Tokyo
EXPRESSION LAB
Mon - Fri
Language: English
Ages 8-11
"A week in Tokyo that builds confidence through the arts."
Expression Lab is a 5-day daytime programme in central Tokyo:
Where children explore the city each morning and create in the studio each afternoon. They take neighbourhood walks, map what they notice, visit a museum mid-week, and use each day’s discoveries to shape a creative project they build across the week (visual art, music, drama, poetry, movement, or storytelling). Every day includes guided journalling and a child-led reflection circle - and Friday finishes with a warm family showcase where children share what they made, what they learned, and how their thinking changed!
Right for children who:
• are curious (or need space to become curious)
• enjoy making and exploring
• can manage a full, structured day
• are willing to share ideas and try new things
• don’t need to be “artistic” - just open to expressing themselves
Location
Phoenix House International School
3-7 Yonban-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo (Google Maps)
— Purpose-built campus in Chiyoda-ku, central Tokyo
— 7 min walk from Ichigaya and Kojimachi station
Arrival & Dismissal
Daily Drop-off: 08:30 – 08:45
Daily Pick-up: 16:30
Dates & Fee
Three unique weeks running across July — children are welcome to join more than one:
Week 1: 6–10 July — People and Place
Week 2: 13–17 July — Stories and Connection
Week 3: 20–24 July — Identity and Feelings
Each session runs Monday to Friday.
Children do not stay overnight.
Price: ¥120,000
(price does not include lunch)
Lunch Options: We have partnered with Kiwi Kitchen, where parents can source lunch, or children are welcome to bring a packed lunch.
A Day in
Expression Lab
Day 1 — Living Together
“How do we make space for each other?”
Morning - Lunch
A day at Expression Lab begins with a warm arrival and a simple community start. We then head out into Tokyo for the day’s Discovery Question - through neighbourhood walks, close observation, urban mapping, shared objects, and a mid-week museum visit.
Back at base, children take on a collaborative challenge that builds turn-taking, negotiation, and shared decision-making, before moving into guided journalling - writing or drawing in their own voice (never a workbook).
In the Afternoon
The afternoon is dedicated to Make & Express studio time, where each child develops one creative piece across the week, shaped by what they discovered that morning. We close each day with a child-led reflection circle to practise speaking, listening, and confidence - then a calm, clear dismissal for pick-up.
Bring Home
A Journal
Every child keeps a Clarence Lab journal, a record of their thinking in their own words and drawings. It's not a workbook. There are no right answers. By the end of the week, it's theirs.
The journal is where learning becomes personal. Writing and drawing what they've experienced helps children make sense of it, not just what they did, but what it meant to them. Over the week, they build a clearer picture of who they are, how they relate to others, and what they care about.
Parents tell us it's the thing their children keep coming back to long after the course ends.
Registration Steps
1. Online Registration
You can complete a registration form by following the link on our website. Please ensure that you provide all details regarding your child’s medical history and dietary requirements. Please note that if you are registering for courses in Tokyo and Hokkaido, please complete the respective forms for both locations.
2. Confirmation & Payment
We will confirm your registration and send you a payment link in 3-5 working days. Please complete payment within one week of receipt of our email.
3. Getting Ready
Your child’s place on the course is reserved once the full payment is received. You will receive a Parent Pack in due course, which contains essential information to assist with preparation, including the daily schedule and a detailed packing list.