The Early Learning Center of The American School in Japan (hereinafter referred to as ASIJ) was opened in 2004 in Roppongi almost 100 years after the first school of ASIJ was founded in 1902. The American School in Japan (hereinafter referred to as ASIJ) has been the leading international school that offers an American-style college preparatory education for the children of international families. The storied school with over 115 years of history embarked on its journey from rented rooms in the Kanda YMCA building. It kept outgrowing the facilities, and now ASIJ has entered the latest chapter of its life with a new mission and strategic vision for the future.

The design of the ELC facility in Roppongi took into consideration the most current research on early childhood programs to create an environment that is warm, inviting, safe and nurturing for their little ones. At the ELC, meaningful opportunities for children to develop are designed in ways that are flexible and inspiring, and they shape a community of inquisitive learners and independent thinkers through intentionality, love, and respect. They also provide magical time of growth where learning comes to life through purposeful play and emergent curriculum which is the essential work of children, and students get to recognise how special the young phase of life is, and how active and joyful, authentic and meaningful, creative, messy, social, collaborative and fun Learning is.

At the ELC, play is the essential work of the children and they embrace it as a powerful learning strategy. Play offers the ideal mindset for growth and learning, and also offers unbounded opportunities for development and has long been recognised as central to how children learn. Joyful, meaningful, iterative, actively engaging and socially interactive.
The school's teaching is anchored in current research and guided by developmental objectives and discrete academic standards where their approach is inspired by their image of the child as a curious, capable, and confident learner seeking to make meaning of and contribute to their world.
Each day of this lifelong journey of learning, discovery and growth, they focus on encouraging each child to enjoy a strong sense of agency and self direction through purposeful play and emergent curriculum they provide.