Cities / Amsterdam / The Japanese School of Amsterdam
The Japanese School of Amsterdam
Japanese national curriculum school in Amsterdam West (Overtoomse Veld) founded in 1979, offering Grades 1-9 (elementary and junior high) for children of Japanese families.
In brief
The MEXT-recognised Japanese school for the Netherlands, founded 1979 and the de facto choice for Japanese corporate families based around Amstelveen.
JSA runs the Japanese national curriculum from elementary through junior high school, ages 6 to 15, and is partially subsidised by the Japanese government. Around 200 students attend, almost all children of Japanese diplomats, corporate transferees and teaching staff. Fees are flat at roughly EUR 4,680. Dutch and English conversation classes start in first grade and exchanges with local schools are built in.
The school is one of the central reasons Amstelveen has become the heart of Japanese life in the Netherlands, alongside Japanese supermarkets, healthcare and the embassy expat desk. For families on a typical three-to-five year posting from Tokyo, the appeal is straightforward: continuity with the Japanese system so that a child can return seamlessly to school in Japan. It is not an international school in the usual sense and it is not pitched at non-Japanese families.
Fees
Annual fees
| Year level | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Elementary (Grades 1-6) | 6 | €4,680 |
| Junior High (Grades 7-9) | 12 | €4,680 |
One-time fees
| Item | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Application Fee (non-refundable) | €300 | |
| Facility Charge (annual) | €360 | |
| School Building Cooperation (per person) | €450 | |
| School Bus (annual, mandatory) | €1,980 |
Reviews
A small, tight Japanese-curriculum school serving the Sony, Canon, Mitsubishi and Yamaha families who cluster in Amstelveen. Around 150 to 170 pupils across primary and lower secondary, classes of roughly 20, and a calendar that runs from sports day and Sinterklaas to mochi-pounding and skating lessons. Dutch and English conversation start in Year 1, and the long-running exchange with the local Josef school still anchors the cultural side. The bus network is the spine of the day and the load-in is real.
Positives
- Class size and community. One or two classes per year, around 20 pupils each. Families describe close relationships with teachers and an easy familiarity across the whole school.
- Cultural calendar. Sports day, Sinterklaas, mochi-tsuki, skating classes, cheese-factory trips, and the joint Japan-Netherlands sports day are a consistent draw. Parents single out the breadth of events.
- Dutch and English from Year 1. Dutch twice a week from elementary and English conversation throughout. The reciprocal-visit and Year 6 homestay programme with the local Josef school has run for more than thirty years and is the part of the curriculum families remember.
- Amstelveen as a base. Sits inside the largest Japanese community in the Netherlands, with Isshindo and Shilla for groceries, the Japan Festival at Stadshart, and the Zuidas employers a short hop away. Families coming on a Japanese-company posting land in a built-in support network.
Considerations
- School bus and commute. Buses are parent-run and routed by area, with the furthest stops boarding first. Families further out start early and get home late, and parents do the local leg to the stop. The bus itself can be busy across mixed grades.
- PTA load. PTA activity is heavy by international-school standards. The bus operation and much of the events calendar lean on parent volunteers.
- Onward path. The school runs to the end of lower secondary on the Japanese MEXT curriculum. Families staying on in the Netherlands beyond Year 9 plan a switch to an international school or repatriation; some use JSA as a holding place while waiting for an international-school seat.
Leadership
Mr. Takahiro Moriya
Mr. Takahiro Moriya serves as the Principal of The Japanese School of Amsterdam. In his leadership message, he emphasizes the school's commitment to its core educational goals: independence, self-reliance, creativity, and contribution. Moriya highlights the school's unique position in Amsterdam, nestled between Rembrandt Park and Sloterplas, providing a natural environment for its students. He focuses on fostering a collaborative learning atmosphere where students take initiative and work together to solve challenges. Under his direction, the school aims to equip students with the resilience to navigate a rapidly changing global society while maintaining strong ties between Japanese and Dutch cultures.
Accreditations
- Japanese Ministry of Education (MEXT) — Nihonjin Gakkō 01