Kids' English: how do eikaiwa classes and reading apps compare on cost?

Published October 1, 2026 · Last updated October 1, 2026 · By Tom, founder of Mukashi

Data: eikaiwa fees from the Statistics Bureau of Japan, June 2026. Online eikaiwa prices checked October 9, 2026. Book prices checked September 29, 2026.

What children's English costs depends on the method. A once-a-week group English conversation class (eikaiwa) costs ¥6,062 to ¥13,860 a month across the capitals of Japan's 47 prefectures, with a median of ¥11,392 (Statistics Bureau of Japan, June 2026, general beginner class). Mukashi, an English reading app, is ¥1,980 a month with tax, about ¥66 a day. For speaking with a teacher, choose a class. For lots of daily reading, an app fits.

The four options at a glance

Cost per day assumes a 30-day month.

What does an eikaiwa class cost?

The Statistics Bureau of Japan's Retail Price Survey checks English conversation school fees every month. It tracks a general everyday-conversation class: a beginner or elementary group lesson, once a week (three or four times a month).

In June 2026, the monthly fee across the capitals of the 47 prefectures (Tokyo's 23 wards for Tokyo) ran from ¥6,062 (Nagano) to ¥13,860 (Yokohama). The median was ¥11,392. Tokyo's 23 wards came in at ¥13,585.

Divide the median by four lessons, and one lesson costs about ¥2,850. Divided the same way, one lesson costs more than ¥1,980 in 46 of the 47 cities. A month of Mukashi costs less than a single lesson at an eikaiwa school almost everywhere.

One caution: these are prices for a general class. We could not find a public, nationwide statistic for children's classes alone. Some schools charge enrollment or materials fees on top, so check the school's fee table.

What only a class can do

An eikaiwa class is at its best when children talk with people. A teacher hears your child and answers in the moment. An app can't do that. What happens on the other six days after the weekly lesson is up to the family.

What about paper picture books?

One example is Oxford Reading Tree (ORT), a series of English picture books arranged by stage. On the publisher's Japanese site, the recommended retail price with tax for a six-book pack is ¥4,257 at Stage 1, ¥5,566 at Stage 5 and ¥6,886 at Stage 6. A tadoku set from Level 1+ to Level 9 (194 books, no CDs) is ¥158,180. That is about ¥815 a book.

Paper books have the feel of a turning page. Siblings can use them again and again, and books borrowed from a library cost nothing.

Audio is where they struggle. A book without audio means an adult reads it aloud. If you are unsure of your pronunciation, this is the part that is hard to keep up. An adult also chooses the next book.

What about online eikaiwa?

Once-a-week plans for children cost ¥2,450 to ¥12,650 a month at six frequently compared services, with a median of ¥3,410 (official fee pages, with tax, checked October 9, 2026). A lesson runs 20 to 25 minutes, so each one costs about ¥610 to ¥2,920. Five of the six charge under ¥1,000 a lesson.

Some options cost less: a ¥1,760 plan with two lessons a month for preschoolers, a ¥1,980 add-on to a family member's plan, and a campaign that makes lessons free for a year for school students. Mukashi's ¥1,980 a month is less than any of the once-a-week plans, but the gap is much smaller than with an in-person class. Online eikaiwa is for speaking practice. Mukashi is for reading every day. When you compare, look at lesson length and price, and check enrollment fees and cancellation terms too.

What does Mukashi cost?

Mukashi is a story-based English extensive-reading app. Children read leveled English stories while they travel illustrated worlds with Hoshi, a small star spirit far from home. It is made for elementary-school children (6 to 12), and for children from age 4 reading with a parent.

• ¥1,980 a month, tax included. About ¥66 a day.
• ¥19,800 a year, tax included. Over 365 days, about ¥54 a day.
• ¥1,480 a month, tax included, for each sibling from the second child.
• No extra charges. Cancel any time from the dashboard.

Every book has audio and ends with a comprehension quiz. The Lighthouse, the parent's view, shows the stars your child has collected, their word lists and their current Eiken level. Complete beginners start in the Schoolhouse, with phonics and forty first books. It is included in every plan. Full details are on the pricing page.

Here is what it can't do. There is no conversation practice with a teacher. Reading happens on a screen, so there is no paper to turn. Today's books cover Eiken Grade 5, and higher levels are added world by world. It also needs an internet connection.

For reference: what do families spend on learning outside school?

In MEXT's Survey of Children's Learning Expenses (fiscal 2023), families of public elementary school children spent an average of ¥256,489 a year on out-of-school activities. That covers cram school, lessons, study at home and more. It comes to about ¥21,400 a month. English is one part of that.

Which one? Start from the goal

• To practice speaking with a teacher: an eikaiwa class, or online eikaiwa.
• To read and listen a lot, every day: paper picture books, or a reading app. With paper, books that come with audio make life easier for parents.
• To keep costs down: library picture books, and a reading app.
• To get both: a weekly class plus daily reading. The median class fee plus Mukashi comes to ¥13,372 a month. With a once-a-week online plan instead, the median comes to ¥5,390.

You don't have to pick just one. Time for talking, time for reading. Letting each method do what it does best is one way to think about it.

FAQ

Which is cheaper, an eikaiwa class or a reading app?

Per month, the reading app. A once-a-week beginner group eikaiwa class has a median fee of ¥11,392 a month (Statistics Bureau of Japan, June 2026); Mukashi is ¥1,980 with tax. Only the class gives speaking practice with a teacher.

Which is cheaper, online eikaiwa or a reading app?

Per month, usually the reading app. Once-a-week online plans for children cost ¥2,450 to ¥12,650 a month at six services, with a median of ¥3,410 (with tax, October 2026). Mukashi is ¥1,980 with tax. Some options cost less, such as a two-lesson preschool plan or a limited-time free campaign. Only online eikaiwa gives speaking practice with a teacher.

What is the average fee for a children's eikaiwa class?

We could not find a public, nationwide statistic for children's classes alone. The closest guide is the general beginner group class: a median of ¥11,392 in June 2026. Check each school's fee table for enrollment and materials fees.

How much does it cost to build a shelf of English picture books?

For Oxford Reading Tree, a 6-book pack costs ¥4,257 to ¥6,886 (Stage 1 to 6 examples, recommended retail price with tax). The 194-book tadoku set is ¥158,180. Borrowing from a library costs nothing.

Can we try it for free?

Yes. The demo is the real app, with no signup and no email. It has ten stories and Tanuki's phonics game.

Sources

1. Statistics Bureau of Japan, Retail Price Survey (Trend Series), retail prices of major items by city, June 2026 (item: lesson fee, English conversation)
2. Statistics Bureau of Japan, Retail Price Survey (Trend Series), retail prices in Tokyo's 23 wards (lesson fee, English conversation)
3. Statistics Bureau of Japan, Retail Price Survey, surveyed items and basic specifications
4. Official fee pages of six children's online eikaiwa services (once-a-week or four-a-month plans, with tax, checked October 9, 2026). We chose services that comparison articles often feature and that list a once-a-week plan on their own site. Names are left out so the article does not promote any one service.
5. MEXT, Survey of Children's Learning Expenses, fiscal 2023 (published December 25, 2024; corrected edition January 16, 2026)
6. Oxford University Press Japan, Oxford Reading Tree product pages (recommended retail prices with tax, checked September 29, 2026)

Last updated: October 1, 2026