William with a heartwarming experience: I ran into my daughter’s (who is now 26 and lives in Tokyo) kindergarten teacher, who remembered her and my family. Sekidai Kindergarten has a very long history, founded in 1888. A look at portraits of headmasters over the decades shows only males until the war and only females after. It has a wonderful location, just in front of Fujisaki Shrine, with its fresh air, broad road, and no traffic. Apparently, they even have English lessons now! Entering any kindergarten can be difficult due to lack of places, and unlike primary school, is not obligatory. Applications for the coming school year are now being accepted. I found the teachers there to be very welcoming of non-Japanese, both students and parents. If you have any questions, please let us know. http://www.kumamoto-kmm.ed.jp/sch/k/k-sekidai/