Juku: Cram Schools and the Japanese After-School Study Culture

Learn what juku are, which types exist for different ages, what families typically spend, and how overseas parents can decide whether a juku suits their child.

Published October 19, 2026 at 11:50 AM JST | By Tokyo Paul

Quick answer: Juku are private, fee-paying classes that Japanese children attend after school, on weekends and during school breaks. Some focus on school subjects and entrance exam preparation, while others teach piano, swimming, calligraphy or the abacus. Attendance usually starts in the early school years and grows through junior high, and costs vary widely with age, subject and how many lessons a week a child takes.

What a juku is

A juku (a private after-school learning center) is a commercial class that runs outside regular school hours. Lessons take place on weekday evenings, on weekends and during the long spring, summer and winter breaks. Some juku are small neighborhood rooms with a handful of desks, while others belong to large chains with branches across the country.

The word covers a wide range. Academic juku teach the main school subjects, which are Japanese, mathematics, science, social studies and English. Non-academic juku teach lessons such as piano, art, swimming, English conversation, shodo (calligraphy) and soroban (abacus calculation). A third group, called yobiko, is similar to a juku but focuses on preparing students for university entrance exams.

For many families the first juku a child joins is not academic at all. A swimming school or an abacus class can fill the after-school hours while parents work, and it gives a young child a regular group activity outside school.

Types of juku and what each is for

Academic juku usually fall into a few styles. Neighborhood juku offer small classes and are often run by one or a few teachers who know local schools well. Large chains use set curricula and level-based classes. Individual-tutoring juku seat each student with a tutor, sometimes two students per tutor, and let the pace follow the child. Reference works note that individual tutoring has been growing, partly because Japan has fewer children than in earlier decades.

The purpose differs from one juku to another. Some aim to help a child keep up with what school teaches, with extra practice on homework and review before tests. Others aim to prepare for an entrance exam, such as the exam for a private junior high school or a high school. A child may use one juku for review and move to a different, exam-focused one later.

One reference work also lists schools for children who find regular school difficult, such as free schools, within the broader juku category. If a child needs a different pace or a quieter setting, the local board of education can explain the options nearby.

Ages, schedules and how much a family might spend

Juku attendance usually begins in the early years of elementary school and rises across the school grades. One reference work, citing figures from 2011, says that almost one in five children in the first year of elementary school attended some after-class instruction, and that the share rose with each grade to nearly all university-bound high school students. Treat this as a broad picture, since figures differ by survey and year.

A national survey on children's learning costs, run by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) for the 2018 school year, gives average yearly cram school spending per child. For public elementary students it was about 53,000 yen, and for private elementary students about 253,000 yen. For public junior high students it was about 203,000 yen, and for private junior high students about 153,000 yen. These are averages across all children in each group, so a family whose child attends several classes a week may spend more.

The survey does not explain why public junior high students spend more than private ones. High school entrance exams are an obvious factor, because many private junior high schools continue into their own senior high school, so those students may not face that exam.

What a typical week can look like

Schedules depend on the juku and the child. A young elementary student may attend once or twice a week for an hour or two. A student preparing for an exam may attend three to five days a week and also join weekend practice tests or seasonal courses during school holidays. Many juku run intensive winter and summer sessions in the months before big exams.

Families often combine several activities. A child might swim on Monday, attend an academic juku on Wednesday and go to an English conversation class on Friday. The schedule is easier to manage when the juku is on the way home from school or close to a train station, which is why location is a major part of how families choose.

Juku usually give homework, hold regular tests and send results or progress reports to parents. Many offer a trial lesson, called taiken jugyo, so that a child can try a class before parents decide. Asking for one is a normal and welcome step.

Why juku are part of Japanese school culture

Japanese public schools follow a national curriculum, and students move from elementary school to junior high to high school with entrance exams at some points. Public high school entrance exams are usually set at the prefecture level and private schools set their own, and almost all junior high graduates continue to upper secondary school. Because exams measure what students can do on a given day, many families look for extra practice, and juku developed to meet that demand. Attendance grew from the 1970s through the mid-1980s and has stayed a familiar part of school life since.

Not every family uses a juku, and many children do very well with school alone. Some local governments and schools also offer free or low-cost study support for families who want it. Choosing a juku is a family decision about goals, time and budget rather than a requirement.

It also helps to know that opinions about juku vary. Some people value the personal attention and structure. Others point out that lessons take up free time and that costs can add up, so families usually weigh how much a child enjoys the class and how tired the schedule makes them.

Tips for overseas parents

Start by asking what the goal is. If the aim is to keep up with Japanese reading and writing, a small neighborhood juku or a tutor may suit better than a large exam-focused chain. If the aim is a hobby or social activity, a non-academic class can be a good first step. Some juku run lessons in English or offer support for children still learning Japanese, though availability differs a lot by area.

Visit before enrolling. Look at the classroom, ask how many students are in each class, and check the commute and the finish time, especially for younger children. Ask about monthly fees, enrollment fees, material costs and seasonal course charges, since extras are common. Staff can usually explain a fee list if asked.

Talk with the child's school teacher too. Teachers often know whether extra study is needed and can suggest the right level. Rules and fees change, so check the current details with each juku before signing up.

Related terms and ideas

Several words appear often around juku. Yobiko are prep schools for university entrance exams. Juken means taking an entrance exam, and chugaku juken refers specifically to junior high school entrance exams. Shukudai means homework, and naraigoto means lessons or classes for skills such as piano or swimming.

Community settings can also support after-school study. Some municipalities offer study support classes for children who need extra help, and libraries and community centers often have quiet study areas. The local board of education can say what is available in a given area.

Fees and course options change, so check the current details with each school. This guide shares general cultural information and published figures, not professional advice; for questions about a child's learning needs, talk with the child's teacher or the local board of education.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do all Japanese children go to juku?

No. One reference work, citing 2011 figures, says about one in five first graders attended some after-class instruction, with the share rising in later grades, and numbers vary by survey and year. Many children study only at school and at home, and others join non-academic classes such as swimming or piano instead of academic juku.

Can a foreign child join a juku in Japan?

Yes, juku are private businesses and generally welcome any child who can follow the lessons. Because most classes are taught in Japanese, a child with limited Japanese may do better in individual tutoring or in a juku that offers language support. Ask for a trial lesson and explain the child's language level before enrolling.

How much does a juku cost?

It depends on the type, the number of lessons and the child's age. A 2018 national survey of learning costs listed average yearly cram school spending of roughly 53,000 yen for public elementary students and 203,000 yen for public junior high students. Families who attend several classes spend more, so request a full fee list before enrolling.

Want to go deeper? Tokyo Paul's book Japanese Parenting Secrets That Create Calm, Independent Children is available on Amazon.

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More guides from Tokyo Paul: Naraigoto: Swimming, Piano, Abacus and Japanese After-School Lessons, Ojuken: Entrance Exams for Japanese Schools and The Japanese School Year: April Starts and Cherry Blossoms.