Chicago Futabakai Japanese School (シカゴ双葉会日本語学校, Shikago Futabakai Nihongo Gakkō, CFJS; "Futabakai" means "two leaves" or "bud" organization, or "organization of growing sprouts"), alternately in Japanese Shikago Nihonjin Gakkō (シカゴ日本人学校, Chicago Japanese person School), is a Japanese elementary and junior high day school and Saturday education program in Arlington Heights, Illinois near Chicago.

[2] Before moving to Arlington Heights in 1998, the Futabakai education program was previously located in Chicago, Skokie, and Niles in Illinois, with the day program beginning during the period in Skokie.

It opened in a Baptist church in Chicago's North Side with three teachers and 50 students.

At that time,[4] the day school opened in Skokie, with four teachers sent by the Japanese government.

49-year-old Shinobu Sada, the vice principal, 38-year-old Kazuya Yamaguchi, an art teacher, 62-year-old Yasuo Sato, a photographer from Wilmette, Illinois, and 40-year-old Scott Maras, a helicopter pilot from Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, died when the helicopter crashed into a house in Arlington Heights.

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology provides the guidelines under which the day and Saturday schools are operated.

As of 1986 the Japanese government provides faculty, financial assistance to cover building expenses, textbooks, and teaching materials at no additional charge.

[4] As of 1992 the Japanese government covers half of the school's operating expenses.

[3] As of 1994 there is a requirement that parents of students at the day school be members of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce in Chicago.

Mitani stated that year that the decline in students could cause fees to increase.

[3] As of 1986, in Japan, the Ministry of Education requires domestic schools to offer a 40-week school year, with six instructional days per week, making a total of 240 instructional days per year.

Both the Futabakai and American systems had an equal number of hours devoted to educational instruction.

The Saturday program involves the study of the Japanese language and mathematics.

Some students attended the Saturday school only because they lived too far away to commute every day for school; some Japanese companies required employees to live in company-provided housing in the Chicago Loop.

[7] In 1995 Tsuneo Akasaka, the principal, said that it was common for a Japanese national student to transfer to Chicago Futabakai from a public school in preparation for eventually returning to Japan, while it is not common for a student to transfer from Futabakai to a public school.

[14] As of 1986 the Japanese government assigns teachers for the day and Saturday program in three year shifts.

Takanori Tajima, a first grade teacher, said that in all subjects the acts of learning and playing are combined.