This page explains how we decide which Japanese language schools to include in our directory, and what "accreditation status" means.
A school qualifies for our directory if it is currently authorized to sponsor a student visa (Certificate of Eligibility) for international students. This means either:
For each school, we verify:
Schools certified under the new April 2024 "Act on Accreditation of Japanese Language Education Institutions." These schools have met rigorous standards set by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). As of mid-2026, approximately 60-100 schools have received this certification, with more being certified in rolling batches.
Established schools currently sponsoring student visas under the 2024→2029 transition period. The 2024 law gave existing schools a five-year window to obtain the new accreditation. These schools are operating legally and can sponsor your student visa today, but they haven't yet received the new MEXT certification.
What this means for you:A transitional school can still process your CoE and sponsor your student visa. However, if the school doesn't obtain MEXT accreditation by March 2029, it would need to close. For most students on 1-2 year courses starting in 2026-2027, this is unlikely to affect you directly.
Our editorial team maintains complete independence from any commercial considerations. School selection, descriptions, and rankings are determined solely by our published criteria and editorial judgment.
If we ever introduce paid partnerships (which we haven't as of this writing), every paid relationship will be clearly badged on the listing itself, and the fee structure will be disclosed on our How We Make Money page.
Found incorrect information? A school that should or shouldn't be listed? We want to know.