Tokyo 23 Wards Daycare Guide: Where to Live, Where It's Hard

Information current as of April 2026 based on the Tokyo Bureau of Social Welfare, the Children and Families Agency April 2025 daycare statistics, and ward-level publications. Each ward has its own rules — always check the specific ward office for your situation.

Tokyo is the only place in Japan where the "daycare crisis" narrative is still partly accurate. National waitlists dropped from 26,081 in 2017 to 2,254 in April 2025, but Tokyo still represents a meaningful share of that remaining waitlist — and central wards remain competitive enough that point scores still matter. This guide compares the 23 wards so you can choose where to live and apply strategically.

The big change: 1st child daycare is now free in Tokyo

From September 1, 2025, Tokyo Metropolitan Government made daycare fees for the first child aged 0–2 free, with no income limit. This stacked on top of the existing 2nd-child-onward free policy from 2023.

The combined effect:

• 0–2 year olds: All children in Tokyo licensed daycares are now free for tuition (you still pay meal fees, supplies, etc.)
• 3–5 year olds: Already free under the national policy since October 2019

This makes Tokyo the most generous major city in Japan for daycare costs — eliminating the income-based fee structure that still applies in most other cities. Source: Tokyo Bureau of Social Welfare.

What "free" doesn't include

• Meal fees (給食費) — typically ¥4,500–¥7,500/month
• Extended-hours fees (延長保育料) — if you pick up after the standard time
• Event fees (行事費) — once or twice a year
• Diaper fees at some facilities
• Supplies you bring from home (clothes, futon, etc.)

The April 2025 Tokyo daycare landscape

National data for April 2025:

• National waitlist: 2,254 children (down 313 from 2024)
• 83.3% of all waitlisted children nationwide are 1–2 year olds
• 1,489 of 1,741 municipalities (85.5%) now report zero waitlist

For Tokyo specifically, recent annual reports show the wards with the most difficulty filling daycare slots are concentrated in eastern Tokyo (城東 area) and high-density central areas:

Difficulty rank	Ward (per recent surveys)	Notes
Hardest	江戸川区 (Edogawa)	0-year-old slot ratio reportedly 7.66x. Largest gap between population and capacity.
2nd	台東区 (Taito)	Rising difficulty as residential population grows in central Tokyo
3rd	大田区 (Ota)	Mixed residential, large area, uneven daycare distribution
4th	中央区 (Chuo)	High-rise residential boom, capacity hasn't kept up
Also competitive	港区 (Minato), 渋谷区 (Shibuya), 世田谷区 (Setagaya), 杉並区 (Suginami)	Central wards with high foreign-resident populations and competitive 1-year cutoffs

Source: Style Act / Sumai Surfin "23-Ward Hardest Stations" annual report. Waitlist data from CFA April 2025 statistics.

Wards with consistently more capacity (easier to get in)

• 足立区 (Adachi) — Large area, lots of facilities, generally available spots
• 葛飾区 (Katsushika) — Family-oriented residential area with capacity
• 練馬区 (Nerima) — Most areas have available 1-year and 2-year spots
• 北区 (Kita) — Generally good availability
• 板橋区 (Itabashi) — Large area, mixed difficulty by neighborhood

Each ward operates independently

Unlike Osaka City (which has a centralized system), each Tokyo ward runs its own daycare application process. This means:

• Each ward has its own application form (申込書) — they look similar but have small differences
• Each ward has its own point table (利用調整基準表) — the specific scores for each adjustment vary
• Each ward has its own deadlines (most are early-to-mid November, but check yours)
• Each ward has its own list of daycares and capacity
• If you move between wards, you must re-apply in your new ward (your previous application doesn't transfer)

Practical implication: You cannot rely on advice from a friend who lives in a different ward. You must read your specific ward's "保育のごあんない" (daycare information booklet).

Ward-by-ward overview

Here's a high-level comparison. Cutoff scores and exact ratios change every year — these are general indicators based on recent multi-year data. Always verify with the current year's data from the ward office.

Ward	1-year competitiveness	3-year competitiveness	Notable feature
千代田区 (Chiyoda)	Moderate	Easy	Smallest population, generally manageable
中央区 (Chuo)	Hard	Moderate	High-rise residential growth outpaces capacity
港区 (Minato)	Hard	Moderate	High income, high competition. Some English-friendly facilities.
新宿区 (Shinjuku)	Moderate	Easy	Diverse neighborhoods, varying competition
文京区 (Bunkyo)	Hard	Moderate	Education-focused families, high demand
台東区 (Taito)	Hard	Moderate	Recent population growth
墨田区 (Sumida)	Moderate	Easy	Mixed
江東区 (Koto)	Moderate-Hard	Moderate	Toyosu/Ariake area especially competitive
品川区 (Shinagawa)	Moderate	Easy	Generally manageable
目黒区 (Meguro)	Moderate-Hard	Moderate	High-income residential
大田区 (Ota)	Hard	Moderate	Largest 23-ward area, uneven daycare distribution
世田谷区 (Setagaya)	Hard	Moderate	Largest population in Tokyo. Central areas very competitive.
渋谷区 (Shibuya)	Hard	Moderate	High income, high competition
中野区 (Nakano)	Moderate	Easy	Generally manageable
杉並区 (Suginami)	Hard	Moderate	Family-friendly area, competitive 1-year
豊島区 (Toshima)	Moderate	Easy	Mixed
北区 (Kita)	Easy-Moderate	Easy	Generally available
荒川区 (Arakawa)	Moderate	Easy	Mixed
板橋区 (Itabashi)	Easy-Moderate	Easy	Large area, varies by neighborhood
練馬区 (Nerima)	Easy-Moderate	Easy	Generally available
足立区 (Adachi)	Easy	Easy	Lots of facilities, generally available
葛飾区 (Katsushika)	Easy	Easy	Family-friendly with capacity
江戸川区 (Edogawa)	Very Hard	Hard	Highest 0-year-old ratio reported (~7.66x). Capacity expansion lagging.

Strategic considerations for foreign families

If you're choosing where to live in Tokyo

If your job allows flexibility on where you live, consider these factors when picking a ward for daycare:

1. Avoid Edogawa, Chuo, Minato, Setagaya central, and Suginami central if you have a 0–1 year old and need certainty. The ratios are still high.
2. Consider Adachi, Katsushika, Nerima, Itabashi, Kita for easier daycare access. Lower rents too.
3. Suburban Tokyo (outside the 23 wards) — Mitaka, Musashino, Tachikawa, Hachioji — generally has spots immediately available.
4. The wards with multilingual support staff at city hall include Shinjuku, Minato, Shibuya, Setagaya, Toshima — even though some are competitive, they're more navigable in English.

If you're already in a competitive ward

1. Maximize your point score — see point system guide
2. List 8–10 daycares instead of 5 — central wards expect long lists
3. Tour daycares early — September and early October before the deadline
4. Apply for the second round (二次選考) in February if you don't get in first time
5. Consider unlicensed daycare with Tokyo subsidy — Tokyo's 認可外保育施設等利用支援事業 makes some unlicensed options effectively free

How Tokyo's system differs from the rest of Japan

Feature	Tokyo 23 Wards	Most other cities
0–2 fee structure	1st child free (no income limit) from Sept 2025	Income-based
System organization	Each ward operates independently	Usually city-wide centralized
Application competition	Still meaningful in central wards	Mostly resolved (zero or near-zero waitlist)
Point system	Each ward has its own table	Each city has its own table
Foreign-language support	Variable, some wards have multilingual staff	Variable, large cities have some support
Unlicensed daycare subsidies	Strong (each ward has its own program)	Limited or none

The application timeline (Tokyo wards, typical)

When	What happens
August (year before)	"保育のごあんない" published by each ward
September	Tour daycares (book in advance)
Early October	Application window opens
Mid-November	Application deadline (varies by ward — some Nov 10, some Nov 20, some Nov 25)
January	Selection processing
Late January – early February	First-round results mailed
February	Second-round application for unfilled spots
March	Orientation at assigned daycare
April 1	Daycare starts

Critical deadline differences: Most wards close applications between November 10 and November 25. Some wards (Setagaya, Suginami) have earlier deadlines — verify your specific ward.

Where to find your ward's specific information

Search for your ward + daycare info:

• Search: [ward name in Japanese] 保育のごあんない 令和X年
• Or: [ward name] 保育園 申込
• Each ward office has a 保育課 (daycare division) or 子育て支援課 (childcare support division) where you can pick up paper materials

Examples:

• Minato: 港区 子ども家庭支援部 子ども政策課
• Shinjuku: 新宿区 子ども家庭部 保育課
• Setagaya: 世田谷区 保育部 保育課
• Shibuya: 渋谷区 子ども家庭部 保育課

Multilingual support at Tokyo ward offices

Several Tokyo wards offer multilingual support for foreign families during the daycare application process:

• Shinjuku Multilingual Counter — At Shinjuku Ward Office, English/Chinese/Korean support
• Minato International Center — Provides interpretation services for ward-related procedures
• Setagaya International Information Corner — Translation of documents and accompaniment to ward office
• Toshima Multicultural Centre — Multilingual support for residents

Smaller wards may not offer dedicated multilingual support, in which case you'll need to bring your own interpreter or book a LO-PAL helper.

Related Articles

• Japan Daycare Guide: Pillar Overview
• Hoikuen Application Step-by-Step
• Point System Decoded
• 5 Daycare Types Compared
• Osaka City Daycare 2026

Need More Help? Ask on LO-PAL

Need someone to come to your specific Tokyo ward office with you? Translate the ward's daycare information booklet? Or compare wards before you decide where to live? LO-PAL matches you with a Tokyo-based local helper who knows your ward's system. Post your request and get matched.