
The Ministry of Education of Japan, as of 1985, encouraged the development of nihonjin gakkō, in developing countries, while it encouraged the opening of hoshū jugyō kō, or part-time supplementary schools, in developed countries. Overseas Japanese schools operated by private educational institutions are not classified as nihonjin gakkō, but instead as Shiritsu zaigai kyōiku shisetsu. Schools that partially offer the nihonjin gakkō's curriculum after school hours or on weekends are sometimes called Japanese schools, too, but strictly speaking they are categorized as hoshū jugyō kō or hoshūkō, a supplementary school. One nihonjin gakkō, Shanghai Japanese School, has a senior high school program. Nihonjin gakkō serve elementary school and junior high school.

There were 85 schools worldwide as of April 2006, and all of these schools provide English classes in the primary education.Įvery school hires teachers from Japan on a two- to three-year assignment, but they also hire people from the local community as Japanese-speaking teachers, English and other language instructors, administrative assistants, gardeners, janitors and security guards. They are accredited by Japan's Ministry of education and science and receive funding from the Japanese government. Some schools accept Japanese citizens only others welcome Japanese speaking students regardless of citizenship. The schools offer exactly the same curriculum used in public elementary and junior high schools in Japan, so when the students go back to Japan, they will not fall behind in the class. It is an expatriate school designed for children whose parents are working on diplomatic, business, or education missions overseas and have plans to repatriate to Japan. School for Japanese people), also called Japanese school, is a full-day school outside Japan intended primarily for Japanese citizens living abroad.
The Japanese School Singapore Primary School Clementi Campus, Singapore as of 2013 this is the largest overseas Japanese school in the world.

