Japanese School Entrance Ceremony Guide: Outfit, Preparation, and Schedule

The Japanese school entrance season is just around the corner🌸
In Japan, entrance ceremonies are held in April, together with the beautiful cherry blossoms.

In this article, I will talk about the following points related to Japanese elementary school entrance ceremonies:

What parents and children wear
What items you need to prepare
The general flow of the entrance ceremony

What Parents and Children Wear at the Entrance Ceremony
Items You Need to Prepare
Items for Adults
Flow of the Entrance Ceremony
🌍 Final Thoughts

What Parents and Children Wear at the Entrance Ceremony

Children’s Outfits

Boys
Most boys wear suits, and many of them don’t have strong preferences.
It’s very common for boys to wear the same outfit they wore to their kindergarten graduation ceremony.

omama

For some reason, there were a lot of boys wearing suits with shorts!

Mom’s Outfit

Many mothers choose:

Kimono
One-piece suit sets
Pants suits

Nowadays, only about 10% of mothers wear kimono (depending on the school), but I personally attended in a kimono.

My reasons were:

I wanted to wear a kimono because there are very few opportunities to do so
I didn’t want to buy a suit that I might not wear again due to changing trends
Kimono are simply beautiful and elegant

Recommended kimono(you can rental this one only in Japan) ↓

[商品価格に関しましては、リンクが作成された時点と現時点で情報が変更されている場合がございます。]

【お買い物マラソン 30%OFFクーポン配布中!】【レンタル】色が選べるおまかせ訪問着貸衣装フルセット着物結婚式七五三お宮参り入学式卒業式往復送料無料色柄豊富お任せベージュピンククリーム青緑黒白ブルーグリーン
価格：7,400円～（税込、送料別) (2026/1/9時点)

楽天で購入

If you wear a kimono, you will need professional hair styling, so I recommend booking a hair salon in advance.
Many salons also offer kimono dressing services.
Since entrance ceremonies often take place on the same day in the area, it can be hard to get reservations unless you book early.

Or you can chose this kind of kimono below.
These are kimono rentals designed with Velcro to make them easy to wear.

【レンタル】卒業式母着物レンタルおまかせワンタッチ訪問着 (お母さん・ママ用) 着付け簡単フルセット母親 (s111)
価格：19,800円（税込、送料別) (2026/1/9時点)

楽天で購入

Recommended outfits for one-piece suits or pants suits
I recomend to wear the lighter colored one.
→Amazon

Allegra K Women's 2 Piece Tweed Skirt Set Suit Jacket Pencil Skirt Elegant Business Suits for Women 2025

The button-down 3/4 sleeve blazer jacket adds a touch of sophistication to the outfit, while the tailored fit enhances t...

Amazon Japan

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Amazon.co.jp: セットアップレディース上下セット長袖テーパードパンツジャケットパンツスーツフォーマルオシャレきれいめ体型カバー 20代 30代 40代 50代入学式ママ卒業式通勤春服秋服夏服(L...

Dad’s Outfit

A standard business suit is the norm.
Most fathers simply wear their regular suits.

Items You Need to Prepare

For children’s items, each school holds an orientation session and provides a detailed list.
Generally, you will need:

Disaster prevention hood – bright colors are recommended https://amzn.to/4pAwLCG
https://amzn.to/3Yxrd0Q
School supply box – now available at 100-yen shops
Pencils – 2B, with the child’s name written on them
https://amzn.to/49wbSm4
Red pencil
Pencil case – for lower grades, types that hold pencils individually are recommended
https://amzn.to/3NBZBVS
Indoor shoes & shoe bag
- Vinyl shoes are easy to wash but don’t absorb sweat and are worn all day
- I recommend these thoughtfully designed ones ↓
  https://amzn.to/4szrzBO
- For shoe bags, I bought fabric and made one using a sewing machine.
  If that feels like too much work, trendy patterns are a great option ↓
  https://amzn.to/3NbRMWR
  https://amzn.to/4jzff07
Gym clothes – some schools have specific requirements
- At our school, any white top and navy bottoms were acceptable
- Recommended link ↓
  https://amzn.to/4aMfz9E
Gym shoes – avoid vinyl indoor shoes since children will be active
Desk mat
Lunch items (lunch bag, placemat, cup, toothbrush)
- I recommend preparing at least 3 sets
- Children sometimes forget to bring them home
- I made these myself using fabric, but ready-made options are also great ↓
  https://amzn.to/49tEYCN
  https://amzn.to/45NpsQW
  https://amzn.to/4qGYl1X

I’ll include recommended links for each item, so please use them as a reference.

Items for Adults

Indoor slippers
- Recommended here ↓
  https://amzn.to/4qOcbQn
  https://amzn.to/4r8qWxJ
- Compact, bag-integrated types are great for school visits and meetings
- You’ll need to change shoes at the entrance and again in the gym, so don’t forget them!
Camera
- To photograph your child in a large gym, a DSLR camera is highly recommended
- Perfect for entrance ceremonies, sports days, and other important events
- Recommended here ↓　I have this one and I love this camera!
  https://amzn.to/4sFKQle

Flow of the Entrance Ceremony

Arrive before the designated time.
There will always be a sign at the school gate that says
“○○ Elementary School Entrance Ceremony,”
and families line up there to take photos.

Taking pictures near cherry blossoms is also highly recommended 🌸

After that, class assignments are posted, so check your child’s class and go to the classroom together.
Seats are usually arranged in alphabetical order.

After checking the distributed materials, parents leave the children in the classroom (following teachers’ instructions) and head to the gym.

If you sit too far back, you may not be able to see your child’s entrance, so arriving early is a good idea.

The ceremony includes:

Student entrance
Principal’s speech
Guest speeches
Messages from older students
Songs

After the ceremony, parents return to the classroom to hear from the homeroom teacher.
Children receive textbooks and materials, which are placed in their backpacks—it gets quite heavy!

The entire event usually lasts from around 8:00 a.m. until before noon.

Don’t forget to bring drinks—you will get thirsty!

🌍 Final Thoughts

That’s all about Japanese elementary school entrance ceremonies.
There isn’t much guidance available for overseas families, so I hope this article helps anyone preparing for school life in Japan.