NIJIN Inc. (Headquarters: Koto-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Tatsuro Hoshino) will hold a hands-on inquiry learning program called "3 Days to Become a Reporter" for elementary and junior high school students from July 30 (Thu) to August 1 (Sat), 2026. The three-day program will take participants to museums, sites of heavy rainfall disaster damage, and disaster prevention stations in Yatsushiro City, Kumamoto Prefecture, allowing them to experience everything from information gathering to dissemination.

In this event, children will visit local public facilities and disaster sites to interview local officials and create articles, experiencing the work of real reporters. The articles created will be published as a newspaper and exhibited and distributed within Yatsushiro City, disseminating their learning to the community.

◼️ Why We Are Holding This Event

The long summer break is a valuable opportunity for children's growth. However, many dual-income families struggle with questions like "Where can I take my children every day?" "They just play games and watch videos at home," and "I want them to have experiences they can only have during summer break, but opportunities are limited."

NIJIN Academy believes that "learning through experience" fosters children's independence and contributes to their future career development, and offers a variety of learning programs across the country.

The theme this time is the current state of the region, which even many adults are unaware of. By using local facilities and the town itself as teaching materials, participants will learn firsthand about efforts towards sustainable town development, discovering how many people are working hard to support the community in ways they might not realize in their everyday lives.

The main venue is the former samurai residence, "Sawai Family Residence and Nagayamon," a designated Tangible Cultural Property of Yatsushiro City, founded in the late Edo period.

◼️ Event Features

1 Learning Skills to Listen to Others and Communicate Information

In an era where information is easily accessible online and AI can generate text with ease, this program provides a hands-on experience of listening to people in real-life settings, understanding and organizing what is heard, and conveying information to others with one's own hands.

Throughout the three days, participants will enhance their speaking, listening, and writing skills.

2 Learning Through Real Reporting Activities

Participants will actually visit the Yatsushiro Municipal Museum and the Sakamoto Town/Kuma River Sakamoto District Disaster Prevention Station to interview staff.

They will cover the museum, which has reopened after extensive renovations, and the energetic activities of the community revitalization volunteers working simultaneously on recovery from heavy rainfall disasters.

Instead of desk-based learning, participants will hear directly from local people, take photos, and experience real reporting activities.

The Kuma River No. 1 Bridge of the JR Hisatsu Line, more than half of which collapsed in the heavy rainfall disaster of 2020 (Yatsushiro City, Kumamoto Prefecture).

3 More Than Just Observation

While school events and family trips often end with mere sightseeing, participants will consider what further information they want to know based on their own feelings, how to ask questions to deepen their understanding, and how to convey information in a way that moves others.

4 Challenge to Presentation and Newspaper Publication After the Event

The third day will feature an article presentation session.

After the event, the articles will be published as a newspaper and delivered to local residents through exhibitions and distribution.

◼️ Comments from the Center Manager

Comment from Center Manager, Wakana Mizutani (Mizu), Center Manager of NIJIN Academy Kumamoto Yatsushiro School

During my long career as a high school teacher, especially with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in recent years, I have seen how human connections have weakened and how children in schools are losing opportunities to experience the real world. I have also witnessed how, amidst the major disasters occurring across the country year after year, people move to more livable areas, and the history and culture of small towns fade from public attention. Young people, without even realizing the appeal of their own regions, choose their paths from a narrow range of visible options. Even adults say, "There's nothing here." Rather, it's that they haven't seen it. Looking at the current state of the region, knowing its strengths, and thinking about how to protect and pass on its history and culture can be a great strength, broadening future choices for both children and the community.

<Profile>

To address the current lack of places for children who are truant or seeking a place to belong in southern Kumamoto, she retired from her 19-year career as a teacher at a Kumamoto Prefectural High School to open the free school NIJIN Academy Kumamoto Yatsushiro School. Drawing from her personal experiences with her own child's truancy and developmental disabilities, she is collaborating with local governments and support organizations to tackle educational disparities in regional cities. Leveraging her experience in Japanese language education, college and career counseling, and environmental education as a high school teacher, she aims to create a learning environment that goes beyond the classroom, where students can see the town with their own eyes and acquire skills for their future through active experiences. Born and residing in Yatsushiro City.

Event Overview

Event Name [For Elementary and Junior High School Students] 3 Days to Become a Reporter! ~ Covering and Disseminating Local History, Culture, Disaster Recovery, and Sustainable Town Development

Date and Time July 30 (Thu) 9:30 AM - 2:30 PM July 31 (Fri) 9:30 AM - 3:00 PM August 1 (Sat) 9:30 AM - 2:30 PM Total 3 days

Target Audience Elementary and Junior High School Students

Capacity 8 people

Venue NIJIN Academy Kumamoto Yatsushiro School, etc.

Participation Fee General: 24,000 yen (tax included) Apply here

https://peatix.com/event/5055075

About NIJIN Academy

Opened in September 2023, NIJIN Academy is an alternative school primarily for elementary, junior high, and high school students who are truant or have difficulty fitting into traditional schools. It features interactive online classes and project-based learning that connects students with companies and society. Over 750 students nationwide (as of April 2026) are enrolled and learning "in their own way."

NIJIN Academy HP: https://academy.nijin.co.jp/ NIJIN After-School Project School: https://project.nijin.co.jp

Official Instagram: https://instagram.com/nijin_academy/

NIJIN Inc.

"Illuminating the Nation Through Education" is the philosophy of this "JAPAN EDUCATION COMPANY" that solves educational issues from a systemic perspective. Feeling a national crisis due to the large number of children who cannot 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 systems (businesses) that solve various educational problems, including truancy, teacher shortages, working conditions for teachers, and the nature of schools.

NIJIN Inc. HP: https://nijin.co.jp/

FACT BOX

  • Source: PR TIMES
  • Category: Event情報