With research showing that attending a nursery school gives children an important leg up for subsequent learning, parents in both Japan and the United States are determined to ensure their admission. Whether supply can meet demand, however, is entirely another question.

The situation is particularly bleak in Japan, where 90,907 applicants were reportedly unable to secure nursery school spots in 2016.

But admission is no assurance of a quality education. Certification standards exist in nursery school for the same reason they exist in upper grades. Nursery school is not glorified baby-sitting. It exists to socialize children, as well as provide the basis for learning to read and compute.