31 items you need for Kindergarten in Japan

End of March is a busy period for parents in Japan. It’s time for endings, transitions and beginnings as April marks the beginning of a new kindergarten and school year. Parents are real change and transformation managers during these times.

Three years ago I was barely three months postpartum with Baby, my third when I had to transition Globy, my first, from one Kindergarten to the next.

Reaching this first little milestone with her and doing it all in Japan, in mostly Japanese, had me overwhelmed a little bit. I was looking forward to the new Kindergarten’s program and was excited for it but its requirements for what we had to prepare and for my daughter to start were slightly overwhelming. There seemed to be checklist after checklist for things we had to get and I had no idea where to start.

Right now we’re going through the same motion for the third time with Baby and I am happy to let you know that everything gets easier once you’ve done it.
At the time with Globy, I also soon realized that the items needed are featured in baby and kids’ stores around this time of year and we were able to get everything without even looking at the list.

If you’re curious to find out what a child needs for (this) kindergarten in Japan, then this post is for you. For me it’ll be a sweet memory of marking my girls’ first milestone of completing their first and transitioning to their second kingergarten, learning more about raising kids in Japan, that there’s a solution for everything and how you grow with every experience.

Uniform

Official Uniform

The kids have to wear the official uniform for their commute to and from Kindergarten and on special occasions, like performance dance, entrance ceremony or graduation ceremony.

Activity Clothes

Once the kids arrive in Kindergarten they change into their activity clothes. These are like gym clothes consisting of sweat pants and a t-shirt, a sweater for winter.

Daily Backpack

The kids will bring a normal back pack to kindergarten everyday. Here is what they have to bring in their daily back pack:

Backpack
One set of activity clothes (see above)
Water Bottle
Contact Pouch with Attendance Record Book – a sticker for every day they’re present and any official documents the kindergarten wants to pass to the parents or vice versa.
Lunch Bag (see below)

Lunch Bag

The lunch bag will hold the items the kids need for lunch at kindergarten.

Draw String Bag – a bento bag for the little ones
Cutlery Set with fork, spoon and chop sticks
Cup
Napkin Set with Case
Toothbrush

On occasion, for trips or other events, they have to also bring the following:

Bento Box
Picnic Sheet

Friday Bag

Every Monday the kids have to bring their “Friday bag” with items they will need during the week. They won’t take them home until the Friday of that week. That’s why it’s call the friday bag. Could have also been the Monday bag?

Either way, this is the list of items that go into the Friday Bag:

Lesson Bag
Smok – for arts and crafts, cooking classes, strawberry picking trips, etc.
‘Inventory’ – extra pair of underwear and activity clothes
Park Hat (provided by Kindergarten)
2 blankets- for nap time (one to lay on top, one to use as a cover)
Colour Pencils
Pencil Case
Pencils 2B
Eraser
Indoor Shoes
Gym Shoes

Pool Bag

The pool bags are these all plastic kind of bags that actually make a lot of sense for the pool. If they get wet, it’s no problem. The towels have buttons at the top so you can fix it around the neck. So smart as they won’t fall of the kids when they’re changing so that it keeps them warm and hidden. New for me were the towel caps. It’s basically caps made of towel cloth with a whole for hair which the kids put on after swimming. No towel turban that falls down every two seconds and needs fixing. They come in really sweet forms and shapes and all the different character popular with kids. No pool without a swimming cap. The swimming caps here are often made of and are not very flattering. And of course, the most important: a bathing suit.

What is your experience getting your child ready for Kindergarten? Are you preparing the same or similar items? Did any of the items surprise you? Do they all exist in your country, too? Let me know in the comments.