Setting up a certified childcare centre (nintei kodomoen) in Japan: the recognition/authorisation flow and the type-1 (yoho-renkei) standards

In short: there are four types of certified childcare centre. The kindergarten, nursery and locally-flexible types take a prefectural "recognition" (Certified Childcare Centre Act Article 3), while the integrated (yoho-renkei) type takes an "authorisation" (Article 17), so the window differs. An administrative scrivener prepares the recognition/authorisation application and handles the administration; the building standards go to an architect, staff labour to a labour and social security attorney, and the premises to a real-estate agent.

Sources checked: 25 October 2026. This article organises the recognition/authorisation flow, the required documents, and how the integrated type's standards are built, for school corporations and social welfare corporations that want to set up or convert to a certified childcare centre. If you are considering converting from an unlicensed childcare facility, see also the notification and standards for unlicensed childcare facilities; for opening after-school care, the notification and facility standards for after-school children's clubs. The provisions were reconciled with e-Gov.

What are the four types, and where do you apply?

A certified childcare centre provides education and childcare to pre-school children in an integrated way and also supports parents in raising their children. The governing law is the "Act on the Comprehensive Provision of Education, Childcare, etc. of Pre-School Children" (the Certified Childcare Centre Act). The system is organised into the following four types, and only the integrated type has a different application structure.

Type	Nature	Procedure	Basis for the window
Integrated (yoho-renkei)	A single facility that is both a school and a child welfare facility	Authorisation	Certified Childcare Centre Act Article 17(1)
Kindergarten type	A licensed kindergarten that adds a childcare function	Recognition	Certified Childcare Centre Act Article 3(1)
Nursery type	A licensed nursery that adds an education function	Recognition	Certified Childcare Centre Act Article 3(1)
Locally-flexible type	A facility without a licence that meets the requirements	Recognition	Certified Childcare Centre Act Article 3(1)

The kindergarten, nursery and locally-flexible types receive a "recognition" that they meet the requirements set by prefectural ordinance (Certified Childcare Centre Act Article 3(1); in designated and core cities, the mayor recognises). By contrast, the integrated type requires the prefectural governor's "authorisation" when set up by someone other than the national or a local government (Article 17(1)). Only the national government, local governments, school corporations and social welfare corporations may set up the integrated type (Article 12). The point that a stock company cannot be the operator is a major difference from other childcare businesses.

What documents does the recognition/authorisation application need?

In the review, the authority checks conformity with the standards set by prefectural ordinance and that no disqualifying grounds apply. For an integrated-type authorisation, the opinion of a council is heard in advance (Article 17(3)) and the mayor is consulted (Article 17(5)); a recognition also involves consultation with the mayor (Article 3(6)).

Document / item checked	Content	Basis / who handles it
Authorisation (recognition) application and business plan	Outline, capacity, operating policy	Administrative scrivener assists with drafting
Materials showing conformity with the ordinance standards	Facility, staff and operating standards (Article 13)	Administrative scrivener + architect / labour attorney
Floor plans, layout plans and daylighting drawings	Design of the building, grounds and rooms	Architect
Materials on staff qualifications and deployment	Licences/qualifications of childcare teachers	Labour attorney (labour) / administrative scrivener (application)
Pledges and checks on disqualifying grounds	Disqualifying grounds for the operator and officers	Administrative scrivener

The required documents and forms are set by each prefecture's and designated city's application guidelines, and the submission timing and number of prior consultations differ by municipality. Before applying, check the latest guidelines directly with the authority for the planned site (this article does not verify individual municipalities' forms or deadlines, so those points are treated as unverified).

How are the integrated type's facility and staff standards met?

The integrated type's facility and operating standards are set by prefectural ordinance (Certified Childcare Centre Act Article 13(1)). In doing so, some matters — class organisation, staff, facilities and operation — follow the ministerial ordinance standard, the "Standards for Class Organisation, Staff, Facilities and Operation of Integrated Certified Childcare Centres", while other matters are set with reference to that standard (Article 13(2)). In short, there are two layers: the ministerial ordinance sets a nationwide floor, and each prefecture's ordinance sets the specific figures.

Among the staff, childcare teachers who provide education and childcare must, in principle, hold both a kindergarten teacher's licence and a childcare worker's qualification. As a transitional measure after the law took effect (April 2015), through the end of fiscal 2029 a person with either one may become a childcare teacher; because the deadline has been extended repeatedly, confirm the latest position on whether it applies and by when. The specific figures — class organisation, staff deployment, and the areas of childcare rooms and grounds — are set by the ministerial ordinance and prefectural ordinance. Design, daylighting and building confirmation are an architect's field, and arranging working conditions and work rules is a labour attorney's field, while an administrative scrivener prepares the application and handles the administration.

What changes when converting from a licensed or unlicensed facility?

When converting from an existing kindergarten or nursery to a certified childcare centre, the starting point of the procedure differs from a new build. A licensed kindergarten that adds a childcare function can often suffice with a kindergarten-type "recognition", and a licensed nursery that adds an education function with a nursery-type "recognition"; moving to the integrated type means obtaining an "authorisation" afresh as a single facility. Converting from an unlicensed childcare facility means first organising its status in light of the notification and standards for unlicensed childcare facilities and then deciding which type to aim for.

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On the operating-funds side, a certified childcare centre becomes eligible for the facility-type benefit by receiving confirmation under the Child and Childcare Support Act (as a specified education and childcare facility, Article 27 of that Act). The capacity is set according to that Act's benefit-certification categories (type 1, 2 and 3). Note, too, that recognition or authorisation may be withheld in relation to the necessary capacity in the prefectural child and childcare support business support plan (Article 3(8) and Article 17(6)). Procedures relating to staff treatment, such as the treatment-improvement allowance, are a labour attorney's field and are not covered here.

From application to opening, how are the roles split among professionals?

Opening a certified childcare centre moves building, labour, premises and tax matters at the same time. The basic approach is to split the roles and engage each provider separately.

Who to engage	Scope
四葉行政書士事務所	Preparing the recognition/authorisation application, organising conformity with the ordinance standards, administration
Architect	Design of the building and grounds, daylighting, building confirmation, change of use
四葉社会保険労務士事務所	Staff labour, work rules, treatment-improvement allowance procedures
四葉不動産株式会社	Checking and introducing premises in terms of the use district
Judicial scrivener	Registration of incorporation and officer changes
Tax accountant	The corporation's tax and accounting

In opening a certified childcare centre, authorisation/recognition (administrative scrivener), building confirmation (architect), labour (labour attorney), premises (real-estate agent), registration (judicial scrivener) and tax (tax accountant) are the fields of separate professionals. 四葉行政書士事務所, 四葉社会保険労務士事務所 and 四葉不動産株式会社 are each a separate, independent business. You contract with each field's provider separately as an independent business, and each provider bills and receives payment directly. Our office receives no referral fee.

See licensing support, the engagement process and the fee schedule. Investigating the use district and area of the premises is handled by the separate business 四葉不動産株式会社, which you also contract with separately.

FAQ

Q. Is the application window the same for all four types?
A. No. The kindergarten, nursery and locally-flexible types take a "recognition" from the prefecture (the mayor in designated and core cities) (Certified Childcare Centre Act Article 3(1)), while the integrated type takes the prefectural governor's "authorisation" (Article 17(1)). The required documents and prior consultation vary with the type you aim for.

Q. Can a stock company set up a certified childcare centre?
A. Only the national government, local governments, school corporations and social welfare corporations may set up the integrated type (Certified Childcare Centre Act Article 12); a stock company cannot be its operator. Whether a kindergarten-type or nursery-type recognition is possible depends on the type of the base facility and the prefectural ordinance.

Q. Do childcare teachers need both a kindergarten teacher's licence and a childcare worker's qualification?
A. In principle, both. However, as a transitional measure after the law took effect, through the end of fiscal 2029 a person with either one may become a childcare teacher. Because the deadline has been extended, confirm the latest position on whether it applies and by when. Staff labour is a labour attorney's field.

Q. When converting from a licensed nursery, is building work also needed?
A. It can be. For the integrated provision of education and childcare, you check whether the rooms and grounds meet the ministerial-ordinance and ordinance standards, and if they fall short, design changes and building confirmation arise. Design, daylighting and building confirmation are an architect's field, and investigating the use district and area is a real-estate field.

Sources (Primary Information)

• e-Gov: Act on the Comprehensive Provision of Education, Childcare, etc. of Pre-School Children (2006 Act No. 77): Article 2 (definitions), Article 3 (recognition of the kindergarten/nursery/locally-flexible types, consultation with the mayor, relation to the support plan), Article 12 (operators of the integrated type = national government, local governments, school corporations and social welfare corporations), Article 13 (facility and operating standards set by prefectural ordinance, following or referring to the ministerial ordinance), Article 17 (authorisation of the integrated type, hearing the council's opinion, consultation with the mayor). Final amendment dates are unverified.
• Standards for Class Organisation, Staff, Facilities and Operation of Integrated Certified Childcare Centres (Cabinet Office / MEXT / MHLW Ordinance): the nationwide standard for class organisation, staff, facilities and operation. The specific figures require checking against the ordinance and prefectural ordinance; individual provisions are unverified here.
• e-Gov: Child and Childcare Support Act (2012 Act No. 65): Article 19 (benefit-certification categories), Article 27 (confirmation of specified education and childcare facilities and the facility-type benefit), Article 62 (prefectural child and childcare support business support plan). The detailed item numbers are unverified.
• Licence/qualification requirements for childcare teachers and the transitional measure (MEXT / Children and Families Agency materials; referenced 2026-10-25): holding both a kindergarten teacher's licence and a childcare worker's qualification in principle, with a transitional measure through the end of fiscal 2029. Because the deadline has been extended, the latest position should be confirmed.

Checked 25 October 2026. The provisions were reconciled with e-Gov. Each municipality's application forms and deadlines, the specific figures in the ministerial ordinance, the latest deadline of the transitional measure for childcare teachers, and the final amendment dates of each law are unverified. Reconfirm with the latest guidelines of the prefecture or designated city for the planned site before applying.

This is general information and does not guarantee whether recognition or authorisation is granted, the required documents, conformity with the standards, or a procedural outcome. Individual judgements are made by a qualified professional after reviewing the materials. Written by Joji Uramatsu, administrative scrivener and licensed real-estate transaction specialist.