[From under-enrollment to a popular school with 4x applicants in just one year] Former Japan coach Takeshi Okada's "new form of learning", FC Imabari High School Satoyama Campus goes into full swing with all 3 grades!
FC Imabari High School Satoyama Campus, led by Takeshi Okada, has welcomed its 3rd class, reaching a full capacity of 188 students. Its unique curriculum has led to a rapid surge in applicants in just one year.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 24, 2026 at 22:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 24, 2026 at 13:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 25, 2026 at 00:28 (10h 56m after Collected)
FC Imabari High School Satoyama Campus of the Imabari Meitoku Educational Corporation (Location: Imabari City, Ehime Prefecture, hereinafter referred to as FCI) held the entrance ceremony for its 3rd cohort of students on April 8, 2026, marking a new beginning with a total of 188 students across all grades.
With former Japan national football team coach Takeshi Okada serving as the principal, the school opened in 2024 under the banner of "updating education." From a difficult situation in its first year with an applicant-to-capacity ratio of 0.49x, it rapidly grew to 1.83x in just one year. Now in its third year since opening, it is fully launching as an exceptional high school where ambitious students gather from all over the country to a regional area.
■ The Current State of "FC Imabari High School Satoyama Campus" in Numbers
1. [Approximately 70% Out-of-Prefecture Students] Educational migration for "post-deviation-value" chosen by youth from 34 prefectures nationwide
The origins of the enrolled students span 34 prefectures across the country, from Aomori in the north to Okinawa in the south. Excluding the home prefecture, a large portion comes especially from the Kanto, Chubu, and Kinki regions. As a result, a diverse community has been born where 68%, or about 70% of all students, are "out-of-prefecture students."
What they seek is a form of learning that fosters "life skills," free from conventional deviation values and stereotypes. The 188 students gathered from across the country treat the entire region of Imabari as their campus, inspiring each other while living in dormitories.
2. [About 90% of Students Have Dreams] Cultivating self-efficacy 30 points above the national average
In an attitude survey among 3rd-year students (1st cohort), 89.4% answered that they "have a dream for the future," exceeding the national average (60.1%) by about 30 points. Furthermore, 94.7% replied that "what I am doing has a purpose and meaning," showing that learning connected to the real world is nurturing a strong sense of self-affirmation and purpose.
* Compared with the 18-Year-Old Awareness Survey "62nd - Awareness of Country and Society (6-Country Survey)" Report (Nippon Foundation 2024.4.3)
* The survey for FCI 1st cohort (3rd-year students) was conducted on April 7, 2026 (single response, n=27)
3. [Over 50 People Annually] "Special Lectures" where top runners from various fields visit weekly
Throughout the year, lecturers active on the front lines of business, sports, art, etc., such as Toyota Motor Corporation's Akio Toyoda, Cybozu's Yoshihisa Aono, and Takafumi Horie, visit the school continuously. Rather than mere speeches, they spend dense time asking, "How will you live your life?" through workshops and dialogues.
4. [5x More Inquiry-Based Learning] Compressing graduation credits to 80% and allocating one-third to "inquiry and field learning"
FCI has scrutinized the number of credits typically required in standard high schools (approx. 95 credits) and designed a unique curriculum that consolidates the total credits needed for graduation to about 80%, or 74 credits. Furthermore, of those 74 credits, about one-third—totaling 24 credits—is allocated to practical learning such as "inquiry-based learning" and "field learning." In particular, "inquiry subjects" are allotted 15 credits, up to five times the standard credit number (3-6 credits) of general high schools. To cultivate the ability to proactively tackle real-world social issues, the school secures time beyond the framework of subject learning, providing essential education to survive in the coming era.
Moreover, utilizing the "blank space time" created by optimizing credits, students can customize their learning according to their own aspirations, such as deepening their inquiries or taking elective subjects. From "time to be taught" to "time to create learning oneself." Through a highly flexible curriculum, the school maximizes the potential of each individual.
■ Applicant Number Trends Showing a V-Shaped Recovery Over 3 Years
In the first year of opening, while there were expectations for an "unknown school" that transcended existing frameworks, there was also a significant segment of people waiting and seeing due to anxiety over the invisible reality. However, as the actual activities and student growth from the first year were concretely conveyed, the school bounced back from the adversity of under-enrollment in the first year, seeing a rapid increase in applicants in just one year. Currently, all grades from the 1st to 3rd cohort are present, and learning that uses the entire region as a campus is heating up.
April 2024: 1st year of opening - 34 students (Applicant ratio 0.49x)
April 2025: 2nd year of opening - 85 students (Applicant ratio 1.83x)
April 2026: 3rd year of opening - 83 students (Applicant ratio 1.22x)
■ "Three Pillars" to Update Existing Educational Styles
FCI has introduced unique systems to update conventional high school education.
1. Only 3 school rules. "Non-managed" education that encourages autonomy
The only three rules set by the school are "Comply with the law," "Avoid danger to life," and "Do not hinder the growth of others." Everything else is built by the students themselves through dialogue.
2. Abolishing regular exams to evaluate the process
To reform studying aimed solely at tests and entrance exams, regular exams have been abolished. The ability to discover problems and the process of trial and error are subject to evaluation.
3. Teachers transition from instructors to "running partners (coaches)"
Teachers are not one-way instructors but "running partners (coaches)" who draw out students' potential, and they call each other by nicknames.
With former Japan national football team coach Takeshi Okada serving as the principal, the school opened in 2024 under the banner of "updating education." From a difficult situation in its first year with an applicant-to-capacity ratio of 0.49x, it rapidly grew to 1.83x in just one year. Now in its third year since opening, it is fully launching as an exceptional high school where ambitious students gather from all over the country to a regional area.
■ The Current State of "FC Imabari High School Satoyama Campus" in Numbers
1. [Approximately 70% Out-of-Prefecture Students] Educational migration for "post-deviation-value" chosen by youth from 34 prefectures nationwide
The origins of the enrolled students span 34 prefectures across the country, from Aomori in the north to Okinawa in the south. Excluding the home prefecture, a large portion comes especially from the Kanto, Chubu, and Kinki regions. As a result, a diverse community has been born where 68%, or about 70% of all students, are "out-of-prefecture students."
What they seek is a form of learning that fosters "life skills," free from conventional deviation values and stereotypes. The 188 students gathered from across the country treat the entire region of Imabari as their campus, inspiring each other while living in dormitories.
2. [About 90% of Students Have Dreams] Cultivating self-efficacy 30 points above the national average
In an attitude survey among 3rd-year students (1st cohort), 89.4% answered that they "have a dream for the future," exceeding the national average (60.1%) by about 30 points. Furthermore, 94.7% replied that "what I am doing has a purpose and meaning," showing that learning connected to the real world is nurturing a strong sense of self-affirmation and purpose.
* Compared with the 18-Year-Old Awareness Survey "62nd - Awareness of Country and Society (6-Country Survey)" Report (Nippon Foundation 2024.4.3)
* The survey for FCI 1st cohort (3rd-year students) was conducted on April 7, 2026 (single response, n=27)
3. [Over 50 People Annually] "Special Lectures" where top runners from various fields visit weekly
Throughout the year, lecturers active on the front lines of business, sports, art, etc., such as Toyota Motor Corporation's Akio Toyoda, Cybozu's Yoshihisa Aono, and Takafumi Horie, visit the school continuously. Rather than mere speeches, they spend dense time asking, "How will you live your life?" through workshops and dialogues.
4. [5x More Inquiry-Based Learning] Compressing graduation credits to 80% and allocating one-third to "inquiry and field learning"
FCI has scrutinized the number of credits typically required in standard high schools (approx. 95 credits) and designed a unique curriculum that consolidates the total credits needed for graduation to about 80%, or 74 credits. Furthermore, of those 74 credits, about one-third—totaling 24 credits—is allocated to practical learning such as "inquiry-based learning" and "field learning." In particular, "inquiry subjects" are allotted 15 credits, up to five times the standard credit number (3-6 credits) of general high schools. To cultivate the ability to proactively tackle real-world social issues, the school secures time beyond the framework of subject learning, providing essential education to survive in the coming era.
Moreover, utilizing the "blank space time" created by optimizing credits, students can customize their learning according to their own aspirations, such as deepening their inquiries or taking elective subjects. From "time to be taught" to "time to create learning oneself." Through a highly flexible curriculum, the school maximizes the potential of each individual.
■ Applicant Number Trends Showing a V-Shaped Recovery Over 3 Years
In the first year of opening, while there were expectations for an "unknown school" that transcended existing frameworks, there was also a significant segment of people waiting and seeing due to anxiety over the invisible reality. However, as the actual activities and student growth from the first year were concretely conveyed, the school bounced back from the adversity of under-enrollment in the first year, seeing a rapid increase in applicants in just one year. Currently, all grades from the 1st to 3rd cohort are present, and learning that uses the entire region as a campus is heating up.
April 2024: 1st year of opening - 34 students (Applicant ratio 0.49x)
April 2025: 2nd year of opening - 85 students (Applicant ratio 1.83x)
April 2026: 3rd year of opening - 83 students (Applicant ratio 1.22x)
■ "Three Pillars" to Update Existing Educational Styles
FCI has introduced unique systems to update conventional high school education.
1. Only 3 school rules. "Non-managed" education that encourages autonomy
The only three rules set by the school are "Comply with the law," "Avoid danger to life," and "Do not hinder the growth of others." Everything else is built by the students themselves through dialogue.
2. Abolishing regular exams to evaluate the process
To reform studying aimed solely at tests and entrance exams, regular exams have been abolished. The ability to discover problems and the process of trial and error are subject to evaluation.
3. Teachers transition from instructors to "running partners (coaches)"
Teachers are not one-way instructors but "running partners (coaches)" who draw out students' potential, and they call each other by nicknames.