Lead
The year or two before primary school entry is a period when several distinct institutional transitions overlap. Leaving a licensed daycare or certified kindergarten, the school-readiness health checkup (nyūgaku-ji kenkō shindan), the educational consultation for children with developmental needs, the school-district transfer application, the after-school program application — each of these runs through a different office, and each has a deadline scattered across spring, autumn, and winter.
Getting one clear overview of "what needs to happen before next spring" makes preparation manageable. The following is written against the backdrop of Japan's system, covering both general enrollment procedures and the special-needs education pathway side by side.