Deutsche Schule Tokyo Yokohama

Deutsche Schule Tokyo Yokohama is located in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, at 2-4-1 Chigasaki-Minami, Tsuzuki-ku, Yokohama 224-0037. The campus sits in a residential area of Tsuzuki and is easily accessible by public transport from Tokyo and Yokohama. The school also operates a dedicated bus network to serve families in the region.

The school comprises Kindergarten; Grundschule (primary); Sekundarstufe I (lower secondary) and Sekundarstufe II (upper secondary), culminating in the Deutsches Internationales Abitur. The levels are provided under one roof, supporting a continuous German curriculum from early years through to Abitur.

DSTY is a co-educational day school. It operates as a Ganztagsschule, offering after-school care and activities until 16:30.

Students come from around 20 nationalities; representative groups include German, Swiss, Austrian, and Japanese students, reflecting a diverse international community. The school notes these nationalities as examples and does not publish a precise local-to-international ratio.

DSTY has a dedicated Förderbereich that supports students with identified learning needs (e.g., ADHD, dyslexia, autism spectrum, etc.). Support can be inclusive in the classroom, in small groups, or in one-to-one settings, and includes provision for gifted students; staff include Sonderpädagoginnen/Sonderpädagogen. Parents can access counseling through the team.

Germany; DSTY is recognised as an Exzellente Deutsche Auslandsschule (Excellent German Overseas School) and maintains active engagement with the German embassy in Tokyo.

Religious affiliation is not listed as part of the school's public profile; DSTY operates as a German international school with instruction primarily in German.

DSTY operates as a full-day school (Ganztagsschule) with supervision and activities through to 16:30. The cafeteria serves meals on school days from 7:30 to 16:30, and a midday lunch break is included for students.

DSTY runs a school bus system for students from the Tokyo–Yokohama region. Buses depart in the morning with three return options, and the BusCatch system locates buses in real time; a supervising staff member accompanies students on the bus.

DSTY offers a continuous German-language curriculum from Kindergarten through the Deutsches Internationales Abitur (DIA), and is the only school in Japan to offer this qualification. The program centers on German instruction, with Deutsch als Zweitsprache (DaZ) from Kindergarten to Abitur to support multilingual learners, and Japanese language and culture are integrated, with native Japanese speakers able to study Japanese as a second foreign language and non-native speakers offered Japanese as an elective through Grade 10 and as an AG in Grades 11–12. In Grundschule, language development begins with Japanese from Class 1 and English from Class 2, with computer classes from Class 3 and swimming; the curriculum also emphasizes media education and competency-based learning, and a cocurricular program with learning development discussions. Sekundarstufe I focuses on mathematics, science, and social studies, plus vocational preparation, including a two-week internship in Grade 10 and biennial Berufsfeldorientierung; English, French, and Latin are offered, and Latinum can be earned. Sekundarstufe II leads to the Deutsches Internationales Abitur, supported by Studien- und Berufsberatung and a multilingual, internationally minded education designed to enable university progression.

DSTY provides social and emotional learning (SEL) support through a Prevention and Counseling service that includes crisis intervention, conflict mediation, and individual counseling, with pastoral care provided by pastors from two German-speaking churches; a school psychologist offers confidential counseling appointments and assists students in accessing therapy.

DSTY operates a Förderbereich (inclusion and special education support) with an interdisciplinary child-protection team, an Inklusions-AG, and related activities such as an Inklusions-AG Elterncafe; the school also advertises internships in the Förderbereich for training in inclusive education.

Deutsch als Zweitsprache (DaZ) is provided from Kindergarten to Abitur to support non-native German speakers, with DaZ instruction including early integration in Kindergarten and DaZ in Sekundarstufe I; English is taught as a first foreign language from class 2, and there is no publicly disclosed dedicated English as an Additional Language (EAL) program.

Mental wellbeing is supported through the DSTY School Psychology service, which offers psychological consultations for students in crisis, and pastoral care by staff from German-speaking churches; speech therapy is also available in individual or small-group settings to support communication and wellbeing.

DSTY has a safeguarding concept (Schutzkonzept) with an interdisciplinary child-protection team, a staff and student behaviour code, a reporting pathway for suspected cases, safeguarding trainings for staff, age-appropriate child-protection training for students, and multilingual safeguarding materials.

1. Initial inquiry and information request: Express interest in DSTY by using the online contact form to reach the Anmeldebüro (admissions office). A DSTY representative will respond with next steps and guidance; a campus visit or information session is strongly recommended to understand the school environment and programs. This step helps families confirm fit before submitting formal applications.

2. Language readiness and eligibility for entry: For admission to the early grades, DSTY requires age-appropriate German language knowledge. This can be demonstrated by two consecutive years of attendance at a German-speaking kindergarten or by a school-conducted language placement assessment to verify German language ability. If aiming for early admission, the school will require successful completion of its internal school-readiness checks.

3. Documentation and application forms: Gather and submit the necessary forms and documents. Application forms are provided through the admissions process and are in German; the set includes a family registration form and per-child documents (health card, kindergarten/primary/secondary forms as applicable). Completed documents are submitted to DSTY's admissions office as part of the intake process.

4. Admission decision by the school leadership: The final decision on new enrollments rests with the school leadership. Once the child is accepted, families will be asked to submit the remaining forms and documents required for enrollment.

5. Enrollment timing and waitlists: There is no strict annual application deadline because enrolment can occur mid-year; however, competition is high, especially in the kindergarten. If a class reaches its maximum capacity, a waitlist is created and families are notified when a space becomes available. Early application is advised to improve the chances of securing a place.

6. Fees and onboarding steps after acceptance: Upon acceptance, families receive billing for the admission-related fees (service fee and admission fee) and then annual tuition and other charges as applicable. The current fee schedule for the 2025/2026 year includes a service fee of 75,000 yen and an admission fee of 650,000 yen per child; tuition is 1,650,000 yen for Primary grades 1–4 and 1,790,000 yen for grades 5–12; bus service is 380,000 yen; and a DSTY membership of 500 yen applies. Fees may be paid in four installments with a 1% processing fee, and late payments incur interest of 3% above the Bank of Japan discount rate.

7. Language and curriculum context (helpful for admissions planning): The school's instruction is predominantly in German; English is taught as the first foreign language starting in Grade 2, with the option to study Japanese as a second foreign language from Grade 1 and French (or Japanese with prerequisite) from Grade 6; Latin may be chosen from Grade 10.

DSTY offers financial assistance through the DSTY Foundation in the form of social subsidies to support German-speaking students regardless of parental income. Eligibility focuses on income and assets: gross family income thresholds are used as guidelines (under 7,000,000 yen per year for a single child; under 8,500,000 yen for two children), and prospective recipients must disclose the worldwide assets (real estate, investments, business interests, etc.). Applications for social subsidies must be submitted before enrolling in the school year for which the subsidy is sought, and the foundation reserves the right to make decisions on a case-by-case basis. Documents and forms are to be completed and submitted in person to the DSTY administration.

DSTY operates a waitlist system when a class reaches its maximum capacity. There is no strict end-of-year deadline for filing the application, as admissions can occur mid-year; once a class is full, a waitlist is created and families are notified when a space becomes available. The kindergarten section tends to have especially high demand, so early application is recommended.