Loading...

Mar 26, 2016

How much do you spend on school supplies?

I'm trying to write a post about how much money I've spent on school supplies so far for my two kids entering youchien and shogakko next month. I'm wondering: do any CC users have kids who go to school? If so, how much did you spend total, to get started? I've spent nearly 150,000yen to get them both started this year... :(

Samantha

Samantha

I'm here to help!

4 Answers



  • ConeHead

    on May 2

    What are you buying???? My gosh that's a lot. I notice they tells to buy everything but I insist I'm not and no y child won't feel different because she already is.

    0
  • BigfamJapan

    on May 6

    I didn't really add it up as it was well spread out... we got a 30,000 yen cheque from the town hall for our 2nd daughter as she is the 3rd child. (If you have more than 3 children in our town there all sorts of financial relief regardless of income or circumstances). That money covered a lot of her costs, plus we had a uniform for her that my older daughter had grown out of. I think it also contributed to some of our son's costs - he started primary school like A. The stationery and meledion cost about 15,000 yen I think and his uniform was about the same again, but we opted to get two of most things. If I include the entry fee we paid for DD2 to get into kindy we probably spent around about what you quoted.

    0
  • LostgirlCA

    on Mar 2

    My daughter goes to Hoikuen 保育園 daycare in Southern Kyushu. She started at 2 months old. It is available Monday to Saturday 7am to 7pm. The cost is 40,000¥ a month. There is no uniform requirement until the age of 1. So far we haven't had to spend anything other than the monthly cost. It is a city run daycare not private. In April she will move to a new class and will be required to have a uniform and maybe some other things. I will reply again once I know what happens.

    0
  • JapanExpert

    on Apr 27

    Private kindergartens can be very expensive - especially the uniforms, even more so as there are 4 sets of uniforms - Summer and winter day uniform and summer and winter sports uniform (including summer and winter hats!). If you shop smart though you can get by with 1 of each uniform set and have them last the 2-3 years of kindergarten. Elementary school seems to be very affordable here, including the after school care options. As there are no school uniforms you do have to spend money on clothes, but with places like UNIQLO this can be done very cheaply.

    0

Awaiting More Answers

2 Answers

AC in the school gym?

I was wondering does your local school (or the school you work at or the school your kids go to or any school that you are personally familiar with) have air conditioning the gym? My four children are all at different schools this year, and not one of them has AC in the gym. They all have AC in the classrooms now, but as you know, that has only been the case in recent years. I presume all schools have AC in the classroom now? For your reference: https://www.city-cost.com/blogs/BigfamJapan/zKnyR-living_medical_education_saitama_tokyo

BigfamJapan

on Jul 13

5 Answers

How do you celebrate Tanabata?

Do you mark Tanabata? If so, on July 7th or August 7th? Do you do something at home to mark the occasion, be it special food, crafts, storytelling etc? Or maybe you go to a Tanabata Festival at some point during the summer?

BigfamJapan

on Jul 7

14 Answers

What cooling items have you tried, tested and approve?

Cooling towels and / or gel sheets, ice-gel technology, portable mist fans, wearable air conditioners... the list goes on and on. But which of Japan's cooling items actually work? What have you tried and tested and give a seal of approval?

BigfamJapan

on Jul 4

6 Answers

Summer only foods

Are there any foods you only eat in the summer in Japan? Or, if you prefer, foods that you associate with summer? One that comes to mind for my family is somen - we usually only eat somen in summer, with the very odd exception. One of my kids sometimes craves somen when she's feeling poorly! 'Goya' is another. Do you eat somen and goya only in summer or would you eat it at other times of the year too?

BigfamJapan

on Jun 24

4 Answers

Baby Showers in Japan

Yesterday I wrote about "Baby Shower Day". But now I am curious - have you ever been to a Baby Shower in Japan? And if so, was it for and / or organized by a Japanese person or a foreigner? And FYI, in case you haven't noticed it yet, we can now see how many views our posts are getting again! Baby shower post: https://www.city-cost.com/blogs/BigfamJapan/weBpJ-living_saitama_tokyo

BigfamJapan

on Jun 7

3 Answers

Taking the bitterness out of Goya?

Today is "Goya Day" and as I wrote in my post about it, my MIL is growing some this year so no doubt we'll be given some to cook. I am not a big fan, because I find it unpleasantly bitter. So, following in the same vein as tonetoedo's mentaiko / karako question - what way do you serve goya? Have you any tips for taking the bitterness out of it?

BigfamJapan

on May 8

5 Answers

Your 2026 food omiyage / souvenir picks?

I know this question has probably been asked several times in the past, but it is also the kind of question to which the answer changes frequently! So, I am curious - what are your top food souvenir picks for 2026? I am going home again soon, and I want to get food omiyage for several people, including the school where my son is about to finish a one-year exchange. I would love to hear your thoughts on the BEST Japanese food omiyage around this year! And / or the food omiyage you buy each and every time you are going home because it's always a big hit? I just had the photo in this post to hand, and it is not a recommendation per se, it's not bad and fits well into a suitcase, but it's not the best strawberry daifuku I ever had.

BigfamJapan

on Apr 24

6 Answers

What's your favorite 'kushiyaki'?

Just for fun; what type of skewered food do you like best in Japan? Or, if you feel like sharing, what are your top 3?

BigfamJapan

on Apr 11

2 Answers

Movie locations near you worth visiting?

The live action version of テルマエ・ロマエ Thermae Romae (2012) was shot at Nokogiriyama, Kyonan Town, Chiba Prefecture. It's one of my favourite getaways for hiking, the temple complex, and catching sea breezes. The movie is hilarious and heartwarming. Which Japanese live-action movies do you recommend, and are the filming locations worth a visit? Tell us the original title, English title, the year, and the location.

TonetoEdo

on Mar 23

4 Answers

Recent vending machine discoveries?

I always get a little kick out of finding a vending machine that dispenses something other than drinks or ice-cream. I have been seeing an increase in vending machines that sell religious items lately. I also like finding vending machines with unusual or attractive wrapping. Have you come across any unusual vending machines lately? Either vending machines that sell something other than the norm or a vending machine with eye-catching wrapping?

BigfamJapan

on Mar 21

5 Answers

What are our consumer rights in Japan?

Do you know your consumer rights in Japan? And if so, would you be willing to share anything about them? For example, what is the policy on returns? I am very familiar with my consumer rights in my home country, and they are very widely publicized back home, but information doesn't seem to be as transparent or readily available here. Or is that just me?

BigfamJapan

on Mar 15

18 Answers

What do you most associate with Ehime Prefecture?

Today, February 20th, is Ehime Prefecture Day. What do you most associate with Ehime Prefecture, what is the very first thing that comes to mind when I say "Ehime Prefecture"!?

BigfamJapan

on Feb 20