St. Mary's International SchoolVerified

In Brief

If you are sending a son to school in Tokyo and want an established Catholic environment with a strong IB finish and a serious debate and sports culture, St. Mary's is the obvious shortlist candidate. Factor in a sizeable entrance fee - JPY 1,000,000 - on top of tuition when you're budgeting year one.

St. Mary's has been part of the Tokyo international school circuit since 1954 and is firmly in the city's 'big four' alongside ASIJ, Seisen, and Sacred Heart. With roughly 1,000 boys from around 50 nationalities on a nine-acre campus in Futako-Tamagawa, this is one of the more spacious school sites in Tokyo. Boys-only from Grade 1 upwards (kindergarten is co-ed) with the full IB Diploma Programme in Grades 11-12; roughly 70% of high schoolers sit the Diploma. A strong record of University of Tokyo and Ivy League admissions.

The school has a well-earned reputation for two things beyond academics: debate and music. The debate team travels internationally and is widely considered the strongest in Japan. The choirs perform at international venues. Athletics are also competitive through the KPASS inter-school league - soccer, basketball, baseball, and wrestling feature prominently. A Corporate Contribution Programme allows qualifying employer-sponsored families to access fee support; worth asking about if your company participates.

The entrance fee of JPY 1,000,000 on top of the JPY 400,000 registration makes year one considerably more expensive than the published tuition alone - budget the first year well above the annual fee. The Futako-Tamagawa location is in the south-west of Setagaya, which is more convenient for families in Setagaya, Meguro, or Denenchofu than for those in Minato-ku or Shibuya. One note on culture: families new to Tokyo mention the school can feel like a tight community where many boys have been together since elementary - worth keeping in mind for children joining mid-programme.