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I ve read that
school is
for free in japan !?

it depends. some are free, some aren't. So I've been told.

only private ones aren t for free i guess.

If you really want to live in Tokyo, but don't have the the cash.

Try living in a Gaijin, and see how you like it.

Elementary schools are technically free. There are VERY few private elementary schools, so most children go to "free" elementary school.

However, I put the free in quotes for a reason.
In Japan, "free" schooling only means that the CLASSES themselves do not cost money.

There is NO WAY that you are going to manage to go without spending some heavy duty cash. You may not have uniforms for regular class, but you do for gym. And they`re pricey. Those little backpacks the kids carry to school? You better be prepared to drop 50,000 for one of those. And then, let`s not forget the school trip - you need to contribute so much a month for that.
And I almost forgot - you need little bags (usually specific to the school) for just about EVERYTHING you have. Indoor shoes (new ones every 3 months), etc etc.

Middle school/junior high is sort of split between public and private. Public is technically free....
But you have a uniform (ungodly expensive) special shoes, school socks, school bags, indoor shoes, school specific supplies, etc. And then the middle school trip is quite a big deal - usually 3 or 4 days of traveling, sometimes by plane, to various places. By the second year, you`ll need to have contributed more than 200,000.
Private is all that PLUS tuition costs.

High schools are not free. It doesn`t matter whether they`re private or state run. They ALL charge for tuition, plus everything else you need for school.

Now when you say 50,000 and 200,000 you mean Yen or Dollar? Just to clarify.

i guess she means yen.
thats more or less 1500 dollars.

intersting.

in germany we dont have a middleschool. we have only primary and highschool.
both are for free. how many years do childs visit highschool?

how much does a uniform cost?

I say, if you're still at school and wanna go to japan without the expense, enter a scholarship.
There are TONNES out there...
and nine times outta ten, all you have to do is write a little essay on why you should learn japanese, or what interests you most.
It's what I did. ^_~
xx

but i dont go to school anymore;)

i m only interested in it cause of maybe having my own childs in japan..

Ah yes, ^_^

Touche`.