🌱 Our Initiative Toward Establishing a Childcare Visa in Japan
🏫 The Current Landscape of Childcare in Japan
Japan’s nursery schools are full of joy, but the childcare sector faces a serious staff shortage. To help, we’re creating pathways for skilled foreign professionals to work in Japan. OBP Academy is proud to support this initiative in partnership with the General Association for Human Resource Development in Early Childhood Education and Care.
🔍 Background: Why Childcare Workers Are in Short Supply
- High job-to-applicant ratio: As of January 2025, there are approximately 3.78 job openings per childcare worker.
- High turnover: About 50.7% of childcare workers leave within five years.
- Many inactive certified workers: Around 61.4% of certified childcare workers are not currently employed in the field.
- Heavy workload: In addition to childcare, staff handle administrative tasks, event planning, and parent communication.
🏛 Government Measures
- Introduction of wage improvement programs
- National plans to secure and retain childcare workers
🌍 OBP Academy’s Contributions
👩🏫 Training Foreign Childcare Professionals
- Since 2019, OBP Academy has offered training programs for foreign childcare workers.
- Most candidates pursue certification through distance learning due to the difficulty of Japan’s national exam (available only in Japanese).
- Graduates are placed in nursery schools across Japan.
🎓 Supporting Japanese Youth to Enter the Field
- Childcare is a rewarding profession that nurtures children’s growth and supports families.
- As international nursery schools increase, we aim to inspire high school students to pursue childcare studies.
- Our affiliated organization, the Language Proficiency Testing Association, offers a free “Childcare English Proficiency Test” based on real preschool scenarios.
🌐 Promoting Bilingual Childcare Staff
- Japanese nursery schools are becoming more international, with many foreign children enrolled.
- Bilingual staff are essential for smooth communication with children and families from diverse backgrounds.
✈️ About the Childcare Visa (Planned for 2026 Onward)
Eligibility
- Applicants must currently reside outside Japan.
- Applications must be submitted through designated schools or sending organizations—individual applications are not accepted.
Requirements
- Completion of compulsory education
- Initial program fees
- Japanese proficiency: JLPT N3 or higher
https://www.jlpt.jp/
- Early Childhood Japanese Proficiency Test – A Japanese language test for working in preschools and nursery schools.https://gogaku-kentei.com/
- English proficiency (any of the following):
- TOEIC: 700+
- IELTS: 5.5–6.0
- TOEFL iBT: 60–78
- CEFR: B1–B2
- VERSANT: 40–47
Benefits
- Opportunity to work in Japanese nursery schools
- Housing support available
- Chance to study advanced childcare at Japanese vocational schools
Contact: info@obp.academy
