News Shinagawa first Tokyo ward to offer free junior HS uniforms for students

thomas

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Shinagawa Ward in Tokyo has announced that starting in the 2026 academic year, all students entering ward-run junior high schools will receive free uniforms. This initiative, reportedly the first among Tokyo's 23 wards, will have no income restrictions, ensuring support for all households. Public schools in Shinagawa Ward already provide free school lunches and supplies, including supplementary materials. By covering the cost of uniforms, the ward government will effectively shoulder all major expenses associated with compulsory education.


Shinagawa first Tokyo ward to offer free junior HS uniforms for students


According to the ward, 1,900 new students are expected at local public junior high schools and 30 at special education schools for the 2026 academic year. The free items include jackets and blazers for winter, as well as pants and skirts for summer and winter. A survey conducted in fiscal 2023 showed that the price of uniforms at the 15 junior high schools and compulsory education schools in the ward ranged from about 33,000 yen to 52,000 yen (roughly $220 to $340). Starting with new students in the 2026 school year, the ward office or the school will purchase the uniforms collectively upon notification of the student's uniform size. The ward government plans to earmark approximately 100 million yen ($658,000) for related expenses in the initial budget draft for fiscal 2025, which starts this April.

Also, starting in fiscal 2025, the ward will free school trip fees for local public junior high school students without income restrictions. Third-year students of public junior high schools in the 2025 academic year and third-year students of special education schools who live in the ward will be eligible.

 
I'm impressed with Shinagawa for introducing this and trialling the breakfast clubs mentioned in another article Thomas posted. The previous Labour government in the UK (1997-2010) introduced similar measures to reduce child poverty, and they do work.
 
It seems Shinagawa is quite a progressive Tokyo ward:

Shinagawa Ward in the capital has announced a policy to introduce morning child care services at three elementary schools starting in the first semester of the 2025 school year, beginning in April. Under this plan, vacant classrooms and after-school club facilities will be available on weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., with students receiving free bread and rice balls each day. The program will be open to all elementary students at the selected schools, regardless of grade. Initially, the ward government will implement the system on a trial basis at the three schools, with the aim of expanding it to all 31 ward elementary schools and six compulsory education schools by the end of the 2025 academic year. The initiative seeks to address the "first-grade barrier," a challenge faced by working parents due to limited child care options when their children begin elementary school.

Shinagawa Ward will provide over 50 million yen (~$329,000) for the program in its initial budget plan in 2025, assuming it will be implemented at all schools. To avoid increasing the workload on teachers, operations such as opening gates and watching over children will be outsourced to contractors.

 
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