On-site dormitories accommodate boarding students, while day students also attend the school. The boarding program is a core component of HIS.

Pupil Nationality Mix

The school represents 18 nationalities and has about 60 students in the 2025–26 year. It describes a multinational community, but the exact local vs international ratio and the most common nationality are not publicly disclosed.

Additional learning support

The primary language of instruction is English, and language support is provided for both native English speakers and multilingual students to develop English reading, writing, and speaking skills. All students study Japanese as well, at a level appropriate to their ability.

Country affiliation

No formal country affiliation is listed; the school is located in Japan and operates as an international program.

Religious affiliation

There is no religious affiliation indicated for the school.

School day structure

The academic program uses three trimesters and operates four days a week with six courses per day; the fifth day is allocated to off‑campus projects and applied learning experiences. The 2025–26 calendar runs from August 31, 2025 to June 13, 2026.

Bus service

There is no regular school bus service currently offered. For the summer program, HIS arranges free pickups from Hakuba Happo Bus Terminal and JR Hakuba Station.

Application fee

- JPY 25,000 (one-time, non-refundable).

Registration fee (one-time, non-refundable)

- Overseas families: JPY 500,000.
- Domestic families: JPY 300,000.

Tuition fees by year group (published annual amounts)

- Middle School tuition (annual): JPY 3,740,000.
- High School tuition (annual): JPY 4,230,000.

Boarding and maintenance / equipment fees (published annual amounts)

- Boarding (annual): JPY 2,040,000.
- Maintenance & Equipment Fee for boarding students (annual): JPY 500,000.
- Maintenance & Equipment Fee for day students (annual): JPY 400,000.

Annual totals (examples, excluding one-time application/registration unless noted)

- Middle School, day student (tuition + maintenance): JPY 3,740,000 + JPY 400,000 = JPY 4,140,000 per year.
- High School, day student (tuition + maintenance): JPY 4,230,000 + JPY 400,000 = JPY 4,630,000 per year.
- Middle School, boarding student (tuition + boarding + maintenance): JPY 3,740,000 + JPY 2,040,000 + JPY 500,000 = JPY 6,280,000 per year.
- High School, boarding student (tuition + boarding + maintenance): JPY 4,230,000 + JPY 2,040,000 + JPY 500,000 = JPY 6,770,000 per year.

First-year example totals including one-time fees (examples)

- Middle School, overseas family, boarding (application + registration + tuition + boarding + boarding maintenance): JPY 25,000 + JPY 500,000 + JPY 3,740,000 + JPY 2,040,000 + JPY 500,000 = JPY 6,805,000.
- Middle School, overseas family, day student (application + registration + tuition + day maintenance): JPY 25,000 + JPY 500,000 + JPY 3,740,000 + JPY 400,000 = JPY 4,665,000.
- High School, overseas family, boarding (application + registration + tuition + boarding + boarding maintenance): JPY 25,000 + JPY 500,000 + JPY 4,230,000 + JPY 2,040,000 + JPY 500,000 = JPY 7,295,000.
- High School, overseas family, day student (application + registration + tuition + day maintenance): JPY 25,000 + JPY 500,000 + JPY 4,230,000 + JPY 400,000 = JPY 5,155,000.

Per-term figures (calculated examples)

- The school publishes annual fees. Where per-term amounts are required, the following are calculated by dividing the published annual figures by three equal instalments (this is a calculated example; invoice timing and number of instalments are determined by the school and will appear on each family's invoice).

- Middle School tuition per term (calculated): JPY 3,740,000 ÷ 3 = JPY 1,246,667 per term (rounded).
- High School tuition per term (calculated): JPY 4,230,000 ÷ 3 = JPY 1,410,000 per term.
- Boarding fee per term (calculated): JPY 2,040,000 ÷ 3 = JPY 680,000 per term.
- Maintenance & Equipment—boarding per term (calculated): JPY 500,000 ÷ 3 = JPY 166,667 per term (rounded).
- Maintenance & Equipment—day per term (calculated): JPY 400,000 ÷ 3 = JPY 133,333 per term (rounded).

Billing schedule and payment terms

- Invoices are issued to each family with a due date; bank transfers must be received by the invoice due-date provided to the family. Credit card payments are processed immediately. Accepted payment methods are bank transfer and credit card.
- The school identifies payment amounts (application, registration, tuition, boarding, maintenance) as fees; the published guidance states these fees are non-refundable.

Boarding-specific notes

- Boarding is charged as an annual boarding fee of JPY 2,040,000 in addition to tuition and maintenance & equipment charges. Boarding dorm arrangements, rooming, and pastoral care are part of residential life provisions.

Other costs and optional fees

- Summer program (optional short program) with full board: JPY 575,000 (all-inclusive for the program; transportation to/from Hakuba not included). The summer program secures a place when payment is confirmed and includes its own conditions of acceptance and cancellation policy.
- Philanthropic giving (HIS Fund) and voluntary donations are solicited separately and are not part of mandatory school fees. Bank details for wire transfers and giving options are provided for donors.
- The published materials do not itemize a standard school uniform or regular school-bus fee as a published mandatory amount; parents should expect incidental costs (personal items, travel to/from Hakuba, optional trips or external exam fees) that are not included in the published annual fees.

Refunds and cancellation

- Application fees, registration fees, tuition, boarding fees, and maintenance/equipment fees are published as non-refundable. The summer program and short courses have specific Conditions of Acceptance that include the program cancellation policy and the requirement that payment secures a place.

Fee payment options (methods and practical notes)

- Payment methods accepted: bank transfer (wire) and credit card. Credit card payments are processed immediately; bank transfers must be received by the invoice due date shown on the family's invoice. International wire details are available for donations and for transfers.

If you require this content in a different currency or formatted differently for an external database, the numeric JPY values above are the published amounts and can be converted as needed.

Boarding Arrangements

The school operates two dormitories: Blanche (Girls Dorm) and Miyama (Boys Dorm). They house almost 50 students and are supported by residential faculty who live alongside the students. A typical dorm room is doubles or triples with an en suite, a bunk bed, a desk, and a dresser. The roommate pairing process matches students by personality and living preferences and places students from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds together to promote cultural fluency and English language learning.

Food Options

A commercial kitchen in Blanche prepares wholesome meals for lunch for all students and faculty.

Governance and Ownership

The school is a not-for-profit organization governed by a Board and organized as the Hakuba International School Foundation, supported by tuition and donor funding.

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)

SEL is a core element of HIS's design, integrating Self Awareness, Self Management, Social Awareness, Relationship Skills, and Responsible Decision Making across Advisory (5–10 students per group), Residential Life with House Parents, and Counseling provided by a licensed professional, with Advisory led by Co-Principal Chris Balme who provides specialized staff training.

Special Educational Needs (SEN)

The school does not publicly disclose information regarding Special Educational Needs (SEN) provision.

English as an Additional Language (EAL)

The primary language of instruction is English, and language support is provided for multilingual students to improve English reading, writing, and speaking, with Japanese taught at an appropriate level for all students.

Mental Wellbeing

The Human Flourishing Curriculum centers wellbeing as a foundation for learning, drawing on research-informed frameworks (e.g., MIT's Compassionate Systems Framework and related work) and is reinforced through SEL, Advisory relationships, Residential Life, and Counseling.

Safeguarding

Safeguarding is a top priority with detailed protocols; all staff and Board members receive annual safeguarding training; a designated safeguarding lead coordinates safeguarding efforts; policies align with CIS ITFCP recommendations and applicable Japanese laws; safe recruitment is practiced.

Admissions

1. Admissions Process — Step 1: Begin with an Admissions Inquiry. Families start by submitting the Admissions Inquiry form to begin the process. HIS responds with more information and explains the next steps, including how to access the application, transcripts, and recommendations, and a Zoom-based interview. Online information sessions are available to learn about the school's approach, and in-person visits can be arranged if you travel to Hakuba.
2. Admissions Process — Step 2: Prepare and submit the application package. After receiving initial information, families proceed with the formal application, provide student transcripts, and submit recommendations as part of the submission package. A Zoom-based interview is conducted as part of the admissions assessment. This stage determines readiness for English-language instruction and alignment with HIS learning expectations.
3. Admissions Process — Step 3: English readiness assessment. The core language of instruction at HIS is English, and students do not need to be fluent at entry but should have enough readiness to participate in complex discussions conducted in English. The admissions process uses conversations, live writing samples, and information from transcripts to assess whether a student can thrive in an English-only learning environment. Grade-specific English expectations are provided to guide families (e.g., Grade 7: various English benchmarks; higher levels for later grades).
4. Admissions Process — Step 4: Interview and family engagement. The interview is conducted via Zoom as part of the formal assessment, and admissions staff may follow up with additional questions. Families are encouraged to participate in online information sessions or arrange a video meeting if needed to better understand the school's learning model and community. In-person campus visits can also be scheduled.
5. Admissions Process — Step 5: Admission decision and enrollment steps. If admitted, the enrollment process includes paying the Registration Fee and the Annual Fees detailed below. The Registration Fee is 500,000 JPY for overseas applicants or 300,000 JPY for domestic applicants (one-time, non-refundable). Annual Fees cover Middle School or High School tuition, a Boarding Fee if applicable, and a Maintenance & Equipment Fee (boarding vs day students). All listed fees are non-refundable.
6. Admissions Process — Step 6: Calendar and start of year. The HIS admissions timeline follows a rolling basis throughout the year, with new students typically joining at the start of the school year in late August, though limited mid-year openings are possible. For the 2025-26 school year, the first day is August 31, 2025, and the last day is June 13, 2026, reflecting the international school calendar HIS follows.

2. Waitlist/Pool — Waitlist or pool system. HIS describes its admissions as operating on a rolling basis, and it notes that new students typically join at the start of the school year with limited mid-year openings. There is no publicly described waitlist or enrollment pool in the available admissions materials. Based on this, a formal waitlist is not described, and admissions decisions appear to be made as space becomes available throughout the year.

3. Scholarships — Financial aid and scholarships. The school references financial aid as part of its broader fundraising and scholarship activity: funds raised through the HIS Fund provide need-based support to help talented students access the program. The giving materials emphasize that tuition covers only part of the cost, and financial aid is one of the areas funded by contributions. Details about eligibility or the application process for financial aid are not published in the admissions materials; families should reach out to the development/ admissions contacts for specifics.

Note: Key fee details include an Application Fee of 25,000 JPY, a Registration Fee of 500,000 JPY for overseas applicants or 300,000 JPY for domestic applicants (one-time, non-refundable), and annual fees for Middle School (3,740,000 JPY) or High School (4,230,000 JPY), plus a Boarding Fee (2,040,000 JPY) and a Maintenance & Equipment Fee (boarding 500,000 JPY; day students 400,000 JPY). Fees are non-refundable. These figures are current on the school pages. } } }{} {

Scholarships

Hakuba International School indicates it provides need-based financial aid through the HIS Fund; grants are funded by donations and designated for financial aid, but no public, step-by-step scholarship application process is published.

Waitlist

The school runs admissions on a rolling basis with limited mid-year openings; there is no published waitlist/pool mechanism in the available materials.

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Compare International Schools in Hakuba, Japan

Location

Stages

Type

Pupil Nationality Mix

Additional learning support

Country affiliation

Religious affiliation

School day structure

Bus service

Boarding Arrangements

Food Options

Governance and Ownership

Curriculum

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)

Special Educational Needs (SEN)

English as an Additional Language (EAL)

Mental Wellbeing

Safeguarding

Admissions

Scholarships

Waitlist

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Annual fees

Children's Ages

Curriculum offered

Brand

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