Key facts
- Prestigious British schools are expanding into Japan's regions to attract Asian students.
- Gordonstoun plans to open a campus in Wakayama in September 2027, with classes conducted in English.
- More than half of Gordonstoun's Japan campus students are expected to be from outside Japan.
- Harrow School opened a campus in Hachimantai, Iwate Prefecture, in August 2022.
- Rugby School opened a campus in Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture, in September 2023.
- UK Independent Schools Council (ISC) schools saw a 3.5% drop in total pupil numbers in January 2026.
- Boarders at ISC schools fell 8.2% to 57,836, the sharpest annual decline in the modern ISC series.
- Japan was the only major Asian source market to grow for UK ISC schools, up 2.2% to 690 pupils.
Prestigious British schools are increasingly establishing campuses in Japan's regional areas, aiming to create an educational hub that attracts students from across Asia. This trend is fueled by Japan's declining domestic population and a growing international interest in the high-quality education offered by British public schools.
Gordonstoun, a well-known British boarding school and an alma mater to King Charles III and Prince Philip, is set to open a campus in Wakayama, western Japan, in September 2027. The school considered expansion into Asia due to rising interest in British education. Nankai Electric Railway Co. approached the Wakayama Municipal Government about inviting the school, citing the city's environment suitable for marine sports, a Gordonstoun tradition, and its proximity to Kansai International Airport.
The Wakayama campus will utilize a vacant building near Nankai Electric Railway's Wakayamadaigakumae Station, which will be renovated, and a new dormitory will be constructed. Classes will be conducted in English, with projections that over half of the students will come from outside Japan. The school will cover seven grade levels, from the equivalent of Japan's sixth grade to the third year of high school.
In August 2025, an agreement was formalized between the school corporation OCC, Sanyo Homes Corp., Nankai Electric Railway, and the Wakayama Municipal Government. Educational scholar Yumiko Hada noted a growing desire among Japan's affluent class for international-standard education and suggested that overseas parents might also find the planned site's natural environment appealing.
Other British public schools have also opened campuses in Japan. Harrow School established a presence in Hachimantai, Iwate Prefecture, in August 2022, and Rugby School opened in Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture, in September 2023. These schools are part of "The Nine," a group of prestigious British institutions, and their students often aim for admission to world-renowned universities like Oxford and Cambridge.
Data from ELT Education Inc. in September 2026 indicates a contraction in UK boarding school demand, with pupil numbers at UK Independent Schools Council (ISC) schools falling 3.5% and boarders declining 8.2% by January 2026. The number of non-UK pupils whose parents live overseas also dropped significantly. Notably, Japan was the only major Asian market to show growth in pupils attending UK ISC schools, increasing by 2.2% to 690. The report suggests that demand lost by UK schools from mainland China and Hong Kong has largely remained in Asia, with Japan emerging as an option alongside Thailand and Malaysia.