【Tomi City, Nagano Prefecture】Holding "Asakansho Symposium" to Disseminate Education Structural Transformation Model Nationwide

Tomi City, Nagano Prefecture, has introduced "Asakansho" (morning art appreciation), a method of dialogue-based art appreciation, as a daily educational activity in all elementary and junior high schools within the city.

As a venue to share its achievements and challenges, the "Asakansho Symposium in Tomi City" will be held on Saturday, June 27, 2026.

**An Initiative to Change the "Premise of Education," Not Just Improve Lessons**

Asakansho is an activity where, for 10 minutes before class, dialogue is conducted based on a single work of art.
Its characteristic is that teachers do not teach knowledge, but rather face the artwork on equal footing with the children, sharing questions.

This transforms teachers from "those who provide correct answers" to "those who support dialogue."

Classrooms transform from "places of management" to "places that foster relationships."

Learning transforms from "knowledge acquisition" to "meaning generation."

This initiative does not aim to improve individual teaching techniques.

**The Significance of Whole-School Implementation—Implementation as a System**

In Tomi City, Asakansho has been introduced in all elementary and junior high schools since Reiwa 5 (2023) and is continuously implemented.

This is a pioneering initiative nationwide in that it is implemented as a system integrated into daily school operations, not as a one-off project.

Through this "whole-school implementation," changes are spreading throughout the entire school organization, not just limited to the practices of specific teachers.

For more information on the city's initiatives so far, please visit the official Tomi City website:

https://www.city.tomi.nagano.jp/category/asakansyo/186108.html

**The Starting Point of Change is "Teachers"—Transformation from Within the Educational Structure**

A notable observation in this initiative is the change in teachers more than in children.

An attitude of drawing out statements, not evaluating them.

An attitude of sharing questions, not providing answers.

Proceeding with an emphasis on relationships, not control.

These changes are not limited to Asakansho time but are spreading to daily lessons and classroom management, beginning to transform the very quality of decision-making and communication in schools.

**Why "Dialogue" Now?—Educational Challenges in the VUCA Era**

What is required in an unpredictable society is not the ability to reproduce existing knowledge, but the ability to confront questions and construct meaning in collaboration with others.

For this, it is essential to design an environment where dialogue exists in daily life, not through special lessons.

Tomi City is working on this redesign, starting from the smallest unit of "10 minutes in the morning."

**Significance of Holding the Symposium—Sharing the Model and Moving Towards Social Implementation**

At this symposium, through a keynote speech by an Agency for Cultural Affairs official, case presentations by educators from various regions nationwide, and panel discussions, the reality of changes occurring in educational settings will be verified from multiple perspectives.

Furthermore, participants from diverse backgrounds, including education boards, art museums, and researchers, will discuss the possibility of extending dialogue-based learning beyond schools and into society.

**Overview of the Event**

Name: Asakansho Symposium in Tomi City

Date: Saturday, June 27, 2026, 10:00-16:00

Venue: Tomi City Central Public Hall (288-4 Akechi, Tomi City, Nagano Prefecture)

Admission: Free

Application: Please apply via Nagano Electronic Application Service.

Application Deadline: Thursday, June 25, 2026

Archived streaming: Scheduled to be released later

Organizer: Tomi City

Sponsors: Nagano Prefecture, Nagano Prefectural Board of Education

Grant: General Incorporated Foundation, Regional Creation

Cooperation: General Incorporated Foundation, Nagano Prefectural Cultural Promotion Organization, Arts Council Promotion Bureau

**Program**

**Morning Session**

10:10-11:00 Keynote Speech
"Future Schools and Arts Education"
Speaker: Mr. Shingo Hyuga, Deputy Commissioner for Cultural Affairs

11:10-12:00 Case Presentations
Introduction of practical examples of Asakansho

**Afternoon Session**

13:10-14:10 Panel Discussion I —"Changes Born in the Classroom"—

14:25-15:55 Panel Discussion II —Aiming for a Safe and Secure School Environment—

**Observation Tour Also Held the Day Before**

On the evening of Friday, June 26, the day before the symposium, an Asakansho observation tour is scheduled to be held at Tomi City Municipal Wafu Elementary School.

You can experience the atmosphere on-site to see what kind of dialogues are born in actual classrooms.

**Contact Information**

Tomi City Planning and Promotion Department
Culture and Sports Promotion Division, Culture Promotion Section
Phone: 0268-71-0670
Email: bunka-sports@city.tomi.nagano.jp