New Learning Options for Children Not Attending School: 'NIJIN Academy Shizuoka Kakegawa' Alternative School to Open June 2, 2026, on a Farm; Experiential Information Session to be Held April 11

The experiential tourist farm "Kiwi Fruit Country Japan" (Kakegawa City, Shizuoka Prefecture) will open "NIJIN Academy Shizuoka Kakegawa," an alternative school for children not attending school, on June 2, 2026. Prior to this, an experiential information session will be held on Saturday, April 11, 2026.

Background: Rising Rates of School Non-Attendance and the Need for New Learning Methods

The number of elementary and junior high school students not attending school has been increasing year by year, reaching a record high of 353,970 in 2025. Creating an environment where children can learn with peace of mind and choose diverse ways of learning has become an important issue that society as a whole must address.

Addressing these social issues, NIJIN Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Koto-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Tatsuro Hoshino) is pleased to announce the opening of the physical campus "Shizuoka Kakegawa" for its alternative school for non-attending students, "NIJIN Academy," on June 2, 2026.

NIJIN Academy launched in September 2023 as an online alternative school that students can attend from home. It provides an environment where each child can learn at their own pace and value their individuality. To date, over 600 students have enrolled, and more than 200 have successfully returned to their original schools. The academy has earned high praise, with a 98% attendance certification rate, 91.4% school satisfaction rate, and 96% class satisfaction rate, building a strong track record in cooperation with schools and boards of education. Its initiatives utilizing the metaverse have also been featured on NHK's "Ohayou Nippon," garnering significant attention.

Features of the Shizuoka Kakegawa Campus: An Experiential Learning Farm Set in Nature

The newly opening Shizuoka Kakegawa campus will offer "hybrid learning" that combines online and real-world experiences.

Responding to the voices of children who say, "I don't want to go back to school, but I want to learn in a real-world setting," the school aims to create a safe place for them to attend.

The setting for the Shizuoka Kakegawa campus is a nature-rich farm called "Kiwi Fruit Country Japan." By incorporating experiences of touching the soil, interacting with life, and learning through food into daily life, the school provides an environment where children can be themselves.

The school values an environment where children feel "I can be safe here" and "I can be myself." It focuses not only on returning to school but on fostering the children's ability to choose their own future.

Learning content includes the following features:

・Learning through agriculture and nature experiences

・Outdoor & disaster prevention experiences ・Project-Based Learning (PBL) ・Child-led decision making ・Online learning linked with the metaverse

By combining learning in the metaverse with real-world activities like agriculture and nature experiences, the school realizes a new form of learning that fosters children's self-esteem and social skills.

Furthermore, by valuing learning through connections with the community and people, the school aims for a society where school non-attendance is not seen as a "problem" but as a "possibility."

By touching the soil, interacting with life, and thinking and acting for themselves, children will cultivate "the power to live." From the real-world field of agriculture, the school will share a new form of education.

Example of a Daily Schedule

・10:00 Home Physical Education (Metaverse) ・10:30 Strategy Meeting (Project Design) ・11:00 Mission Execution (Agriculture/Experiential Activities) ・12:30 Lunch (In nature) ・13:30 Self-paced Learning ・14:00 Class Meeting

Through daily activities, children will choose their own learning based on their interests and cultivate the ability to act proactively.