International family profiles and parental school choice in Tokyo

The concept of being an ‘international’ citizen is one that describes an increasing number of people worldwide. This has implications for the educational experiences of many students, which can be reflected in the school choices made by their parents. As part of this study, ‘international’ parents residing in Tokyo were interviewed and the qualitative data gathered were used to compose family profiles; snapshots of the unfolding of their journeys and experiences that were multidimensional. Interviews elicited from these parents detailed information that contributed to a fuller appreciation of international parenting and transnationalism. This article presents nine international family profiles, followed by a subsequent analysis of the international parents’ selection of schooling for their only or eldest child in Tokyo.