Bond Japan · For childcare teachers in Japan
Japanese childcare,
explained from the nursery floor.
Plain-English guides to Japan’s Childcare Guidelines, and the everyday Japanese you’ll hear in a Japanese nursery — written by a practitioner with over 10 years in Japanese nurseries.
Start here
Three ways in
Whether you started last week or have worked in Japan for years, there is something here for your next shift.
01
Childcare Guidelines
Japan’s national Childcare Guidelines (保育所保育指針), explained one idea at a time — what each part means and how it shows up in a real classroom.
02
Hoikuen Japanese
The Japanese you actually hear on the nursery floor: toddler words, teacher phrases, polite Japanese for parents, and the culture behind them.
03
Nursery Year
Sports day, seasonal events and the rhythm of a Japanese nursery year — what happens, and why it matters to children and families.
Coming soon
Free sample
Hoikuen Japanese — free sample PDF, coming soon.
30 scenes from a Japanese nursery day, with Japanese, romaji and English. Leave your email and we’ll let you know when the free sample is ready.
About
Written by a nursery practitioner
Every article is written by Ryuki Kataoka, who has worked in Japanese nurseries for over 10 years — not as a researcher or policy expert, but as someone on the floor every day.
The series is published by Bond Japan (NPO法人ボンドジャパン), a Tokyo non-profit that connects international schools and nurseries across Japan to share materials and learn from each other.
“The Japanese you actually hear on the nursery floor.”
For international teachers, interns and students working in Japanese nurseries and international schools.