K. International School Tokyo
🇯🇵 Tokyo · Founded 1997 · IB / British · Ages 3–18
A long-established, academically elite IB school in central Tokyo with exceptional, consistently published Diploma results (42.0/45 in 2025) and full CIS accreditation — but a deliberately high-bar English-admissions policy with no language support above Grade 7.
Curricula
IB, British
Age range
3–18
Languages of instruction
English
Annual fees
SGD JPY 2,850,000–3,020,000
Enrollment
660
Boarding
No (day school)
IB authorised
PYP, DP
Accreditations
CIS, Edexcel
Tier Profile
We only tier dimensions backed by a public inspection verdict or verifiable accreditation. Other dimensions show a data flag — never a guessed score.
BrightKey's Assessment
K. International School Tokyo (KIST) traces its origins to 1997, gaining official foundation as an international kindergarten that September. It expanded through the primary and secondary years across 1998–2006, held its first Grade 12 graduation in 2006, and relocated to its current Shirakawa, Koto-ku campus in 2007 (new main building 2024). It is an incorporated educational institution (Gakko Hojin).
KIST became an IB World School in 2002 and was historically authorized for PYP (2002), MYP (2003) and DP (2004) — a full IB continuum. However, the current structure no longer uses the MYP: PYP (K1–G5), an Edexcel iLowerSecondary programme (G6–G8), Edexcel IGCSE (G9–G10), then the IB DP (G11–G12). So it is IB-authorized for PYP and DP only today, with a British (Edexcel) middle strand.
KIST is one of the strongest IB schools in the region and publishes results transparently — rare in Tokyo. The Class of 2025 posted a 42.0/45 average (world average 30.6), 100% pass rate, 25% earning a perfect 45. Five years of results (2021–2025: 42.3, 42.1, 41.1, 41.5, 42.0) show this is sustained.
Admissions are openly selective on English: applicants for Grade 8 and above identified as requiring language support are not accepted.
Why These Ratings?
Inspection & AccreditationA — Excellent
Full CIS accreditation (5-year evaluation cycle), explicitly stated on the official site, plus IB World School status and Edexcel approval. Japan has no public inspectorate — tier reflects accreditation depth, A.
Strengths & Trade-offs
Strengths
- Outstanding, transparently published IB DP results (42.0/45 in 2025; five-year track record above 41)
- Full CIS accreditation on a 5-year evaluation cycle — strong external quality assurance
- Single-campus K1–G12 continuity (ages 3–18) — no transition between schools
- Central, highly accessible Tokyo location (Shirakawa, Koto-ku); new 2024 main building
- Established history (since 1997) with deep IB roots (IB World School since 2002)
- Officially recognized educational institution (Gakko Hojin) and an SAT Test Center
Trade-offs
- No EAL/language support for Grade 8 and above — students needing English help are explicitly not accepted
- The IB continuum is incomplete in practice: MYP is no longer offered, and middle years run on Edexcel iLowerSecondary/IGCSE
- High fees (~¥2.85M–3.02M annual tuition plus ¥700K capital and other one-time fees)
- Third-party review sentiment is weak (small, unverified sample)
- Enrollment/nationality figures differ between official site (~700/50+) and aggregators (660/45)
Is It Right For You?
Best For
- ✓Families seeking a top-tier, results-driven IB Diploma outcome
- ✓Children entering in the early years (K1–early primary) who can grow up in the system
- ✓English-fluent international and bilingual families based in central/east Tokyo
Not Ideal For
- ✕Students above Grade 7 who need English-language support
- ✕Families wanting a pure IB MYP middle-years pathway
- ✕Budget-sensitive families
- ✕Families needing boarding (day school only)
Curriculum
PYP (K1–G5) and IB DP (G11–G12) are the IB-authorized programmes today. Middle years use Edexcel (Pearson) iLowerSecondary (G6–G8) and IGCSE (G9–G10), not the IB MYP — despite KIST having been MYP-authorized in 2003. Best described as IB at both ends with a British qualification bridge in the middle.
Fees
Annual tuition for AY Aug 2026–Jun 2027: ¥3,020,000 (K1–K3), ¥2,850,000 (G1–G9), ¥2,970,000 (G10–G12), plus one-time fees: ¥30,000 application, ¥300,000 enrollment, ¥700,000 capital, ¥200,000/yr building maintenance. Fees are publicly published — uncommon for Tokyo.
Admissions
Selective on English ability; no language support offered for Grade 8+. Age cut-off July 31. The school manages cultural/nationality balance per grade.
Campus Life
Single central-Tokyo campus in Shirakawa, Koto-ku, ~30 seconds from the nearest station, with a new main building opened in 2024. Extracurricular activities and a school bus service.
University Placement
School-reported · not independently verified
School-reported: KIST publishes detailed IB DP results (42.0/45 average, 100% pass rate, 25% scoring 45 in 2025). A university-acceptance page exists but specific destination figures were not captured; treat placement claims as school-reported, unverified.
Sources
Every verifiable fact carries a public source — verify it yourself.
- KIST official — About KIST (CIS accreditation, IB World School) · 2026-06
- KIST official — School History (founding 1997, IB authorization dates) · 2026-06
- KIST official — Academic Performance (IB DP results 2021–2025) · 2026-06
- KIST official — School Fees (AY 2026–27) · 2026-06
- International Schools Database — KIST · 2026-06
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