Osaka City Daycare in 2026: Now That Waitlists Hit Zero

On April 1, 2025, Osaka City reached zero waiting children for the first time since 1995. But 2,451 children are still on hold, and some wards (Asahi, Higashi-Sumiyoshi) still have 1.39x competition. Strategy guide for foreign families applying in Osaka in 2026.

Headline: On April 1, 2025, Osaka City reached zero waiting children for the first time since the national waitlist survey began in 1995. This is genuinely good news for foreign families — but it doesn't mean every ward is equally easy.

The reality: Zero "waitlist" doesn't mean zero "on hold." Osaka City had 2,451 children on hold (入所保留) on April 1, 2025 — families who declined a non-preferred spot but officially aren't on the waitlist statistic. And 旭区 (Asahi Ward) and 東住吉区 (Higashi-Sumiyoshi Ward) still had a 1.39x application ratio, with 旭区's 1-year-old slot ratio hitting 1.96x.

Bottom line: Most foreign families in Osaka can now get a daycare spot. The strategy has shifted from "fight for any spot" to "find the right spot."

Information current as of April 2026 based on the Osaka City press release on April 2025 waitlist statistics, the official 2025 waitlist data page, and the Osaka City daycare vacancy information. Ward-level details are from the official downloadable Excel/PDF data.

For foreign families in Osaka, the daycare landscape changed dramatically in April 2025. After nearly a decade of intensive expansion — Osaka City created over 1,778 new daycare spots in 2024 alone, more than double the previous year — the city achieved its first-ever zero waitlist. This guide explains what changed, what it means for your application strategy, and which wards still require extra care.

The 2025 numbers: what actually happened

Metric	April 2024	April 2025
Waiting children (待機児童)	2	0 (first time ever)
Children on hold (入所保留)	~2,400	2,451
Total enrolled in daycare	55,389	56,168 (+779)
New spots added that year	694	1,778

Source: Osaka City official announcement, May 2025.

Wait — "zero waitlist" with 2,451 children on hold?

This is the most important thing to understand. Japan's official "待機児童" (waiting children) statistic counts only children who:

Could not be placed at any daycare they applied to
AND are not currently in any other arrangement
AND don't have a parent on extended childcare leave
AND don't have a parent who declined a placement they were offered

"入所保留 (children on hold)" is a much broader number. It includes families who:

Were offered a spot at a daycare they didn't want (too far, wrong age class, didn't visit, etc.)
Are currently using unlicensed daycare
Have a parent on extended childcare leave
Have specific scheduling needs the offered daycare couldn't meet

So while Osaka has zero "waitlist," 2,451 families are still functionally without their preferred daycare spot. The system did its job — there's a spot for everyone — but not everyone gets a spot they like.

Ward-by-ward: where competition still exists

Osaka City has 24 wards, and the waitlist situation varies significantly. The 2025 data shows where competition remains:

The most competitive wards (April 2025)

Ward	Overall application ratio	Notes
旭区 (Asahi)	1.39x	Highest in Osaka. 1-year-old ratio: 1.96x. 3-year-old ratio also near 2.0x.
東住吉区 (Higashi-Sumiyoshi)	1.39x	Tied with Asahi for highest. Family-friendly area with growing population.
平野区 (Hirano)	~1.0x	3-year-old class had a sudden surge in applications

For the other 21 wards, application ratios were typically below 1.0x — meaning there were more spots than applicants overall.

The easier wards (most foreign families do well here)

Wards with consistently available capacity (based on multi-year data):

住之江区 (Suminoe) — Coastal, lots of new family housing, growing capacity
港区 (Minato) — Includes USJ area, mixed residential
大正区 (Taisho) — Smaller population, good capacity
住吉区 (Sumiyoshi) — Distinct from Higashi-Sumiyoshi, less competitive
西成区 (Nishinari) — Lower-population ward with available spots

If you have flexibility on where to live, choosing a ward outside Asahi/Higashi-Sumiyoshi makes a meaningful difference.

The application timeline (Osaka City)

When	What happens
August (year before)	"令和X年度保育施設・事業利用案内" (annual guide) is published. Available at each ward office.
September	Tour daycares (見学). Most facilities take advance bookings starting in early September.
October 1–15	First-round application window. Submit at your ward office's 子育て支援室 (Childcare Support Office).
December	City processes applications. Cross-checks documents, calculates index scores.
Late January (~Jan 27)	First-round results mailed. You'll know whether you got a spot.
February	Second-round application for unfilled spots.
March	Orientation at your assigned daycare. Receive supplies list.
April 1	Daycare starts. Acclimation period begins.

Where to submit

Each ward has its own 子育て支援室 (Kosodate Shienshitsu — Childcare Support Office) in the ward office. You submit applications there. The main contact for general questions is:

大阪市こども青少年局幼保施策部幼保企画課 — Tel: 06-6208-8037

Required documents (Osaka City)

Document	Japanese	Where to get
Application form	保育施設・事業利用申込書	Ward office or download from city website
Employment certificate	就労証明書	Your employer (Osaka uses Children and Families Agency standard format)
Resident registration verification	住民票記載事項の確認	Auto-checked by city; you don't submit separately if registered in Osaka
Child's health records	母子手帳の写し	You already have this
Tax certificate (if you moved into Osaka in past year)	課税証明書	Previous city's office
Adjustment index supporting docs	調整指数の証明書	Varies — see your ward office

Osaka's monthly daycare fees (0–2 year olds)

For 3–5 year olds, daycare in Osaka is free under the national policy. For 0–2 year olds, fees depend on your previous year's resident tax (市民税所得割額):

Tax bracket	Approximate monthly fee (1st child)
非課税世帯 (tax-exempt)	¥0
~¥48,600 tax	¥9,000–¥18,000
~¥97,000 tax	¥27,000–¥35,000
~¥169,000 tax	¥45,000–¥55,000
¥301,000+ tax	¥58,000–¥77,000 (max)

Multi-child discounts: 2nd child = 50% off, 3rd child = free (when the older sibling is also in care).

Exact fee tables are published annually by the city in the "保育のごあんない" booklet. The bracket structure may shift slightly each year.

What's different about Osaka (vs Tokyo or other cities)

Aspect	Osaka	Tokyo
Waitlist (April 2025)	0 (first time)	~290 across 23 wards
0–2 year free policy	Multi-child only	1st child free from Sept 2025 (no income limit)
Application competitiveness	Most wards = easy. Asahi/Higashi-Sumiyoshi = harder	Central wards remain very competitive
Application process	City-wide standardized via central office	Each ward operates independently
Foreign-resident support	Multilingual support at central office; ward-level varies	Larger range of multilingual ward staff

Practical strategy for foreign families in Osaka (2026)

Live almost anywhere except 旭区 if you have flexibility. The Asahi-ku 1.96x ratio for 1-year-olds is a meaningful obstacle. Most other wards have available spots.
List 5–10 daycares in your application — Even with low competition, ranking more facilities maximizes your chances of getting one you like.
Tour 3–5 daycares in September before applying. With less competition, you can be picky about which ones fit your family.
Submit early in October — The window is October 1–15. Submitting in the first week gives you time to fix any document issues.
If your child is 1 year old, that's the most competitive age class — Consider applying for a slightly older or younger entry if your work situation allows.
Use the city's central contact if your ward office can't help in your situation: 06-6208-8037.

Foreign-friendly daycares in Osaka

Several daycares in Osaka have international or multilingual environments. These tend to be unlicensed (認可外) but high-quality:

Glan International School (Yodogawa-ku) — Bilingual English/Japanese
Kids Garten Osaka (multiple locations) — English-speaking environment
Holy Trinity Kindergarten (Naniwa-ku) — International Christian school

For licensed daycares with foreign-family support, ask at your ward office whether they have any facilities with multilingual staff. Some ward offices maintain informal lists.

If you arrived in Osaka mid-year

The October–November application window only handles April entry. For mid-year arrivals (you moved to Osaka in May, June, July, etc.), you can apply for mid-year entry (途中入園):

Submit application to your ward office
If a spot is available in the month you want, you may get in immediately
Mid-year availability is highest in 5月 (May) and 9月 (September) when some children leave for moves or other reasons
Otherwise, you may need to wait until the next April

Now that Osaka has zero waitlist, mid-year entry is much more feasible than it used to be. Ask your ward office about current availability.

Need More Help? Ask on LO-PAL

Need someone to walk through the Osaka application with you? Translate the ward office handouts? Or come to the daycare orientation in Japanese? LO-PAL matches you with a local helper in Osaka who knows the system. Post your request and get matched.