Leveraging the benefits of being a non-article 1 school, we base our curriculum on the International Baccalaureate (IB) while also incorporating elements from Japan’s course of study and other international curriculum flexibly.
With an April enrollment and the requirement that parents speak either English or Japanese, CGK is an accessible international school for many families.
Building on the foundation established in our preschool, the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) continues into our elementary school. We further deepen inquiry at a higher level using a transdisciplinary approach that transcends traditional subject boundaries.
This type of learning is highly practical and well-suited for young learners as they engage with society and the world around them.
To enhance their inquiry and understanding, we also actively incorporate field trips and other experiential learning opportunities.
In our daily 45-minute Japanese classes, we focus on developing students’ self-expression, critical thinking skills, and a spirit of inquiry in a balanced manner, reflecting our commitment to nurturing lifelong learners who thrive in multiple languages. We believe that supporting a child’s native language and the language of their country of residence is crucial for deepening their cultural identity and promoting cognitive, social, and emotional development.
Accordingly, we place a strong emphasis on Japanese language education (JLL/Japanese Language and Literature) based on the curriculum standards from the MEXT while also dedicating significant resources to Japanese language classes for students learning it as a foreign language (JAL/Japanese as an Acquisition Language).
*All subjects except Japanese are taught in English.
We offer overseas study programs to encourage children to become self-reliant, self-directed and lifelong learners. Our staff will help you make the arrangements after finding out the needs of your child and your family. There are many different options to study abroad, for example, parent-child study abroad, home-stay, and boarding schools. These are very valuable opportunities to put learning to practical use in a new environment, apart from the daily life at CGK, and parents will be touched to see how much their children grow.
CGK strongly recommends studying abroad at a young age, as it provides an opportunity to experience an unknown world and gain exposure to diverse values and ways of thinking, which in turn, leads to growth.
Also, CGK is a welcoming place for international students from abroad with a view to encouraging multicultural cooperation.
We offer After Care (until 4pm), Club Activities (until 4:30pm), and Afterschool (until 7pm).
Students can participate in a wide range of activities, from cultural and athletic pursuits to relaxation time and in-depth exploration of various subjects.
2-25-2 Minaminakadori, Naka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa (Greater Tokyo) 231-0006, Japan
Capacity
Approx. 20 per class
Class Hours
Grade 1-2: 25 hrs per week, Grades 3-5: 29 hrs per week
Vacations
Spring Break (approx. 3 weeks), Golden Week (approx. 1 week), Summer Vacation (approx. 6 weeks), Winter Vacation (approx. 2 weeks)
Kannai Campus Layout
Access
4-minute walk from Bashamichi Station (馬車道駅) on the Minatomirai Line (directly to/from the Tōyoko Line and Fukutoshin Line)
5-minute walk from Nihon-ōdōri Station (日本大通り駅) on the Minatomirai Line (directly to/from the Tōyoko Line and Fukutoshin Line)
5-minute walk from Kannai Station (関内駅) on the Yokohama Municipal Subway Blue Line
7-minute walk from Kannai Station (関内駅) on the JR Keihin-Tōhoku Line
Bus transportation is provided in the morning only. We have three school buses, and the following routes are subject to change. Please note that although students in the lower elementary grades are eligible, priority will be given to younger children from age 2 and up.
"Taxi Service for Childcare" may also be available. For more information, please refer to Afterschool "Taxi Service for Childcare".
Five of the games at this year`s Elementary and Middle School Sports Day began with our students` ideas.
Working in small groups during PSPE lessons, students developed games including Sharks and Treasure, Blind Mail and Dangerous Pizza Delivery. Creating a game gives them a reason to explain an idea, listen to other suggestions and work together to refine it. Communication, social skills and critical thinking are part of the process.
At CGK, the learning behind Sports Day includes the thinking and collaboration that happen before the event. The students` ideas will become activities for their school community to enjoy together.
Sports Day is an event for the CGK community only.
Join us at our Kannai campus on Sunday, November 8. Explore our approach to education, curriculum, school life, tuition and admissions, whether you are ready to apply or still considering your child’s next step.
PRESCHOOL (ages 2–5) 9:00–10:30am — Japanese 11:15am–12:45pm — English / Japanese
ELEMENTARY & MIDDLE SCHOOL 9:00–11:00am / 2:30–4:30pm Both sessions: English / Japanese
Venue: CGK Kannai Campus, Yokohama Advance registration required. Check your program and session on our website: cgkis.com.
Yokohama Excellence ( @yokohamaexcellence_official) is a professional basketball club based in Yokohama. CGK International School is a Gold Partner for the 2026-27 season.
On October 17, CGK students, families and staff joined local supporters at Yokohama Budokan for CGK International School presents: Yokohama Excellence vs Gifu Swoops. Excellence took the win, 96-86!
Cheering clappers, a school-bus papercraft and an exploration game set in Yokohama brought a little of CGK’s playful spirit to the day. For our tenth anniversary, it was a chance to enjoy making, cheer together and connect beyond the classroom.
Thank you to everyone who joined us, and to the Yokohama Excellence team. See the photos and the story behind the day on our blog.
A rocket and a castle: the inquiry behind the work.
Rocket movement and the history of Japanese castles may seem unrelated. In CGK Afterschool miniprojects, a programme for Grades 1–9, both became investigations of how researched ideas could be represented.
A student researching rockets explored energy and escape velocity. In the model, reversing the direction of the current reversed a motor to represent launch and landing. This was a representation of movement, not a model that could travel into space.
A group building a castle investigated Japanese history, architecture, clan crests and culture. Behind the finished work were research and decisions about how to express what they had learned.
Classrooms become haunted houses—and taking the stairs becomes a challenge!
At CGK School Festival 2026 on 24-25 October, Middle School students in Grade 6 and Grades 7/8 are preparing The Haunted 9th Floor. Discover their student-created experiences and join the Step Challenge.
G6 | The Haunted 9th Floor Grade 6 is transforming classrooms and corridors into a spooky walkthrough. Visitors will move through themed areas featuring decorations, student actors, sound effects, lighting and surprises designed to create a fun and frightening festival experience.
G7/8 | The Haunted 9th Floor G7/8 students will create a haunted house in their classrooms and corridor, with themed areas including eyes, spiders, the ocean, jump scares, lightning and trypophobia. The students are designing all the stories, rules and decorations themselves. Visitors can also make their own magnets at the gift shop.
Step Challenge Elevators get crowded during School Festival, so please use the stairs! Climbing up to the 9th floor can be tiring, but make it fun with our Step Challenge! Anyone with a smartphone step counter can join. The person who takes the most steps that day wins a prize!
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教室が、お化け屋敷に。階段移動も、チャレンジに。
10月24日(土)・25日(日)のCGK School Festival 2026では、中等部のG6・G7/8が「The Haunted 9th Floor」を準備中。生徒たちがつくる仕掛けと、会場を歩いて楽しむStep Challengeをご紹介します。
G6 | The Haunted 9th Floor G6が教室や廊下を、不気味なウォークスルー型のお化け屋敷に変身させます。テーマごとに装飾されたエリアを進みながら、生徒たちによる演出や効果音、照明、思いがけない仕掛けを体験できます。楽しくもちょっぴり怖い、スリル満点のフェスティバル体験をお楽しみください！
G7/8 | The Haunted 9th Floor G7・G8の生徒たちが、教室や廊下を使ってお化け屋敷を作ります！目玉やクモ、海、突然驚かせる仕掛け、雷の演出、集合体恐怖症をテーマにしたエリアなど、さまざまな恐怖が待ち受けています。ストーリーやルール、装飾全てを生徒たちで考えたお化け屋敷をお届けします。 出口のギフトショップでは、オリジナルマグネット作りも楽しめます！
Step Challenge School Festivalではエレベーターの混雑緩和のため、階段の利用にご協力ください！9Fまでの階段移動は大変ですが、楽しみながら挑戦できるStep Challengeを開催！スマホの歩数計があれば誰でも参加OK。当日最も歩いた人には賞品をプレゼント！
Details via the link in our profile. / 詳しくはプロフィールのリンクから。
Small creatures, many similarities and differences.
In Ocean Class (2-year-olds), changes in autumn and an interest in small creatures are opening up inquiry: weather, leaves, wind, and differences in creatures` bodies, faces and sizes.
Moving from Who We Are towards How We Express Ourselves, children notice similarities and differences between themselves and other living things. Observations connect with language and ways of expressing ideas.
The class has also explored the idea that other creatures have families and should be treated with care. Small discoveries become opportunities to develop an interest in the living world around us.
Elementary School classes are preparing for CGK School Festival 2026 on 24-25 October. From detective mysteries to space adventures, which booth would you like to try?
G1A | Spooky-Cute Animal World! Try thrilling games with friends and discover surprise prizes.
G1B | Creepy Playhouse Students are creating games, practising turn-taking, compromise, sharing ideas and listening.
G2A | Detective Headquarters Follow clues and hidden evidence to solve the case of the missing animal.
G2B | Halloween Game Centre! Try basketball and taiko drumming, then complete a stamp rally for a prize.
G3A | Water maze race Roll for water, race an opponent through a maze and escape in as few turns as possible.
G3B | Jungle Maze Navigate rainforest vines and animals, solve riddles and claim a prize.
G4 | Game Centre Try a Tom & Jerry ball toss and a game combining bowling with air hockey.
G5 | Space Adventure! Throw planets, try planetary bowling and set off on a space adventure.
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子どもたちがつくる、8つのゲームブース。
10月24日(土)・25日(日)のCGK School Festival 2026に向けて、初等部の各クラスが準備を進めています。探偵の謎解きから宇宙の冒険まで、どのブースに挑戦してみたいですか？
From an image of a country to everyday life at a school.
What is it like to learn overseas? On September 14, CGK welcomed Belmont Intermediate School Principal Nick Hill and International Student Director Lee Rang Lim from New Zealand for a study-abroad information event.
Families heard about the school`s educational approach, everyday life and international-student support, and could ask their questions directly. It was an opportunity to consider the actual school, rather than relying only on an image of the country.
CGK`s individual consultations also consider a child`s age and grade, the length of a stay, interests and goals. There is no single form of study abroad that suits every child.
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国のイメージから、学校の毎日へ。
海外で学ぶことを、現地の先生に直接聞く。9月14日、CGKで開催した留学説明会には、ニュージーランドのBelmont Intermediate Schoolから、校長Nick Hill先生と留学生担当ディレクターLee Rang Lim先生が来校しました。
In Jungle A and B Classes (3-year-olds), learning centres offer children opportunities to choose activities and explore at their own pace. Interests and ways of learning differ from child to child.
On Friday afternoons, the two classes join together. Literacy, numbers, patterns, shapes and writing can be explored without pressure to produce a single right answer. Trying things and making discoveries remain central.
The setting brings together personal choice and time with other children. Both are part of supporting children`s agency.
What kind of home can you design within a limited space? In the Elementary and Middle School tiny-house project, students used measurement, area and spatial reasoning while developing floor plans.
Choosing rooms and features was only part of the task. Would the dimensions work? Would the plan fit the space? Students checked, reconsidered and improved their designs.
The challenge called for both creative ideas and mathematical accuracy. Calculation became a tool for thinking about real architecture and design, rather than an activity confined to a worksheet.
See what learning in English after school looks like through a visit to a real lesson. CGK Afterschool welcomes students in Grades 1–9. Our programme centres on project-based learning and inquiry.
During an individual Open School visit, you can observe a lesson and learn more about the school. Children are welcome to join you.
Weekdays, 5:00–6:00 pm CGK International School, Kannai Campus, Yokohama Japanese and English / Online sessions available Other times can be arranged.
Details and registration: visit the link in our bio.
Discover preschool dance, elementary and middle school stage performances, and G7/8’s music-themed class booth. Students are preparing to share their music and creativity with you.
October 24 only: Preschool Dance and the CGK Idols Elementary Dance Club. Preschool Dance: Our dancers are ready to shine! Mountain/Sky perform “Swim & Shine,” while Jungle brings the energy with “Burning Love” from Stitch. Get ready to dance along!
G1A / G1B: “Do Re Mi” & another joyful song G2A: “It’s a Small World” & “Octopus’s Garden” G2B: “It’s a Small World” & “Sing” G3A / G3B: “I Can See Clearly Now” G4: “Best Day of My Life” (two-part song) G5: “Ode to Joy” (recorders) G6: “All Star” & original “Nature Song” G7/8: An eerie recorded soundscape *G7/8 students will present at their class booth, not on the 5F stage.
October 24 (Sat) & 25 (Sun), 10:00–14:30 CGK Kannai Campus Free admission. No advance booking required.
Raffle prizes, Kanji art and new dance performances!
At CGK School Festival, choose a prize and drop your tickets into its box. Explore 22 prize selections, from dining vouchers and family experiences to a one-night stay at MAGMA RESORT Shimobe Onsen. Thank you to all our sponsors and CGK teachers!
Tickets are sold on-site on the 5th floor: ¥300 each (tax included). CGK official LINE friends can buy 5 for ¥1,000 (tax included); please show your LINE screen. General visitors have no advance sales or bonus tickets. Proceeds support CGK education and students’ learning.
October 25 only: JAPOW’s Create Your Own Kanji Art workshop. October 24 only: Preschool Dance and the CGK Idols Elementary Dance Club.
October 24 (Sat) & 25 (Sun), 10:00–14:30 CGK Kannai Campus Free admission. No advance booking required.
See the festival details via the link in our profile.
Clothing, instruments and ways of life: meeting differences and connections.
Mountain A and B Classes (4-year-olds) visited Earth Plaza. Clothing, musical instruments and displays offered opportunities to explore similarities and differences in ways of life.
The visit connected with How We Organize Ourselves and Who We Are. Ideas explored in class—rules, routines, cooperation and caring—could be considered within a wider community.
Noticing differences and considering how everyone can have a place both matter. As the classes move towards Sharing the Planet, the inquiry reaches beyond animals to include people and the communities we share.
An interest in satellites became a model that lights up.
How do satellites move, generate electricity and use it? One student chose satellites for a miniproject in CGK Afterschool, a programme for Grades 1–9.
The research became a working model: a real solar panel powered LEDs. The student also explored orientation through a solar-powered gyroscope using a motor and a rotating disc.
Alongside longer PBL projects, miniprojects let students choose what to investigate, how to investigate it and how to present their findings. Opportunities to share their work connect an initial interest with research, making and explanation.
If you could create a country, what would it be like?
Sky Class (5-year-olds) held an Expo of countries the children had created themselves. Their dioramas brought together decisions about geography, animals, food, culture, flags, clothing and exports.
Through Where We Are in Place and Time, the class explored places, history, migration and ways of life. Creating a country gave children a way to connect those ideas and make their own choices.
Children from other classes visited the Expo. The creators explained their models, answered questions and encountered different interpretations. The inquiry did not end when the diorama was finished: communicating an idea to someone else was part of the learning too.
