Hello,
We are considering moving to Japan starting in September 2027. Our son is currently in 6th grade and would therefore enter 8th grade (4e in the French system) for the 2027–2028 school year. He currently attends a bilingual French/English international school in the south of France.
He is French-Japanese but currently speaks very little Japanese. However, he is fully bilingual in French and English.
We are planning to move for one or two years, possibly longer if the experience goes well. Our goal is for him to learn Japanese while remaining within the French curriculum, in case we decide to return to France afterwards.
We are currently hesitating between the Lycée Français International de Tokyo and the Lycée Français International de Kyoto.
We recently visited LFIK, but we do have some concerns, mainly regarding the very small class sizes and what felt like more limited resources overall (facilities, staffing, support, etc.).
On the other hand, LFIT seems to have significantly more resources, much larger student cohorts, and a more international atmosphere, which feels closer to the environment our son is used to today. At this stage, we are therefore leaning more towards LFIT.
Our main hesitation, however, is the location in Tokyo, which feels somewhat far from the neighborhoods we would naturally be drawn to.
Ideally, we are looking for a neighborhood located within 20 minutes of the school (walking, biking, or direct transportation), with an easy commute, a pleasant living environment, local shops, cafés and restaurants, while still remaining well connected to central Tokyo.
Would anyone have recommendations for neighborhoods matching these criteria?
Also, if any of you have experience with LFIT or LFIK (academic level, atmosphere, support, teachers, integration of students who do not speak Japanese), I would be very grateful for your feedback.
Thank you very much in advance.
by YumIssey