NIJIN Academy to Open Yamanashi Kofu School, First Free School in Yamanashi Prefecture

NIJIN Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Koto-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Tatsuro Hoshino) announces the opening of 'NIJIN Academy Yamanashi Kofu School' as a physical classroom for its alternative school for truants, 'NIJIN Academy,' marking the first such school in Yamanashi Prefecture. NIJIN Academy, featured on NHK's 'Ohayo Nippon' as a virtual school utilizing the metaverse, has enrolled over 700 elementary and junior high school students to date, achieving a 91.4% school satisfaction rate and a 96% homeroom teacher satisfaction rate. Its attendance certification rate is 97%, and over 200 students have returned to regular schools, contributing to children's growth through close collaboration with schools and education boards. Moving forward, the academy will expand its 'Hybrid Schooling' nationwide, allowing children who have regained energy in the metaverse campus to coexist with local extracurricular activities and learn in a specialized manner based on their interests. NIJIN Academy will open 'NIJIN Academy Yamanashi Kofu School' in partnership with the 'Yamanashi Prefectural Youth Center' in Kofu City, Yamanashi Prefecture. This classroom aims to help truant children leave home, connect with their community, and enrich their lives through experiences. The school offers craft experiences (Prefectural Startup Support Center) and outdoor activity experiences (Prefectural Yatsugatake Youth Nature House). The school director, Mitsuhiro Yoda, expressed his thoughts on the opening, highlighting the use of the Prefectural Youth Center as a base, offering various outdoor sports like tennis on natural grass fields. The same premises house the Prefectural Startup Support Center and Prefectural Parasports Center, enabling various craft experiences using 3D printers and parasports experiences. Additionally, nearby Atagoyama Children's Country offers opportunities to experience nature through extracurricular activities. The recruitment guidelines for NIJIN Academy Yamanashi Kofu School are: Target: Elementary 1st grade to Junior High 3rd grade; Opening Day: Once a week (every Thursday) 10:00-15:00 (4 times a month); Location: 1303 Wado-cho, Kofu City, Yamanashi Prefecture; Period: Opening from May 2026; Capacity: 5 students (first-come, first-served). NIJIN Academy, opened in September 2023, is an alternative school for truant elementary and junior high school students, with approximately 700 students enrolled from over 36 prefectures nationwide. Since September 2024, it has also provided physical learning spaces, with the number of real schools offering hybrid schooling increasing monthly. With 'multilayered psychological safety,' 'dialogic lessons by top-tier teachers,' and 'child-led projects' as its curriculum pillars, it aims to create a future where all children can have hope, without feeling inferiority or guilt for not attending school. Over 90% of students who wish to do so obtain attendance certification from their enrolled schools as an alternative learning option (as of March 2026). NIJIN Co., Ltd. is a 'JAPAN EDUCATION COMPANY' that solves educational issues from a systemic perspective, based on the philosophy of 'Illuminating the nation through education.' Feeling a national crisis due to too many children unable to express themselves in current schools, Tatsuro Hoshino, a former elementary school teacher, founded the company in April 2022 to create a country where everyone can have 'hope' in education. The company develops 13 mechanisms (businesses) to solve various educational problems, including truancy, teacher shortages, teacher working styles, and the ideal form of schools. For inquiries, please contact nijinacademy.yamanashikofu@gmail.com, contact person: Mitsuhiro Yoda.