Options Exist Even if You Can't Go to School! Alternative School [NIJIN Academy Hiroshima Fukuyama Campus] Opens May 13, 2026! Consultation & Trial on April 25: 'Don't suffer alone, rely on those around you'
NIJIN Inc. is opening the 'NIJIN Academy Hiroshima Fukuyama Campus' on May 13, 2026. This alternative school offers a hybrid of online learning and a real-world physical classroom focused on free movement for truant students.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 6, 2026 at 18:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 6, 2026 at 09:01
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 21, 2026 at 03:26 (354h 25m after Collected)
## ■ Background: Increasing Truancy and the Need for New Forms of Learning
The number of truant elementary and junior high school students is increasing year by year, reaching a record high of 353,970 in 2025. Creating an environment where children can learn safely and choose diverse ways of learning has become an important issue for society as a whole to address.
Facing this social issue, NIJIN Inc. (Headquarters: Koto-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Tatsuro Hoshino) announces the opening of the physical classroom 'Hiroshima Fukuyama Campus' for the truancy alternative school 'NIJIN Academy' on May 13, 2026.
NIJIN Academy opened 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. Over 600 students have enrolled so far, and more than 200 have successfully returned to school. It has received high praise with a 98% attendance recognition rate, a 91.4% school satisfaction rate, and a 96% homeroom satisfaction rate, accumulating a strong track record while cooperating with schools and boards of education. Its initiatives utilizing the metaverse have also been featured on NHK's 'Ohayo Nippon' and garnered attention.
## ■ [Thoughts from the Campus Manager]
I am Sasada, the manager of the Hiroshima Fukuyama Campus.
I operate a gymnastics school called Sports Smile Days in Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture.
This is a story I heard from a mother of a truant child. When her child stopped going to school, she felt strongly that she 'had to make them go.' However, the child said 'I don't want to go,' and the mother would ask 'Why won't you go?' They reached a point where they couldn't communicate properly, and days passed where both of them just suffered.
When I heard that story, I thought, 'Why do they have to go to school?'
The answer came quickly: 'There is no need to go if it causes that much pain.'
'Don't suffer alone, rely on those around you.'
I want to deliver that message to as many people struggling as possible.
## ■ Features of Hiroshima Fukuyama Campus: A Free School Specializing in Free Movement that Supports the Desire to Do Things
At the Hiroshima Fukuyama Campus, we will deploy 'hybrid learning' combining online and real-world experiences.
If they aren't going to school, we want them to use that time to experience various things. For learning, NIJIN Academy already has a well-developed online class system, building a framework where students can learn starting from their interests.
At the Hiroshima Fukuyama Campus, we have prepared fun gimmicks everywhere to encourage various types of physical activity. We have set up things that naturally make them want to move their bodies: climbing, jumping, jumping down, grabbing, and hanging. And that leads to smiles.
We do not force anything here. We aim for an environment where children can be exactly who they are. Building on that, adults will first demonstrate a posture of taking on various challenges and a proactive mindset, showing this to the children.
The greatest goal of our school is to make children smile, which leads to their growth. After that, they can choose to return to regular school, or they can choose to deeply pursue what they want to do without going to school. We will nurture their ability to choose their own path.
Of course, it's not just about exercise.
The number of truant elementary and junior high school students is increasing year by year, reaching a record high of 353,970 in 2025. Creating an environment where children can learn safely and choose diverse ways of learning has become an important issue for society as a whole to address.
Facing this social issue, NIJIN Inc. (Headquarters: Koto-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Tatsuro Hoshino) announces the opening of the physical classroom 'Hiroshima Fukuyama Campus' for the truancy alternative school 'NIJIN Academy' on May 13, 2026.
NIJIN Academy opened 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. Over 600 students have enrolled so far, and more than 200 have successfully returned to school. It has received high praise with a 98% attendance recognition rate, a 91.4% school satisfaction rate, and a 96% homeroom satisfaction rate, accumulating a strong track record while cooperating with schools and boards of education. Its initiatives utilizing the metaverse have also been featured on NHK's 'Ohayo Nippon' and garnered attention.
## ■ [Thoughts from the Campus Manager]
I am Sasada, the manager of the Hiroshima Fukuyama Campus.
I operate a gymnastics school called Sports Smile Days in Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture.
This is a story I heard from a mother of a truant child. When her child stopped going to school, she felt strongly that she 'had to make them go.' However, the child said 'I don't want to go,' and the mother would ask 'Why won't you go?' They reached a point where they couldn't communicate properly, and days passed where both of them just suffered.
When I heard that story, I thought, 'Why do they have to go to school?'
The answer came quickly: 'There is no need to go if it causes that much pain.'
'Don't suffer alone, rely on those around you.'
I want to deliver that message to as many people struggling as possible.
## ■ Features of Hiroshima Fukuyama Campus: A Free School Specializing in Free Movement that Supports the Desire to Do Things
At the Hiroshima Fukuyama Campus, we will deploy 'hybrid learning' combining online and real-world experiences.
If they aren't going to school, we want them to use that time to experience various things. For learning, NIJIN Academy already has a well-developed online class system, building a framework where students can learn starting from their interests.
At the Hiroshima Fukuyama Campus, we have prepared fun gimmicks everywhere to encourage various types of physical activity. We have set up things that naturally make them want to move their bodies: climbing, jumping, jumping down, grabbing, and hanging. And that leads to smiles.
We do not force anything here. We aim for an environment where children can be exactly who they are. Building on that, adults will first demonstrate a posture of taking on various challenges and a proactive mindset, showing this to the children.
The greatest goal of our school is to make children smile, which leads to their growth. After that, they can choose to return to regular school, or they can choose to deeply pursue what they want to do without going to school. We will nurture their ability to choose their own path.
Of course, it's not just about exercise.