Free School Maimai “Iruka House”
The “Children’s Place Convention in Tokyo” will be held for the first time on March 2, 2024, bringing together “Children’s Place” active in Tokyo. Planned by an NPO in Shibuya.
We live in an era where people are crying out for a third place to live. It has also become a meeting place for organizations that are pioneering in providing shelter support that meets needs, people looking for a place to stay, and people looking for a place to be active.
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There are 300,000 elementary and junior high school students who do not go to school or are unable to go to school, and creating a “third place” for children has become an important policy issue for the country.As a result, a variety of places that are active in Tokyo have come together. The first conference to report on activities and exchange information was held on March 2nd.
The title of the competition is “Children’s Place Competition in Tokyo.” The “WEB Whereabouts Map” was planned and created on the occasion of the tournament, with the desire to get people to know each other and connect with people who have the same aspirations and activities as small, unique places to stay are still lacking in communication power and resources. was also published.
(https://www.google.co.jp/maps/@35.7150164,139.7252711,10z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m3!11m2!2s-Zdb7s7iQRa2PD5zCj5c3Q!3e3?entry=ttu) The NPO Free School Maimai (Representative: Tomoe Konoike, Hatagaya, Shibuya-ku) gathered supporters and organized the event in an executive committee format.
Below, social worker and writer Eri Goto summarized the event. The venue, Cybozu Tokyo Office in Nihonbashi, Tokyo, is a playful place with life-sized giraffe and kangaroo dolls. Therefore, 11 organizations used an online tool called “Padlet” to introduce their daily activities and responded to Q&A with the audience. There were many organizations that only participated in “poster presentations” on Padlet. In addition, there were experiences of students and working adults who had graduated from Ishoba, mini-lectures by experts, and group talks, with a total of about 140 people participating online.
[Image 1: https://prtimes.jp/i/131636/6/resize/d131636-6-2c707bec78460213dbaf-0.jpg&s3=131636-6-14b16b99ad1e9dfa5587542a3dd20726-2048×1365.jpg] The programs will be introduced in order below.
■The first speaker will be “Shin School” (Kiyose City, Tokyo: https://www.shin-school.com/). This is a free school based on “play” that children are fascinated by, such as Minecraft, Fortnite, VR, and manga. There are also many real-world projects, such as a screaming Sumapura competition in the mountains of Yatsugatake, an event that combines gaming and camping such as Real Minecraft, and a
manufacturing class where you can make items from the game with clay. ■“Everyone’s Project School” (Shibuya-ku, Tokyo:
https://minpro.my.canva.site/) is a project-based place started by three elementary school students and their parents who were struggling with not attending school. We are active every Monday at the Yoyogi Hachiman Community Center. We use the money we earn from our food stalls to deliver presents to infant homes, plan and hold children’s ideal sports days, and carry out a variety of child-centered projects. ■“Takinogawa High School & Ukima Lab” (Kita-ku, Tokyo:
https://takinogawa.club/)…A free school attended by approximately 60 students from elementary school to university students. It is also a support school that provides learning support for those who want to graduate from a correspondence high school, and also provides night learning support at a cram school. There are 3 classrooms within walking distance. The representative is a correspondence high school with experience in career guidance and coaching youth baseball, and has a rich curriculum.
■“Nanikashido” (Arakawa-ku, Tokyo: https://nanikashido.org/)…A small town library located in a corner of a shopping district with a downtown atmosphere. The library on the first floor has 2,000 books ranging from picture books to business books, and the second floor is used as a cram school and a place to hang out. No reservations or fees are required, and children, adults, and the elderly can feel free to stop by and bring their own books, food, and drinks. Spend time with each other.
■“Aokusa no Hara Lemon House” (Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo:
https://aokusa.or.jp/lemon-house)…A place created by renovating a 65-year-old private house. A diverse range of people come here, including children, university students, young people, mothers who want to take a break from raising their children, and employees of IT companies. Anyone can participate, but their address will not be made public to ensure peace of mind. The circle of users is expanding through connections between people.
■Mini lecture 1 “Working with children to create a place to live using IT”–Ryuta Nakamura, Executive Officer of Cybozu Corporation and Director of Social Design Lab
Mr. Nakamura works at Cybozu four days a week and uses the rest of his free time to be involved in the management of the free school “Pioneronomori” (Inzai City, Chiba Prefecture:
https://www.pioneronomori.com/) as a director. Masu. Mr. Nakamura, who has worked in the IT field for a long time, talked about the effects he achieved by incorporating digital technology into his daily free school management activities.
“Pionero no Mori” is open three days a week, with 68 registered students ranging from first grade to 18 years old, and the daily fee is 500 yen. There were six staff members, and while the number of users was increasing, there were issues such as finding time to be close to users on a daily basis, improving communication with parents, and communication among staff. Therefore, we introduced Cybozu’s Kintone and developed a room entry recording system called “Pio Space” that works with it. Entry information is shared with the school in which the child is enrolled, and it also functions as a system for confirming the safety of children.
The database, which includes basic information about each user, the history of membership, and record books, is not only used for sharing information among staff, but also for communication with parents by separating the sections that can be viewed by parents. It is said that the use of digital technology has yielded great results, such as reducing the leader’s workload by 40% and reducing communication costs with schools.
[Image 2: https://prtimes.jp/i/131636/6/resize/d131636-6-6bad1afa889d5ff966fa-2.jpg&s3=131636-6-e5914cc8c8e1fa9e88e0ce8e793775f5-1108×1478.jpg] ■Mini Lecture 2 “The current state of school education and the future of children – What we learned from Shibuya Ward’s educational reform” Shibuya Ward Assembly Member Machiko Kamizono Kamizono has been supporting school education since her previous job at Benesse. I have been involved in volunteer projects and childcare support, and my current policy focus is education and childcare. He talked about initiatives in Tokyo and Shibuya Ward. Japanese children’s ability to learn is consistently among the highest among OECD countries in science, mathematics, and reading, but in terms of well-being, they are only 59% compared to the OECD average of 84%. It seems to be low. “It is said that Japan’s problem is that there are not many children who have high self-esteem and lack confidence that they can change the world,” says Kamizono.
School classrooms are now full of diversity, and it is said that one teacher alone cannot handle the situation. He says that the number of teachers taking leave of absence is at a record high, and says, “Schools alone have reached their limits.The challenge is how to support children’s growth and learning together with the community and society.” He says that there is a need to redesign school education based on three pillars: the power of local communities.
Starting in 2024, Shibuya Ward will expand its “Shibuya Future Course” initiative to dedicate all afternoon hours to exploration. In collaboration with the local community, we have launched a local human resources portal site, moved school club activities to the local area, and worked to rebuild aging school buildings and add local facilities. is progressing. Mr. Kamizono concluded, “It is necessary to provide a variety of support services by creating a multi-layered support system.”
■NPO Ome no Rainbow any RAINBOW ROOM (Ome City, Tokyo:
https://rainbowroom7.wixsite.com/website) There is a fixed activity menu that changes every day except Tuesdays, such as cooking and sports, and children can watch it. and select the day you would like to participate. One-on-one individual support is also available depending on the child’s condition. Sometimes I support children in their small challenges by taking the bus or train to a nearby station or exhibiting their works at a flea market. We also put a lot of effort into supporting parents.
■Free learning space HIRU-NET (Musashino City, Tokyo:
https://www.hirunet.com/)…A small free school that values
“experience” such as exploring nature, outdoor activities, and exploring the city. In the morning, I did independent assignments, and in the afternoon, I packed my lunch and went to Inokashira Park in my neighborhood. Once a week, I go on an “outing expedition”. “Rainy days are cold and summers are hot. Interacting with others can lead to trouble. I want people to experience small troubles and acquire the ability to do something about them.” (Mr. Imada, CEO)
■aini School Elementary and Middle School (Online:
https://helloaini.com/entry/featuring/aini-freeschool/)…Elementary school students are learning in an online x metaverse space. In the morning, there are exploration classes and five-subject classes, and in the afternoon, “professional hosts” from various occupations teach classes. We have created corporate organizations within the school, such as a “presentation company” and an “illustration company,” and are also taking on unique initiatives such as accepting and ordering work using the virtual currency “aini coins” and planning school trips for the children.
■NPO Free School Maimai (Shibuya Ward, Tokyo:
https://irukayainfo1.wixsite.com/home)…We operate a private house called “Iruka House” located in a corner of a residential area in Shibuya Ward. Children’s cafeterias, short-stay childcare facilities, and places for people to interact with those who have been raised in social care facilities or foster parents. The center is generally open in the afternoon, and a wide variety of events are planned, including sign language study sessions, talk rooms (research on people involved), and healing time (hand massage).
■Nijizu General Incorporated Association (Tokyo, Osaka, etc.) We hold a free “place” once a month on Sundays where LGBT youth from teens to 23 years old gather. Decide on a theme and have group discussions, play board games, or make crafts. You can come anytime, and you can go home anytime. You are free to do whatever you want with your time. Transportation expenses may be subsidized depending on location. We also publish free training videos that other organizations can use as reference.
■Independent Living Center STEP Edogawa (Edogawa-ku, Tokyo:
https://www.step-edogawa.com/)…A platform where people with
disabilities can choose their own lives and live independently in the community. This is an organization that aims to help people with disabilities achieve independence. The staff members themselves become “Barrier-Free Sentai/Dansanaxavers” and go to local events and teach classes at elementary schools, working hard to eliminate people’s physical and mental “barriers”.
■Mini Lecture 3 “Leisure activity support and support for children with neurodevelopmental disorders”–Kohei Kato, director of Kaneko Research Institute and part-time lecturer at Tokyo Gakugei University Mr. Kato talked about supporting leisure activities for people with ASD (autism spectrum disorder) and developmental disorders. “Children with ASD and developmental disorders tend to avoid social
participation, especially after adolescence, due to their disability characteristics and past failures.In order to prevent children from depriving themselves of opportunities to participate in society, it is important to engage in leisure activities. Support is important.” He introduced two effective games based on practice and research. The first is “Hobby Talk,” where participants take turns presenting their favorite things and things within a loose framework. You can present in any way you like and participate in any way you like, but the rule is never to deny what others like. “It’s important that we all follow the rules to ensure an environment where we can talk about what we like.” The second is “TRPG (Table Role-Playing Game)”. The content is the same as an online role-playing game, with the game master and players deciding on the “roles” of their characters. Results also show that participating in TRPGs improves children’s emotional well-being and relationships with friends.
The purpose of each type of play is to be close to the special interests of children with autistic tendencies, to use these as a medium to create a place where they can enjoy communication, and to guarantee a place where children can express themselves safely and securely. “Children’s desire to express themselves leads to a desire to interact with others. It is important to support the creation of an environment that increases the number of options for where children can be,” Kato said. Ta.
[Image 3: https://prtimes.jp/i/131636/6/resize/d131636-6-ffb5310c894eefaa834a-1.jpg&s3=131636-6-1a112ea72973cbb0c0171d26e5828660-1108×1478.jpg] ■ Narratives from alumni of the place
Afterwards, Mr. T, a university student, and Mr. M, a working adult, who graduated from their respective “places” spoke about their experiences. Mr. T attended “Tokyo Community School” for 3rd to 6th grade of elementary school, and “Tokyo Sudbury School” from junior high school. The two alternative schools had “completely opposite” school cultures. The former is based on theme learning, where you decide on your own theme, research it, and present it. “It was interesting to explore unanswered questions, but it was also very busy.” In the latter case, there were no classes or tests, and they had to come up with their own learning curriculum. When Mr. T encountered Kenji Nakagami’s novels, he became aware of issues of discrimination and human rights, and the private cram school he was attending at the time became his “home”. He said that he became who he is today because of the various inspirations he received from the people around him.
Mr. M’s parents divorced when he was young, and he lived with his mother and a younger brother who is two years younger than him.When he was in the first grade of elementary school, his mother remarried and he also had a younger brother, who is six years younger. However, the mother could not stop relying on alcohol, and the stepfather worked from early morning until late at night and was rarely home, leaving the three children in a state of neglect. Mr. M was responsible for feeding and caring for his two younger brothers, stopped going to school, and started hanging out with delinquents. What supported him was the local Japanese drum group he met in junior high school. Although he left the school for a while, he started working again and is now working as a substitute instructor. Married and the father of two children, he says, “I learned that I can make people smile through Japanese drumming.I hope to be able to support children who are in the same situation as me.”
This is the report on the “Children’s Place Competition in Tokyo”. From the tournament website, you will be able to access the web location map, detailed tournament report documents, and digest version videos for a certain period of time.
https://irukayainfo1.wixsite.com/home/contact-6
-Organization information-
NPO Free School Maimai
Established (registered): September 5, 2002
Homepage: https://irukayainfo1.wixsite.com/home
Contact: irukayainfo1@gmail.com
More details about this release:
https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000006.000131636.html