Tokyo daycare application guide in English: nursery, ward office, and hoikatsu basics

Applying for daycare in Tokyo usually means working with your ward office, not only choosing a nursery. For licensed nursery-style childcare, families apply through the municipality, the municipality checks childcare need, and the municipality performs utilization adjustment（利用調整）based on local criteria and facility capacity. (Japan Children and Families Agency) In plain English, hoikatsu（保活） is the whole process of finding facilities, visiting nurseries, collecting documents, confirming ward deadlines, applying, and planning what to do if your child is not admitted.

The short answer: check your ward first

Tokyo has a metropolitan government, but daycare applications are local. If you want a licensed nursery（認可保育所 / 認可保育園）or a certified child center route that uses childcare certification, your ward or municipality is usually the key office. National guidance explains that for 2号 and 3号 childcare certification, families apply to the municipality, list desired facilities, and the municipality performs utilization adjustment based on childcare need and facility circumstances. (Japan Children and Families Agency)

That is why “Tokyo daycare application” is not one universal Tokyo form. Shibuya, Minato, Setagaya, Koto, and other wards publish their own guides, forms, deadlines, and rules. Shibuya, for example, publishes English daycare admission guidelines and English versions of several forms, including an Application Form and Certificate of Employment. (Shibuya City) Minato’s daycare page links to English, Chinese, and Korean versions of its nursery enrollment guide. (Minato City)

What hoikatsu（保活）means

Hoikatsu（保活） is short for daycare-hunting activity. It is not only submitting an application. A realistic hoikatsu process often includes:

A nursery center is legally described as a facility that provides daycare to infants or toddlers who need daycare based on daily entrustment from guardians. (Japanese Law Translation) But in daily life, parents use “hoikuen” or “hoikusho” broadly, so always check the exact facility category before assuming the application route.

Step 1: know which type of facility you are looking at

For searching, Tokyo introduces two useful tools. Kokode Search（ここdeサーチ） lets you search certified child centers, nursery schools, kindergartens, and similar facilities by area or station and view details with maps. (WAM) Tokyo also provides a Hoikatsu One-stop Service for participating municipalities and facilities, where families may search facilities, book tours, and apply in one place. As of Tokyo’s official page, participating facilities include wards such as Minato, Koto, Shibuya, Suginami, Itabashi, Adachi, and Edogawa, plus several cities; it is not automatically available for every ward or facility. (Fukushi Tokyo)

Step 2: check your ward’s application year and deadline

For many families, the most important target is April entry（4月入園）, because Japan’s school and childcare year begins in April. But the application window often happens months earlier, usually in the previous autumn for first-round April entry.

Ward examples show how different the timing can be:

• For 2026 April entry, Minato announced first-round mail/electronic applications from Oct. 30 to Nov. 21, 2025, and window applications from Oct. 30 to Dec. 2, 2025. (Minato City)
• For 2026 April entry, Koto’s first-round mail and electronic application period ran from Oct. 14 to Nov. 20, 2025, with additional documents due by Nov. 27. (Koto City)
• For Setagaya 2026 April first selection, the mail/e-application deadline was Nov. 5, 2025, and the window deadline was Nov. 10, 2025. (Setagaya City)

These are examples, not your deadline. Your family should check the latest guide for your ward, application year, and desired entry month.

Useful Japanese search phrases:

• `〇〇区 保育園 入園 令和8年度`
• `〇〇区 保育園 4月入園 申込締切`
• `〇〇区 保育のごあんない`
• `〇〇区 就労証明書 保育園`

Step 3: prepare the facts and documents your ward may ask for

The exact documents depend on your ward and situation. Common categories include the application form, household or family situation forms, child status forms, documents proving why childcare is needed, and employment-related evidence.

For example, Shibuya lists English versions of application-related forms and says employed guardians should have their workplace complete a Certificate of Employment. (Shibuya City) Minato’s required-documents page says employment certificates are used for employees and similar work categories, and notes that additional documents may be requested depending on the household. (Minato City) Koto’s application page lists documents such as the application form, family situation form, child health-status form, proof of childcare need for both parents, and other documents depending on household circumstances. (Koto City)

Before you apply, write down:

• Your current ward or municipality
• Desired entry month
• Child’s birth date or expected due date
• Child’s age class on the target entry date
• Each guardian’s work status and working hours
• Planned return-to-work date, if applicable
• Whether you are applying while pregnant, after birth, while on childcare leave, while job-seeking, self-employed, studying, ill, disabled, or caregiving
• Preferred facilities in realistic commute order
• Whether you need proof of non-admission later for employer or Hello Work discussions

In Shibuya’s 2026 April entry page, people due to give birth by April 1, 2026 could be accepted for that April entry application period, and the page lists Mother and Child Health Handbook pages as required for childbirth-related situations. (Shibuya City) This does not mean every ward accepts every pre-birth application in the same way. Ask your ward directly.

Step 4: understand daycare points and utilization adjustment

Many parents talk about “daycare points,” but the official process is usually described as utilization adjustment（利用調整）. National guidance explains that the municipality adjusts facility use based on applicant wishes, facility circumstances, and the degree of childcare need. (Japan Children and Families Agency)

In practice, each ward has its own scoring or index system. You may see terms such as:

• 指数（しすう） — index / points
• 調整指数（ちょうせいしすう） — adjustment index
• 利用調整基準（りようちょうせいきじゅん） — utilization adjustment criteria
• ボーダー — past admission border / lowest index that received an offer

Koto publishes application ratios and index-border tables, but it also warns that ratios and borders vary every year and should be used only as reference. (Koto City) This is the right mental model for all Tokyo wards: a past border is not a guarantee, and another ward’s points table may not apply to your family.

Step 5: visit nurseries and ask practical questions

A nursery tour（保育園見学）is not only about atmosphere. It helps you test the commute, understand hours, compare facility policies, and prepare your preference list.

Useful Japanese phrases for nursery tours:

Shinjuku’s foreign-language nursery page notes that after admission, support may be offered as needed to children and guardians who have difficulty communicating in Japanese, and advises families to consult the nursery school their child attends. (Foreign City Shinjuku) Other wards and facilities may differ, so ask directly.

Step 6: if your child is not admitted

If your child is not admitted, the ward may issue a notice with a name such as 入所保留通知書 or 入所不承諾通知書. Keep copies of your application, preference list, submission confirmation, and the result notice.

This matters because daycare non-admission can connect with childcare leave and childcare leave benefit procedures, but the daycare admission result and the benefit procedure are not the same thing. MHLW says that from April 2025, when extending childcare leave benefit because daycare is unavailable, Hello Work checks not only the municipal non-admission notice but also whether the daycare application was made for prompt return to work. Required documents include an extension-reason declaration, a copy of the municipal daycare application, and a municipal notice that daycare cannot be used. (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare)

Ask HR and Hello Work before assuming a daycare result will support leave or benefit extension.

Useful Japanese phrase:

`保育園に入所できなかった場合、育児休業給付金の延長手続きで必要になる書類と、保管すべき申込書の写しについて確認したいです。`

“I would like to confirm which documents are needed for childcare leave benefit extension if my child cannot enter daycare, and which copies of the application I should keep.”

What to ask in Japanese

Bilingual glossary

Next-action checklist

Before you start:

• Find your ward’s latest daycare guide for the correct application year.
• Confirm the desired entry month and age class.
• Search facilities with Kokode Search and your ward’s facility list.
• Check whether your ward or facility participates in Hoikatsu One-stop.
• Ask HR how long the Certificate of Employment will take.

Ask your ward office:

• Which deadline applies to your target month?
• Which documents apply to your family situation?
• Are English forms or translated guides available?
• Can you apply online, by mail, at the counter, or through Hoikatsu One-stop?
• If you apply before birth, what proof is required?

Ask nurseries:

• Can you book a tour?
• What are the drop-off and pickup rules?
• What happens if your child has a fever?
• Is extended care available?
• How does the nursery communicate with non-Japanese-speaking guardians?

Ask HR and Hello Work early if daycare affects leave timing:

• What return-to-work date should appear on the employment certificate?
• What documents should you save if your child is not admitted?
• Does your employer need a specific notice from the ward?
• What does Hello Work require for childcare leave benefit extension?

FAQ

Do I apply through the ward office or directly to the nursery?

For licensed nursery-style childcare, you usually apply through the ward or municipality, which handles certification and utilization adjustment. (Japan Children and Families Agency) Some facilities, such as Tokyo certified nurseries（認証保育所）, may use direct contracts with the facility. (Fukushi Tokyo)

What is hoikatsu?

Hoikatsu（保活）means the practical process of finding daycare, visiting nurseries, preparing documents, submitting applications, and planning next steps. It is not a single official form.

When should I start for April entry?

For April entry, many ward deadlines fall in the previous autumn. Minato, Koto, and Setagaya’s 2026 April entry examples all had first-round deadlines in October or November 2025. (Minato City) Check your ward’s latest guide because future years and ward rules differ.

What are daycare points?

“Points” or “index” are a plain-English way to talk about a ward’s utilization-adjustment criteria. The municipality ranks or adjusts applications based on childcare need and local rules. (Japan Children and Families Agency) Koto publishes index-border tables but says they vary each year and should only be used as reference. (Koto City)

Can I apply before my baby is born?

Sometimes, depending on the ward, target entry date, and due date. Shibuya’s 2026 April entry page says people expected to give birth by April 1, 2026 could be accepted for that entry application period. (Shibuya City) Do not assume this applies everywhere; ask your ward.

What if my child is not admitted?

Keep the application copy, submission proof, and ward notice. If you are on childcare leave, ask HR and Hello Work what documents are needed. MHLW says April 2025 changes require confirming that the daycare application was made for prompt return to work, along with documents such as the application copy and municipal non-admission notice. (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare)

Are Tokyo daycare fees free?

Tokyo says it supports municipalities implementing first-child childcare fee free treatment for certified childcare etc. from Sept. 1, 2025, regardless of age or income, while national free childcare for ages 3–5 has existed since Oct. 1, 2019. (Fukushi Tokyo) Fees, extra costs, and facility treatment still need ward and facility confirmation.

Are there English daycare guides?

Some wards publish English materials. Shibuya publishes English admission guidelines and English versions of several forms. (Shibuya City) Minato links to an English version of its nursery enrollment guide. (Minato City) Other wards may provide translation support, multilingual pages, or Japanese-only guides.