First in Japan's Ordinance Cities: Kobe to Launch Community-Based After-School Activities on Weekdays and Weekends, Offering Over 1,000 Diverse Options for Children's Interests, with Fund Establishment and Economic Support for Sustainable, Secure Environment

Nationally, declining birthrates and teacher shortages are making it increasingly difficult to sustain current middle school extracurricular activities.

To address these challenges, the national government announced in 2019 a shift from school-based to community-based extracurricular programs. The guidelines established in December 2025 aim for all local public entities to achieve community-based activities on weekends by fiscal year 2031, while promoting expansion to weekdays.

In this context, Kobe City will launch 'KOBE◆KATSU (Kobe Katsu)'—a unique community club initiative—in September 2026. Building on and evolving current school club activities, this program enables children to participate alongside local community members, increasing diverse options for children to actively choose what they want to do.

This expansion to include both weekends and weekdays marks the first such initiative among Japan’s ordinance-designated cities.

Since January 2025, three rounds of recruitment for activity organizations have registered over 1,000 groups—nearly equivalent to the current number of middle school clubs—enabling broader access to diverse activities.

Furthermore, Kobe City has enacted Japan’s first ordinance dedicated to the community-based expansion of school clubs, clearly establishing the official status of KOBE◆KATSU. To ensure stable development of activity environments, a 10-billion-yen fund has been established. The city will also support families by subsidizing membership fees and covering insurance costs, thereby reducing economic burdens on parents.

1. Diverse Programs Reflecting Student Needs | Including Dance, Cooking, and New Sports!

Middle school club activities have long played a vital role in children’s healthy development. However, circumstances have changed significantly due to societal shifts. Nationally, schools face challenges such as insufficient team members, widening disparities in the number of available programs and activities, and shrinking choices for children. Additionally, with increasingly diverse values, students and parents are showing a stronger preference for activities that are enjoyable, making current offerings insufficient to meet evolving needs.

In response, KOBE◆KATSU ensures sufficient clubs for currently popular activities while registering a wide variety of new programs. These include dance and cooking—popular in children’s surveys—as well as new sports such as flying disc and mölkky, regional and outdoor activities, and agriculture. These programs leverage Kobe’s diverse natural environments—coastlines, mountains, and open spaces—to reflect children’s actual interests.

2. Japan’s First Ordinance and the Establishment of the 'KOBE◆KATSU Support Fund' for Stable Operations

Even as communities take the lead and activities diversify, Kobe City has enacted the 'Ordinance on the Promotion of Community Club Activities Related to Kobe City Public Middle Schools' and established a new fund to ensure children can safely and stably continue their activities.

This is the first such ordinance in Japan dedicated to the community-based expansion of school club activities.

The ordinance clearly defines the roles of the city, the Board of Education, middle schools, and KOBE◆KATSU clubs. It also formally establishes the 'KOBE◆KATSU Support Fund' to support the program’s environment. This comprehensive framework aims to inherit and expand the educational value of traditional school clubs, promoting the development of students’ rich humanity and contributing to vibrant local communities.

KOBE◆KATSU clubs operate under a registration system requiring application and review by the Kobe City Board of Education. This distinguishes them from private lessons or independent activities, ensuring clear justification for public funding.

The newly established fund allocates 10 billion yen to secure stable, multi-year funding for facility security, maintenance, and purchase of equipment such as lighting and musical instruments—sufficient for approximately 20 years.

3. Monthly Subsidy of 1,500 Yen for KOBE◆KATSU Fees | Support to Enable Worry-Free Participation

Membership fees for KOBE◆KATSU clubs are kept low by primarily using middle school facilities as activity venues, with an average monthly cost of approximately 3,200 yen.

Additionally, Kobe City will develop a dedicated system called 'KOBE◆KATSU Support,' featuring fee payment processing and communication tools between clubs and parents. As part of financial relief for families, the city will provide monthly points worth 1,500 yen (3,000 yen for households receiving educational assistance)—about half the average fee—which can be used directly toward membership payments.

Parents can register for the 'KOBE◆KATSU Support' system via smartphone to receive subsidy amounts as points and apply them toward fee payments.

Through this system, Kobe City aims to ensure children and parents can participate with peace of mind, while minimizing administrative burdens on clubs so that instructors can focus fully on guiding children and running activities.

Moreover, to prepare for any accidents or injuries, the Board of Education will collectively enroll participants in insurance based on parental applications. Kobe City will cover the insurance premiums for public middle school students (800 yen per student per year).

Additional Support for Safe Activities

▶︎ Demonstration project for transportation support in areas with limited public transit in Kita and Nishi wards

In select areas, support will be provided to secure shared taxi transportation (fully funded by public funds)

▶︎ Establishment of the KOBE◆KATSU Club Office to manage activity groups and operate consultation desks for parents and students

4. Future Schedule

In the latter half of FY2026, a KOBE◆KATSU Festival is planned to foster community spirit, enabling participants and instructors to interact across different activity types.

April 2026

Recruitment for KOBE◆KATSU club participants begins

Late July

Gradual start of trial memberships

Early August

Registration for KOBE◆KATSU Support opens

September

KOBE◆KATSU program begins

Around the end of FY2026

KOBE◆KATSU Festival to be held

Moving forward, Kobe City will continue to listen to the voices of children, parents, and local organizations, advancing this initiative carefully and swiftly according to the above schedule to ensure a smooth launch.

As community-based expansion of school activities becomes essential nationwide, KOBE◆KATSU will further evolve traditional clubs by ensuring diverse activities that empower children to choose what they want to do. By leveraging Kobe’s unique characteristics—its natural landscapes and diverse local players—the city will advance a more attractive model for community-based extracurricular activities.