9 Early Childhood Education Executives from 2 Central Asian Countries Visit Kagoshima for First "Japanese-Style Early Childhood Education Practical International Training" Held in May Through Private Sector Collaboration

Executives, directors, and educators from kindergartens and nursery schools in the Kyrgyz Republic and Kazakhstan will visit Ogata Welfare Association (Hioki City, Kagoshima Prefecture).
A two-day practical training program will be held, delving into the field of Japanese early childhood education and care, focusing on learning from nature, food education, children's independence, and creating inclusive environments.

Ogata Welfare Association (Hioki City, Kagoshima Prefecture) will host the first "Japanese-Style Early Childhood Education Practical International Training" for two days on May 14 (Thursday) and May 15 (Friday), 2026, inviting a total of nine kindergarten/nursery school executives, directors, and educators from the Kyrgyz Republic and Kazakhstan.
This practical training goes beyond lectures, allowing participants to immerse themselves in the actual early childhood education and care environment. The goal is for participants to take home knowledge and perspectives that they can immediately apply in their own countries.

## Early Childhood Education Exchange with Central Asia Realized Through Private Sector Collaboration
This training is an international early childhood education exchange realized through private-to-private connections. Educational professionals from Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan collaborated with Ogata Welfare Association, and this program was initiated in response to their desire to "learn about Japanese early childhood education and care on-site."
Because it is a private sector collaboration built on dialogue and trust between practitioners, rather than being led by the government, flexible and practical content that addresses the participants' interests and concerns has been realized.

### Features of This Program
A major feature of this program is that participants can immerse themselves in the actual flow of early childhood education and care, experiencing daily interactions and environmental arrangements. Designed based on local educational needs, it is positioned as an initiative that will lead to continuous exchange and mutual learning, not just a one-off inspection.

## Two Days of Practical Training, Immersed in the Field
The training emphasizes "seeing, hearing, and experiencing." Participants will enter the actual early childhood education and care environment at Ogata Welfare Association facilities, including Myoenji Kodomoen, and learn firsthand about the movements of caregivers, interactions with children, and techniques for creating environments.
In addition, it will be an opportunity to experientially learn the concepts cultivated in the field of Japanese early childhood education and care, such as learning through interaction with nature, food education rooted in daily life, practices that respect children's independence, and creating inclusive environments.

## Event Outline
- Dates: May 14 (Thursday) and May 15 (Friday), 2026
- Venue: Ogata Welfare Association, Myoenji Kodomoen (Certified Integrated Early Childhood Education and Care Center) and others
- (2-72-2 Myoenji, Ijuin-cho, Hioki City, Kagoshima Prefecture)
- Participants: 5 from Kyrgyz Republic, 4 from Kazakhstan, total 9 people
- Kindergarten/Nursery school executives, directors, and educators
- Host: Ogata Welfare Association

Myoenji Kodomoen building

Ogata Welfare Association
Based in Hioki City, Kagoshima Prefecture, it operates six businesses related to children and community welfare, including certified integrated early childhood education and care centers, after-school care, child development support, employment support, and consultation support.
With the philosophy of "All hints are in children," it is based on the practice of early childhood education and care that values children's independence, and it values learning through interaction with nature and the practice of daily food education. It also works to create inclusive environments, continuously practicing to support the growth of each child.

Company Profile: Ogata Welfare Association
URL: https://www.ohgata-swc.com