My 4-Year-Old Son’s Story: Life in a Japanese Kindergarten in Kanazawa

From first-day tears to “I wish I could stay forever!” — our family’s unforgettable journey

1　This Summer, Off to Japanese Kindergarten!

In the summer of 2025, our family spent some special time in Kanazawa, Japan. For our 4-year-old son, it was his first-ever experience in a Japanese kindergarten. And it was just a 10-day short-term trial enrollment.

Honestly, as a parent, I was filled with anxiety before it started. Finding a place from overseas, managing the enrollment procedures, and wondering how our child would be accepted locally.... Above all, would this experience be a positive one for our child? The hurdles were significant. But looking back now, I truly believe taking on this challenge was the right decision.

Today, I want to share stories and episodes from my son's days at kindergarten. I hope this blog can be helpful, even just a little, for other parents looking for new summer vacation experiences or growth opportunities for their children during the winter break.

Heading to school on foot in the morning

2　From Departure to the Start: The Beginning of a Small Adventure

At the beginning of July 2025, we flew from Thailand to Kanazawa. Starting the very next day, our son was scheduled to attend a local kindergarten. The duration was 10 days, from 9 AM to 3 PM. We secured accommodation within walking distance of the kindergarten, creating an environment easy for daily commuting.

Since we had planned to visit the kindergarten the day before the first school day to introduce ourselves, after enjoying some delicious sushi for lunch upon arrival in Kanazawa, we headed to the kindergarten as a family.

The kindergarten he was going to attend was built within the premises of a magnificent temple, and the school building was beautiful, radiating the warmth of wood. When we opened the door, the principal greeted us with a smile and kindly said, "Thank you for coming all this way in the heat". Since we had only communicated via phone and email up until then, I had this vague, unsettling anxiety that didn't feel quite real. However, I started feeling excited about the trial enrollment starting the next day. That was thanks to the warm wood, the cleanliness of the school building, and the principal's gentle demeanor.

For the first day or two after he started, my son felt half excitement, half anxiety. That's completely natural, as he was suddenly stepping into an unfamiliar place, with unfamiliar teachers, and unfamiliar friends. As a parent, I was feeling anxious, too, thinking, "Will he start saying he doesn't want to go?" or "Is he having fun at school?".

3　The 'Anxieties' and 'Challenges' My Son Faced

Seriously, who can remember 20 names?

For our 4-year-old son, who jumped into a class of nearly twenty kids, memorizing all his new friends’ names wasn't exactly easy (come on, it's tough for adults too!). Even if some children talked to him every day or played in the sandbox with him, our son still found himself wondering, "Wait, who was that kid again?".

So, I told him every day, "You don't need to remember everyone's name; let's just try to ask for one person's name today!". Conversations between 4-year-olds are tricky; even if he introduced himself and asked for a name, sometimes the conversation didn't flow well, and he ended up not knowing. Still, the fact that my son was able to introduce himself to a new friend, saying, "My name is [name]. What's yours?"—that's a great achievement.

Nap Time: When You’re Officially Retired, But Still Required

The class still had the custom of nap time. It was a time to darken the room and lie down quietly. However, my son had totally graduated from napping ages ago, so lying down silently in a dark room when he couldn't sleep seemed agonizing for him. My son started saying he wanted to go home before nap time. We got permission from the teacher for him to read a book during nap time, and so my son was able to quietly read picture books during that period.

P.E. Class Drama: The Unexpected Waterworks

What seemed to be shocking to my son was P.E. time. As soon as a physically imposing male teacher appeared, my son started whimpering and crying because he didn't know what was about to happen. At that moment, the teacher simply said, "Crying won't help!". My son was surprised, but he stopped crying right then, reset his emotions, and was able to participate.

When the teacher shared that episode with me, I instinctively hugged my son and told him, "You did such a great job".

These are all just small, everyday episodes. But I believe every single one of them was a moment of small "challenge and growth" for my son.

Kanazawa market with a retro vibe

4　Unique Cultural Experiences Only Possible in Japanese Kindergarten

Of course, it wasn't just anxiety; there were experiences my son absolutely loved. Many of these experiences were only possible because he was in a Japanese kindergarten.

Shopping Trip to the Market

During the week my son had his trial enrollment, the class had an event where they made fresh juice using summer fruits. They decided which fruits to use through a class discussion. It's wonderful that the children take the initiative in deciding things like this.

And that day was the day they went shopping for those fruits at a fruit stand in the nearby market. The teacher leads the children, holding hands, stepping outside the school, and going shopping at the market. While this is just an everyday anecdote, the preschool he attends in Thailand does not allow teachers to take children outside the school grounds alone. This is an experience possible only in safe Japan, and my son seemed to genuinely enjoy it.

After returning home, my son was excitedly explaining the route to the market and telling me which fruits they bought—it was truly adorable. It was a moment where I felt he had gained yet another new experience.

Visit to a Japanese Elementary School

On another day, the kindergarten had an evacuation drill, which included an event where everyone went to a nearby elementary school. Although it wasn't playtime, going outside the kindergarten grounds to see and experience a new place was fresh and exciting for my son.

He didn't seem to fully grasp the evacuation drill event, but he proudly told me, "We went outside again today! We went to elementary school!".

Japanese kindergartens offer opportunities for regular outdoor ventures, rather than just spending the whole day within the school building or premises. While this may be normal in Japan, it is often not the standard in overseas schools. Even as a 4-year-old, he seemed to learn a lot from these unique experiences outside the norm.

Apparently, the 5-year-olds' class sometimes takes trips on the train. When my son heard this from the teacher, he repeatedly said, "I want to ride the train with my friends too!".

I feel that even anecdotes like these were significant cross-cultural experiences for him.

5　Finding His Tribe

As the days went by, my son's expression clearly changed. When he arrived in the morning, friends immediately ran up to him, saying, "Good morning!" "Hello, [Name]!" and "Let's go together!".

Seeing that scene as a parent, my heart warmed up with the thought, "Ah, he's finally fitting in."

The experience of a new friend joining the class and spending time together, even for just a few days.

I sincerely hope this was a positive experience, not just for the child participating, but also for the children who welcomed a new friend. Seeing them kindly talk to the newcomer was incredibly reassuring, and the warmth of the 4-year-olds' "compassion for others" almost brought tears to my eyes.

One day, these small hands are going to be big enough to let go.

6　The Growth We Saw in Japan: "I wish I could stay forever!"

Of course, not everything went smoothly during this trip. There were days when my son said, "I don't want to go today," and mornings when he begged me, "Please come pick me up early". Every time I heard those words, I felt anxious as a parent.

But as the 10 days were coming to an end, my son said this:

"I wish I could stay forever!"

The moment I heard that, I was genuinely filled with pride. That phrase must have come out because he overcame those small anxieties and challenges. Even in just 10 days, a child's growth is surprisingly immense. It was a moment where we experienced firsthand the growth that was uniquely possible because we were in Japan.

7　We Want to Connect This Experience to the Future

To make this experience happen, we faced various walls as parents. The most difficult parts were finding a kindergarten from overseas and managing the enrollment procedures. Simply finding a school that accepts short-term enrollment is tough. Plus, there are required documents, handling communication, and understanding the unique rules of the kindergarten.

Even for me, being Japanese, there were moments when I felt it was complicated.

Many times before the first day of school, I worried, "Will this really be okay?". I imagine that other families who want to take on this challenge might stop due to the difficulties of finding a suitable school or navigating the enrollment process.

That's why I launched "Edoory Kids Japan". I want to support children and their families worldwide in having cross-cultural experiences in Japan and truly witness their growth. My goal is to create smiles born from children taking on new challenges, and to help parents feel proud and happy when they see that progress. I want to create as many of those moments as possible.

Our family's Japanese kindergarten experience was priceless, not just for our son but for us as parents too. We definitely want to try this again during long breaks like summer or winter vacation.

If you think, "I want my child to have an experience like this too!", please reach out to Edoory Kids Japan. It's sure to be an unforgettable family time.

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