What to Check Before Using a Closed School for Child Welfare
Counts of conversions for children, capacity from classroom floor area, which floor nursery rooms go on, change-of-use confirmation, and asset disposition
Nursery room or play room floor area required per child aged two or over
1.98 m² or more
Infant rooms for infants and children under two need 1.65 m² or more, crawling rooms 3.3 m² or more (Standards for the Equipment and Operation of Child Welfare Facilities, Article 32)
Dedicated area required per child in an after-school children's club (roughly)
1.65 m² or more
Standards for the Equipment and Operation of the After-School Children's Healthy Development Program, Article 9(2)
Share of nursery construction costs borne by the establishing body
1/4
Grant for Early Childhood Education and Care Facilities. National 1/2 and municipality 1/4 in principle; national 2/3 and municipality 1/12 at the raised rate. The establishing body pays 1/4 either way (FY2026 budget documents)
Conversion to childcare facilities stands at 68 cases, after-school clubs at 124, certified centres for early childhood education and care at 37, and other child welfare facilities at 72. The previous survey put those at 67, 127, 40 and 66, so the combined total has not grown. Against community sports facilities at 1,693 and community education and cultural facilities at 1,206, these are an order of magnitude smaller. Conversion for children remains a thin field.
Before turning classrooms into nursery rooms or an after-school club, check these four things. The order is this article's own.
- Divide each classroom's measured floor area by 1.98 m² for a nursery room or play room, 1.65 m² for an infant room, 3.3 m² for a crawling room, or 1.65 m² for an after-school club's dedicated area, to see how many children it holds. The standards are in the next section and in the after-school section.
- Which floor the nursery rooms go on. If they go on the second floor or above, check whether the building meets Article 32(viii) (table in the next section).
- Whether change-of-use confirmation under the Building Standards Act is needed.
- If the school was built with national subsidy, the asset-disposition procedure (see the next-steps table).
The floor areas and headcounts in this article are the national ordinance figures. Prefectures set the equipment and operation standards for child welfare facilities by ordinance, following the Cabinet Office Order for matters such as staff numbers and room floor areas and taking it into account for other matters. Municipalities set the standards for after-school children's clubs by ordinance, taking the Cabinet Office Order into account. Check the figures that apply to your facility in the ordinances of the prefecture (or designated city) and municipality where it stands.
On change of use, when a building's use is changed so that it becomes a special building for a use in column (i) of Appended Table 1, with more than 200 m² of floor area used for that purpose, the building confirmation provisions apply, except for changes between similar uses designated by Cabinet Order. That schools and child welfare facilities such as nurseries are not similar uses in this sense is set out article by article in Abandoned School Use Change and the Building Standards Act.
Nursery Conversion: Facility Standards and Renovation
Rooms and floor areas under Article 32, requirements for nursery rooms on upper floors, the meal exception, and the Mihara case
Facility Standards (Article 32)
A nursery admitting infants or children under two must have an infant room or crawling room, a medical room, a kitchen and toilets. A nursery admitting children aged two or over must have a nursery room or play room, an outdoor play area (including a place near the nursery that substitutes for one), a kitchen and toilets. The rules for each room are as follows.
| Room | When admitting | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Infant room | Infants or children under two | 1.65 m² or more per child |
| Crawling room | Infants or children under two | 3.3 m² or more per child |
| Nursery room or play room | Children aged two or over | 1.98 m² or more per child |
| Outdoor play area (including a nearby substitute place) | Children aged two or over | 3.3 m² or more per child |
| Medical room | Infants or children under two | Required (Article 32 sets no floor area) |
| Kitchen, toilets | Either case | Required |
Infant rooms, crawling rooms, nursery rooms and play rooms must have the equipment needed for childcare (items iv and vii). Lighting and ventilation are not a nursery-specific rule but part of a general principle: the structure and equipment of child welfare facilities must be provided with full consideration for lighting, ventilation and the like, for the health and hygiene of those admitted and the prevention of harm to them.
Buildings with Nursery Rooms on the Second Floor or Above
A building with infant rooms, crawling rooms, nursery rooms or play rooms ("nursery rooms etc.") on the second floor must meet requirements (a), (b) and (f); a building with them on the third floor or above must meet all requirements from (a) to (h).
| Item in (viii) | Requirement | Second floor | Third floor and above |
|---|---|---|---|
| (a) | Fire-resistant or quasi-fire-resistant building (fire-resistant for the third floor and above) | Applies | Applies |
| (b) | At least one regular and one evacuation stair or similar per floor. On the second floor, the evacuation route is an indoor stair of a specified structure, a balcony usable for refuge, a quasi-fire-resistant outdoor ramp or similar equipment, or an outdoor stair | Applies | Applies |
| (c) | The facilities in (b) placed in effective positions for evacuation, with walking distance of 30 m or less from every part of the nursery rooms | Does not apply | Applies |
| (d) | The kitchen separated from the rest by fire-resistant floors or walls or specified fire prevention equipment, unless there is an automatic system such as sprinklers, or automatic fire extinguishing equipment with measures against spread | Does not apply | Applies |
| (e) | Wall and ceiling finishes facing the room in non-combustible materials | Does not apply | Applies |
| (f) | Equipment to prevent falls where infants and children go in and out or pass | Applies | Applies |
| (g) | Emergency alarm devices or equipment, and equipment to report fires to the fire service | Does not apply | Applies |
| (h) | Flame-retardant treatment of combustible curtains, rugs, fittings and similar | Does not apply | Applies |
Whether a school building meets these requirements differs building by building. Do not decide from the year of construction or type of structure alone; look at the drawings and the site, and check with an architect and with the prefecture (or designated city) that handles nursery approval.
Meals: Cooked on Site in Principle, with an Exception for Children Aged Three or Over
When a child welfare facility provides meals to those admitted, it must cook them within the facility. A nursery that meets set requirements may provide meals for children aged three or over by having them cooked outside and brought in, but it must still have equipment for the heating, storage and other cooking functions that need to take place in the nursery. The requirements include that responsibility for meals rests with the nursery, with arrangements and a contract with the contractor that let the manager exercise the necessary care over hygiene and nutrition, and that a dietitian or registered dietitian provides the necessary consideration. Because the exception is limited to children aged three or over, meals for younger children are cooked on site.
What Renovation Involves
Work that follows directly from the ordinance:
- If nursery rooms go on the second floor or above, the requirements in the table above (evacuation stairs and similar, fall prevention equipment, and for the third floor and above kitchen separation, finishes, alarms and flame-retardant treatment)
- The floor area of each room, and the equipment needed for childcare
- A medical room where infants or children under two are admitted, and a kitchen and toilets in either case
Not required by the ordinance, but items this article lists for converting rooms for children: child-sized toilets and handwashing heights, places for naps and formula preparation, window opening restrictors, outlet covers, corner protection on pillars and desks, and air conditioning in each room.
Case: Former Kui-Minami Elementary School, Mihara (Certified Centre)
In Mihara, Hiroshima, four elementary schools including the former Kui-Minami Elementary School closed in March 2013 and merged into Kui Elementary School, and two nurseries and one kindergarten in the city were to close in March 2014 and be replaced by a new certified centre for early childhood education and care. The city chose the former Kui-Minami Elementary School as the site because it met three conditions: the facility size needed, the distance from the nurseries and kindergarten that were closing, and a water source for the water supply. It was renovated during FY2013 and the Kui certified centre opened in April 2014. The building dates from FY1976 and the facility is 1,570.92 m². Renovation cost about ¥323M in total, of which the municipality bore about ¥318M and subsidies about ¥5M. The subsidies and similar funds listed are the Hiroshima forest creation project grant (Hiroshima Prefecture) and child welfare facility development bonds (Mihara City).
Mihara names as benefits that using the closed school kept the initial investment in the facility lower than new construction and let renovation start early. On the other hand, there was effectively only one year for renovation before opening, so the departments concerned worked together on equipment specifications, tender preparation and contracts before renovating, and the centre opened on schedule. The city explained the plan to users of the local nurseries and kindergarten and to the council, and made the necessary ordinance amendments.
After-School Childcare Conversion
Dedicated area and staffing, the notice on using school facilities, and the Saikai case
Standards for After-School Children's Clubs
An after-school club must have a dedicated area that functions as a place for play and daily life and for rest, with roughly 1.65 m² or more per child. At least two after-school child support workers are placed per support unit, and all but one may be replaced by assistants. A support unit is roughly 40 children or fewer. When using a closed school, check in the order of this table.
| Item | Ordinance rule | What to check in the closed school |
|---|---|---|
| Dedicated area | Roughly 1.65 m² or more per child (Article 9(2)) | Headcount from each classroom's measured area divided by 1.65 m², against expected registrations |
| Exclusive use | Used exclusively for the program during opening hours, unless this does not hinder support for users (Article 9(3)) | If the room is also used for community events, whether those overlap with opening hours |
| Hygiene and safety | The dedicated area, equipment and supplies must ensure hygiene and safety (Article 9(4)) | Windows, stairs, play equipment, toilets |
| Support units | Roughly 40 children or fewer per unit (Article 10(4)) | If you expect more children, split into units with staff for each |
| Staff | At least two after-school child support workers per unit, all but one may be assistants (Article 10(2)) | The number of support units and the number of support workers you can place |
The Notice on Using School Facilities
The notice says that closed school facilities created by school consolidation could be used for after-school clubs, taking account of local circumstances and needs. Where converting a school facility built with national subsidy requires the asset-disposition procedure, it notes that a MEXT notice of 9 December 2020 greatly relaxed the procedure, for example by removing the need for repayment to the treasury, whoever the recipient, for disposal free of charge of buildings more than 10 years after completion of the subsidized project. It also says no asset-disposition procedure is needed for temporary use.
Case: Former Matsushima Elementary School, Saikai (After-School Club)
In Saikai, Nagasaki, a social welfare corporation rents, for a fee, the art room of the former Matsushima Elementary School, which closed at the end of March 2014, as the base for an after-school children's club. Use began in FY2021; the building dates from FY1995 and the facility is 166 m². Renovation cost about ¥8.14M in total, of which the municipality bore about ¥8.14M. The subsidy used was Saikai City's subsidy for the after-school children's healthy development program.
Until then, children went to school on the mainland and spent after-school hours at a mainland club, so parents worried about the boat when the weather turned suddenly. The casebook reports parents saying they feel reassured now that there is a club on the island and the children come home to the island after school.
Available Subsidies
Grant for Early Childhood Education and Care Facilities, Nursery Renovation Cost Support Project, Grant for Child and Child-Rearing Support Facilities, After-School Children's Environment Development Project, and support for facilities for children with disabilities
Grant names and shares change from year to year. In MEXT's list as of April 2026, the rows for nurseries and similar and small-scale childcare facilities show the Grant for Early Childhood Education and Care Facilities and the Subsidy for Comprehensive Childcare Support Measures; the after-school children's club row shows the After-School Children's Environment Development Project; and the row for child welfare facilities and similar (excluding nurseries) shows the Grant for Facilities Supporting the Next Generation. All are under the Children and Families Agency. What follows is what the Agency's FY2026 budget documents say.
Grant for Early Childhood Education and Care Facilities (Nursery Construction)
The grant goes to municipalities and others to cover facility development for nurseries, certified centres and small-scale childcare facilities under development plans drawn up by municipalities. Its purpose includes subsidizing the costs of new construction, repair, alteration or development of nurseries and similar. In the list of eligible projects, nursery development is marked "private".
| Item | What the budget document says |
|---|---|
| Implementing body | Municipalities (prefectures and municipalities for public certified centres) |
| Establishing body (private nurseries) | Social welfare corporations, the Japanese Red Cross Society, public interest incorporated associations, public interest incorporated foundations, school corporations. Where an implementation plan has been adopted, a body approved by the municipality (excluding public facilities) can also be the establishing body |
| Shares (in principle) | National 1/2, municipality 1/4, establishing body 1/4 |
| Raised rate | National 2/3, municipality 1/12, establishing body 1/4 |
| Raised-rate condition (waiting lists) | Municipalities expecting 10 or more children on waiting lists (implementation plan adoption required), where the municipality's fiscal strength index is below 1.0 and the work is needed to add 20 or more places, and similar |
| Raised-rate condition (depopulation) | Among depopulated municipalities, those expecting falling childcare needs (implementation plan adoption required), for work accompanying consolidation or adding functions to facilities, and similar |
The raised rate reduces the municipality's share; the establishing body still pays 1/4. If you want the raised rate for a closed school conversion, first ask the municipality's childcare department whether it has an adopted implementation plan for securing childcare provision.
Renovation When Opening a Nursery in Rented Premises (Nursery Renovation Cost Support Project)
Under the Subsidy for Comprehensive Childcare Support Measures, the Nursery Renovation Cost Support Project subsidizes part of the renovation costs incurred when, for example, setting up a nursery in rented premises. It is implemented by municipalities. The FY2026 standard amounts for nursery renovation in rented premises, per facility for new facilities or capacity increases, are ¥19,968K for up to 19 places, ¥35,942K for 20 to 59 places, ¥73,216K for 60 places or more, and ¥35,942K for work addressing ageing. Shares are national 1/2, municipality 1/4 and establishing body 1/4, or national 2/3, municipality 1/12 and establishing body 1/4 at the raised rate. As a revision, rented premises under fixed-term lease contracts are excluded from the subsidy.
If you plan to open a nursery in a closed school leased from the municipality, check with the municipality's childcare department whether the contract counts as rented premises for this project and that it is not a fixed-term lease.
Grant for Child and Child-Rearing Support Facilities (After-School Club Construction)
The grant covers part of the cost of developing after-school club facilities under municipal development plans (such as municipal children's plans). Establishing bodies are municipalities, social welfare corporations, school corporations, bodies approved by the municipality and similar. The raised rate for municipalities with after-school club waiting lists continues in FY2026, and for public clubs it applies to local governments with a fiscal strength index below 1 or whose national subsidy calculated at the standard rate does not exceed ¥100M.
| Operator | In principle | Raised rate where there are waiting lists |
|---|---|---|
| Public | National 1/3, prefecture 1/3, municipality 1/3 | National 2/3, prefecture 1/6, municipality 1/6 |
| Private | National 2/9, prefecture 2/9, municipality 2/9, social welfare corporation or similar 1/3 | National 1/2, prefecture 1/8, municipality 1/8, social welfare corporation or similar 1/4 |
Starting an After-School Club by Renovating an Existing Building (After-School Children's Environment Development Project)
The After-School Children's Environment Development Project subsidizes the cost of renovation and similar needed to start a new after-school club using an existing facility, and is carried out under the Child and Child-Rearing Support Grant. In the material attached to the August 2023 notice, the standard amount for the project to promote establishing after-school clubs was ¥12,000,000–13,000,000 a year per club (varying with conditions), implemented by municipalities (which may commission bodies they consider appropriate). Amounts change by year, so check this year's amount with the municipality.
Child Development Support and After-School Day Services
The eligible facilities for the Social Welfare Facility Development Subsidy include, as child welfare facilities, "residential facilities for children with disabilities and similar under Article 7 of the Child Welfare Act", and as disability facilities, "disability welfare service establishments and similar under Article 5 of the Comprehensive Support for Persons with Disabilities Act". When a social welfare corporation or similar body develops a facility, the national government in principle subsidizes 1/2 of the cost and the prefecture (including designated and core cities) 1/4.
The child welfare facilities defined in the Child Welfare Act include nurseries, residential facilities for children with disabilities and child development support centres (Article 7), while child development support and after-school day services are defined separately as outpatient support for children with disabilities (Article 6-2-2). Whether a child development support establishment that is not a centre, or an after-school day service establishment, is eligible for this subsidy or for the Grant for Facilities Supporting the Next Generation cannot be read from the page and list above. Check with the prefecture.
How the Revenue Is Built
A private nursery's commissioning fee and the classes of the official price, nursery teacher numbers, and the cost-sharing model for after-school club operation
Private Nurseries Receive a Commissioning Fee from the Municipality
When a child certified for childcare receives care at a nursery established by a body other than a prefecture or municipality, the municipality pays that nursery, as a commissioning fee, an amount equal to the cost calculated under standards set by the Prime Minister. The head of the municipality that paid the fee collects from parents or those responsible for support an amount set according to age and similar factors, taking account of the effect on household finances.
The operating costs of private nurseries are paid as a commissioning fee from the municipality, and the basic unit price of the official price consists of administrative costs (personnel and management) and program costs. The management costs included in the basic unit price are shown by capacity band, required-care-hours class (standard hours and short hours) and age class (infants, 1–2 years, 3 years, 4 years and over), and annual personnel costs are calculated by regional classification because regional allowances differ. Management-related add-ons include depreciation, rent, heating and cooling, and snow removal add-ons, among others.
The number of nursery teachers, which drives personnel costs, is set by ordinance.
A nursery must have nursery teachers, a contracted doctor and cooks (a facility that fully outsources cooking need not have cooks). There must be at least one nursery teacher per roughly three infants, per roughly six children aged one to under three, per roughly fifteen children aged three to under four, and per roughly twenty-five children aged four or over, and never fewer than two per nursery.
Estimate the commissioning fee in this order.
- Project capacity by age class (infants, 1–2 years, 3 years, 4 years and over) and required-care-hours class.
- Confirm the regional classification of the municipality where the facility stands.
- From the "official price" information on the Children and Families Agency's Child and Child-Rearing Support System（外部サイト、新しいタブで開きます） page, follow the links to this year's official price unit table (the public notice and unit tables are on the laws and ordinances page) and look up the unit prices for each class.
- Check the add-on requirements with the municipality. Depreciation and rent add-ons both appear in the add-on list, so ask which applies depending on whether you lease the closed school or develop the building yourself.
- Build up personnel costs from the nursery teacher numbers above.
After-School Club Operating Costs
The after-school children's healthy development program (operating costs) is carried out under the Child and Child-Rearing Support Grant, and the cost-sharing model for the basic portion of operating costs is shown as parents 1/2, national 1/6, prefecture 1/6 and municipality 1/6. The implementing body is the municipality (including special wards), which may commission bodies it considers appropriate. If you take on the program as an operator, check the commissioning fee or subsidy you will receive from the municipality and the fees you will collect from parents in the municipality's guidelines and contract.
Using the Schoolyard and Spare Rooms
How Mihara, Saikai and Yokkaichi use schoolyards, gymnasiums and spare floors
The outdoor play area needs 3.3 m² or more per child aged two or over, and may be a substitute place near the nursery (Article 32). When a schoolyard becomes the play area, count from this figure. The three municipalities in the casebook use their schoolyards, gymnasiums and spare floors as follows.
At Mihara's Kui certified centre, the parking area, schoolyard, pool and similar still serve the centre, though they needed renovation for young children, and the schoolyard used as it is gives a large play area where many children can play freely. A gymnasium that local residents use often stands on the same site. As temporary childcare and a child-rearing support centre, it supports young children in the area, not only those enrolled.
Saikai's after-school club uses the schoolyard as a play area and the gymnasium for rainy-day activities, and does what maintenance it can, such as cutting grass and cleaning the gymnasium. The casebook notes this also keeps the closed school from falling into disrepair.
Yokkaichi, Mie, converted the former Higashi-Kyohoku Elementary School (built FY1992, approx. 6,315 m²) itself and has used it as the Kyohoku Exchange Hall since FY2017. The complex includes a children and child-rearing exchange plaza open on weekends and holidays and a certified centre for early childhood education and care with a child-rearing support centre. By bringing functions together in the closed school, the city says it solved problems such as lack of space and ageing buildings at the kindergarten, nursery, children's hall and other facilities in the area. The exchange plaza on the fourth floor serves the whole city and opens every day. Renovation cost about ¥1B in total, of which the municipality bore about ¥990M and subsidies about ¥10M (Sports Promotion Lottery grant).
A Guide to Repurposing Closed Schools for Welfare Operators
Local Autonomy Act rules on leasing and transfer, contract forms in the 47 MEXT cases, facility grants, designation standards and cases
Subsidies for Closed School Reuse
Cost shares and eligible applicants, checked against MEXT's April 2026 list and each ministry's documents
What to do next
In the order you can act on them, within the week you read this.
| # | What to do | Where | Rough effort |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Find at least one occupant first. Decide who takes the space, then decide the use | Market sounding, local operators | 1–3 months |
| 2 | Ask the municipality's childcare and after-school club departments about expected waiting lists and whether it has an adopted implementation plan for securing childcare provision | Municipal departments | Two weeks |
| 3 | Produce the seismic assessment and asbestos survey. Commission them if they do not exist | Your facilities team | 2–3 months |
| 4 | Get a renovation cost estimate based on step 3, including the requirements for the floor the nursery rooms go on (Article 32(viii)), and price demolition alongside it | A design office | One month |
| 5 | Check the property disposal procedure. Using a subsidized school building for a non-school purpose within the restricted period needs MEXT approval (a report is enough where the requirements are met) | Board of education, MEXT | 1–2 months |
| 6 | Hold a briefing with alumni and community groups before announcing the use | Alumni association, neighbourhood association | One month |
Skip step 1 and you end up with a decided use and no one to take it.
References
FY2024 Survey on the Utilization of Closed School Facilities (as of 1 May 2024) — Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (2025)
Casebook on Repurposing Closed Schools (Minna no Haiko Project) — Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (2023)
Standards for the Equipment and Operation of Child Welfare Facilities (Ministry of Health and Welfare Ordinance No. 63 of 1948) — e-Gov Legal Database (e-Gov)
Standards for the Equipment and Operation of the After-School Children's Healthy Development Program (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare Ordinance No. 63 of 2014) — e-Gov Legal Database (e-Gov)
Act on Child and Child Care Support (Act No. 65 of 2012) — e-Gov Legal Database (e-Gov)
Child Welfare Act (Act No. 164 of 1947) — e-Gov Legal Database (e-Gov)
Building Standards Act (Act No. 201 of 1950) — e-Gov Legal Database (e-Gov)
FY2026 Childcare Budget Overview and Reference Materials — Children and Families Agency (2026)
FY2026 After-School and Child and Child-Rearing Support Budget Overview — Children and Families Agency (2026)
Notice on Using School Facilities to Reduce After-School Club Waiting Lists — Children and Families Agency and MEXT (2023)
Operating Costs of Private Nurseries in FY2026 (notice) — Children and Families Agency (2026)
Child and Child-Rearing Support System — Children and Families Agency (2026)
Main National Subsidy Programs Available for Using Closed School Facilities (as of April 2026) — Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (2026)
Development and Operation of Social Welfare Facilities — Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (2026)
Related Articles
How to Reuse a Closed School: Survey Counts, MEXT's List of Closed Schools Seeking Uses, the Property Disposal Procedure, and National Subsidies
Survey counts and why uses stay undecided, MEXT's list of closed schools seeking uses, when property disposal needs only a report or no treasury repayment, and the national subsidy list
Comparing Closed School Reuse by Use: Survey Counts, Contract Forms in the 47 Casebook Cases, and the Building Standards Act by Use
Counts by use with the school building and gymnasium split, leases, transfers and conversions by use, and change-of-use confirmation and category 1 low-rise exclusive residential zones
Closed Schools × Community Exchange Hubs
Operating models for composite community facilities
Abandoned School Use Change and the Building Standards Act
Floor areas that trigger change-of-use confirmation, and conditions for fire compartments, smoke control and interior finish restrictions, checked against the articles
